Teemu Selanne's late penalty shot lifts Jets in Heritage Classic alumni game

Teemu Selanne took center stage for the Winnipeg Jets during their Heritage Classic alumni game against the Edmonton Oilers at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg.

Selanne scored two goals – both on penalty shots – to give the Jets a 6-5 win. The Finnish Flash scored the game-winner with 3.6 seconds left when he fired the puck between the pads of Curtis Joseph to send the crowd of 31,317 into a frenzy.

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“It’s amazing. Obviously I’ve always had a great relationship with the fans and people here. So it was really special. And I knew I’m going to score, too, so it’s a good feeling,” Selanne said.

Selanne’s first goal came on a nifty backhand deke on Bill Ranford.

The game was a homecoming to some degree for Selanne, who started his career with the first incarnation of the Jets.

Selanne played 231 games for that Jets team and notched 147 goals and 306 points. In 1996 he was traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim where he would become a franchise icon. He played 966 games with the Mighty Ducks/Ducks organization in two stints with the team. In 2007 he won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks.

Still, he is known as one of the most beloved members of those Jets, which moved to the Phoenix area and became the Coyotes the year after Selanne was traded. Selanne set the NHL record for goals by a rookie when he tallied 76 in 1992-93 with Winnipeg.

On Friday, Selanne received a key to the city.

The 46-year-old Selanne retired after the 2013-14 season with 684 career goals and 1,457 points in 1,451 games.

“Pretty much very lucky that everywhere I played, with the fans and people have been very nice. But I think it’s also how do you treat them? If you treat them well they usually treat you well, too,” Selanne said. “But everything comes very naturally and easy for me. I like people. And I think that’s the only thing.”

The game itself was a star-studded affair featuring players from both the first incarnation of the Jets and the dynastic Oilers from the 80s along with a few players from Edmonton’s teams in the 90s and 2000s.

Wayne Gretzky suited up for Edmonton in his first alumni game appearance since the 2003 Heritage Classic between Oilers and Calgary Flames. After the game, the Great One said it could be his last.

Mark Messier, Craig Simpson, Craig MacTavish and B.J. MacDonald all scored for the Oilers.

The goal by the 55-year-old Messier came after he stripped the puck of the Jets on the backcheck and started the play up ice. His finished his opportunity with a wrist shot from outside the circle.

Kris King scored twice for the Jets. Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk and former Jets forward Mike Eagles also scored.

The Heritage Classic between the current-day Oilers and Jets will take place Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern time. According to Weather.com, it’s supposed to be around 47 degrees Fahrenheit at puck drop.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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