George Parros: It’s an honor to be on the same team with Teemu Selanne

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This last week or so has certainly proved eventful. In my last entry, I implored everyone to jump on our bandwagon and help steer it toward a playoff spot. I suppose I should have never mentioned playoffs because as hockey players, we are by nature superstitious and I may very well have jinxed us.

This is a very difficult pill to swallow. We are never going to give up but we know the odds are against us. There is nothing more miserable than failing to qualify for a playoff spot because there is nothing better in sports than NHL playoff hockey.

The bright side to our current situation is being able to play with a living legend as he attempts to make history. On March 21 against his old team (Colorado), Teemu Selanne scored his 600th NHL goal, making him only the 18th player in history to reach that milestone. He is now two goals away from passing his good buddy and fellow countryman Jari Kurri.

It was really cool to be a part of that game and take the ice with him in celebration. He is one of the classiest guys that I have ever played with. It was very reminiscent of a game I played in a few years ago when I wore the purple and black and got to celebrate Luc Robitaille’s record-setting franchise goal. There are a lot of similarities between these two legends. They are two of the nicest and most positive guys that I have met. After the game against Colorado, we gave him a big ovation in the locker room and showed our respect for one of the true greats. These are the days that make this job one of the most rewarding jobs out there.

The Times is pleased to have Ducks enforcer George Parros blogging for us on the ups and downs of the NHL season.