From the Archives: Signing Selanne Priority

The following THN Archive story by Ed Willes takes a look at the much anticipated arrival of Finnish star forward Teemu Selanne, and Winnipeg's pursuit to signing the player would go on to score an NHL rookie record 76 goals just months later in his first season.

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Signing Selanne Priority

August 1, 1992 – Vol. 45, Issue 39

By Ed WIlles

"The wait is almost over.

Four years after the Winnipeg Jets made him their first choice in the 1988 NHL entry draft, Finnish right winger Teemu Selanne is coming to North America.

Selanne and agent Don Baizley are rumored to be seeking a contract of $800,000 per season but that doesn’t necessarily mean with the Jets.

Selanne became a free agent without compensation July 1-the Jets were unable to sign him within the four-year post-draft period-and Baizley suggests a deal with the Jets isn’t necessarily close.

Should another team sign Selanne-Toronto is reportedly interested-the Jets would have the right to match the offer. Winnipeg general manager Mike Smith said signing Selanne is a top priority for his club this summer.

Baizley has talked with the Jets but is not guaranteeing anything.

“Other teams are free to make an offer,” he said. “But we haven’t got to that point yet. They don’t want to jump in and drive the price up while we’re negotiating with another team.”

Selanne, 22, played for Finland during the Canada Cup and Olympics. He led his Jokerit Helsinki team to the Elite League title and was the league’s top scorer.

CAMP CUTBACK: Inflation has hit every other sector of the community but the numbers at Winnipeg’s training camp in September will be at an all-time low.

No more than 40 players will invited to camp and that figure will only drop in the future. General manager Mike Smith wants to cut the number of players on contract from 50 to 36 in the next two years.

The Jets are even considering cutting back on their farm affiliate. When Winnipeg’s contract with Moncton of the American League expires in a year, Smith may consider sharing a farm club like they used to do with Montreal in Sherbrooke.

NOTEBOOK: The Jets keep drafting players from Russia, so it’s only fair they offer some sort of kickback. Defenseman Mike Muller, a second-round pick of Winnipeg in 1990, will spend next season with Moscow Dynamo. The six-foot-three, 212-pounder spent last season with the University of Minnesota. He left for Moscow July 4 for the camp that opens July 20.

Ed Ratushny, father and agent of Jets’ blue line prospect Dan, is trying to get his son declared a free agent. There’s a provision in the NHL’s bylaws which allows a “defected” player to become a free agent after a certain period of time. To qualify, a player has to play in a league unaffiliated with the NHL for one season. Ratushny spent most of last season in Switzerland. Ed Ratushny hopes the league will consider that when they rule on his son."