Teemu Selanne symbolizes for me the kind of person, whether in business, friendship or sport, who strives for significance and excellence and finds it because they are his focus.
His career hasn't been without its valleys. He has overcome points when it looked like he was done due to injury and slump. This season alone he broke his hand...and his jaw and still came back to finish off the year. Like anyone really worth admiring it's his triumph over adversity that makes his success important (because not all success is important).
Simply put, he's the kind of athlete that is a joy to watch play. He so obviously loves what he does. Enjoys the sport. Values his teammates. Appreciates his success. I aspire to be like him in that way, to love what I do so much it brings joy to other people.
I get grief sometimes for loving sports, especially hockey, but what some people don't see are the underpinnings of sacrifice and splendor that give the game a purpose and place in my life. Thanks Teemu for being a part of that for me.
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Other things I've written about my Ducks:
Corey Perry fights robots, here
Why I love hockey, here.
How not to act when meeting Ryan Getzlaf, here
