Selanne Shipped to Sharks
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - The San Jose Sharks have acquired right wing Teemu Selanne from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in exchange for left wing Jeff Friesen, goaltender Steve Shields and future considerations.
Selanne, one of the league's best scorers, will join a team that sits in second place of the Pacific Division and ranks sixth in the Western Conference.
Selanne, 30, has 26 goals, 33 assists and 59 points in 61 games this season. Selanne is a seven-time All-Star and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1998 All-Star Game. The three-time 50-goal scorer has 372 goals and 416 assists for 788 career points in his nine NHL seasons.
He also won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year in 1992-93. The Ducks acquired Selanne from Winnipeg in the 1995-96 season.
"Selanne is an elite player who is one of the top offensive threats in the game and a major weapon on the power play," said Sharks executive vice president and general manager Dean Lombardi. "His presence should address several major needs for our club. This is a big step for our organization."
Friesen, 24, has 149 goals, with 201 assists for 350 career points in 512 career games. This season, the former first-round pick has recorded 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points for San Jose.
Shields, 28, is 48-49-21 with a franchise-record 10 shutouts for the Sharks in 125 career games. He is 6-8-5 with a 2.48 goals against average this season.
The Ducks have 51 points, the fewest in the Western Conference.
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