Teemu Selanne Quotations

When I was a kid, I remember playing hockey outside and whenever you did, you thought about playing for Finland vs. Sweden. Thats just the way it was.

You keep shooting. You hope it goes in, and you smile.

We've played with a lot of confidence and that's been the key so far. Hopefully, we can take more confidence into the playoffs.

I think we have played like a playoff team for some time. We can still do better. The key thing right now is to look forward, not behind you.

We both should have three or four goals already this series but don't and we have to find a way to do it. As a goal scorer, it's important to get chances and we've got those. We're working hard. We just need one good game where we both get some damage done and get that scoring touch. Even if it goes off your (butt).

We know how much it takes, and nothing is going to come easy. We just have to find that effort and do better on special teams.

Obviously, when the old Soviet Union broke down, I think it took some years until they feel they are a country again. And I think now, they have really come together again.

Obviously, everybody's living in this moment right now and it's awesome. It would be nice to bring the gold medal back to our country and our fans. We haven't done it before and it would be something very special for them and us, too. You have to enjoy this time.

I'm always joking about it -- he's the only guy who can play 30 minutes without breaking a sweat. He's so smooth and effortless. What really surprised me is how good he is in the battles. He's so strong. It looks like he's never hurried. It's unbelievable. I had no clue how good he was.

If it was a playoff game, it would be different, but I have to be smart. I'd rather miss one or two games than two weeks.

He has all the tools. He has speed, he hits, he has a great shot, everything. It's fun to see a guy put it all together like that. He has made our line dangerous.

He has scored a lot of big goals. This guy has been an unbelievable part of our success.

He just needed a chance. He used to get pretty frustrated in San Jose. He's the kind of guy who needs to play a lot.

Guys have accepted the roles given to them and they do not complain. They are not playing as much as they would in the NHL, but they are not complaining.

I think it helps that we have played so long together. We have great chemistry. We have everything that a great team needs.

I thought the first period was excellent and we were terrible in the second. In the third period, we found a way to get the job done and that was the difference. It was good enough to win the game. That's all that matters.

I think we've played for a long time like a playoff team, but we can still do better. The key now is to look forward instead of looking back. I'd like to start looking ahead at Nashville than look behind at the teams that are chasing us.

I think we all bounced back pretty well and played good enough to win the game.

I was hoping that this was going to happen at home in front of our own fans. Of course the big thing was that we won.

We played the way we wanted. We were a little nervous for the first period. After that we had no problems. Everything was under control. That was a good sign.

We played pretty disciplined, even though they tried to frustrate us. It was a pretty solid effort all the way around.

We know we can do it. This team plays with a lot of confidence now. I really believe that's been the biggest thing.

This schedule is unbelievable. I don't know what kind of Superman you have to be to stay healthy.

We are just playing so well right now, and we have lots of confidence. This team is unbelievable right now. Every line is doing their job.

When the goalie is hot, he's hot. Pretty much nothing you can do about it. Hopefully he's going to cool down next time.

The reason we have seen so many penalties in the playoffs is they (referees) started calling everything again. They were not calling everything in the last 10, 15, 20 (regular-season) games.

We had a good start, I think they came out a little flat but the two goals in the first period were the difference.

We have a chance to do something great in history for Finnish hockey and that's our goal.

We have to do a little better job to shut him down. I don't think we've done a good job against him. We have to make sure he doesn't get so much room.

We showed a lot of pride coming back, especially when we got the bad break in the first period.

The silver medal, it's going to taste better a little later. But right now, it's very disappointing.

I've always looked at it as a big honor to go play for your own country, especially in the Olympics. It's honor to be there, even if it's a tougher season for us. I think in the future, you're going to see that it was great experience again.

Actually, we met once when I was a little boy. It was outdoors in Finland with my buddies. I dreamed of playing that game against Sweden in the Olympic final. That time, we won. So hopefully, we repeat that.

Speed is our key, we've got lots of young players. We're playing pretty well and have the confidence.

Bad passes. Absolutely bad passes. We panicked at times.

This game is a lot about chemistry, and when three guys can find good chemistry, it makes the game so much easier. To play with Paul and Joe, it's going to be a huge pleasure for me.

It wasn't the prettiest (win), but we did a lot of good things. Even when they were up two goals we never gave up.

It's awesome. The team is playing with so much confidence right now.

It's a little easier than it was maybe two or three years ago, but you still have to be good.

It's a jungle out there. I don't know about these new rules.

It's OK. You can always get new teeth.

It's the perfect time to be hot. Everybody knows it's tough to face a hot team in the playoffs, and right now we're hot.

It's probably going to be my last Olympics, that's why it's a little more special. The national team always has been a happy place for me. I really like our chances. You never know what's going to happen, that's why the tournament is so special. The gap between the No. 1 and No. 5 team is pretty much nothing. You're talking about two weeks of time. Whoever is going to be hot is going to have a great chance to win.

It's tough. We were so close, and we played so good in the tournament.

Everybody is working so hard and I've always said confidence is the key. I don't care who you are or what you do, you've got to have the confidence. This team is unbelievable right now. Every line is doing their job.

Oh, there'll be a lot of drunk people there.

I'm healthy, I've got all the wheels back. When you don't have your wheels you can't excel at this level. The whole year has been excellent, I'm really happy my knee is good again. I enjoy the game again, I've got my smile back.

I just tried to hit the net. I got it through the five hole.

I know exactly how he plays. Too bad he knows me. The bottom line is to make sure he doesn't see the puck. You have to have traffic in front of him.

I hit a stick or a puck but it's all the same. It doesn't really matter.

I really believe it's pride. For the guys who are lucky enough to play on the power play, it has to be a bonus for everyone out there. Even one PP goal every day is going to be huge.

I realized he didn't see it and I tried to put my stick behind him. Then I accidentally hit his pads and pushed it more into the goal. It's a tough break, especially when we had so many chances.

But he's very relaxed, too. He's one of the guys who smiles and says, 'Oh, is there a game today?' He puts everybody else at ease.

But I like our chances. I think it's a good situation to go there again as an underdog. I don't think we have that much pressure. But at the same time, we know how good we can be. The World Cup proved that anything can happen. So we feel pretty good about the whole thing.

He's not noisy. He's always the same. Never high, never low. I think that shows how strong he is mentally.

The ice has never been good here. It is OK. Nothing special. Not like in Canada.

The first two periods I was feeling great. I had so much energy. I ran out of gas a little bit in the third, but the best thing is I didn't feel any pain ... It's a great feeling to be back.

All the games he played in the regular season, he did his job well. We have lots of confidence in him, too, and that's a good sign.

Winning is always fun, but the car is more important.

If they can play eight more years, then I can too. I'm in better shape than they are.