Teemu Selänne was almost lost to the Calgary Flames in offer sheet battle
Photo credit: CBC
Teemu Selänne is arguably one the most legendary players to ever wear the Winnipeg Jets sweater.
What many Jets enthusiasts don't seem to realize is that Teemu Selänne was almost lost ago to the Calgary Flames in an offer sheet battle. Losing Selanne would have been a devastating blow which would have altered the course of history for the Jets 1.0
Winnipeg has been involved in the offer sheet business before, and on two occasions. But both instances were roughly 30 years ago, and the times have changed considerably since then.
In 1992, the Calgary Flames presented forward Teemu Selanne with a three-year contract worth $2.7 million - roughly $1.5 million higher than Winnipeg's original offer. The contract came from Calgary as a Group IV offer sheet for an unsigned European prospect, as Selanne was technically considered an RFA at the time.
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Winnipeg staunchly matched the contract, and Selanne would go on to have the greatest rookie campaigns in NHL history just months later, tallying 76 goals, 56 assists for a grand total of 132 points.
Although it has been quite a while since offer sheet drama has impacted the Jets organization, they almost lost one of their best players of all time because of it.
Source: The Hockey Writers
Exploring the Winnipeg Jets' History with Offer Sheets
Exploring the Winnipeg Jets' History with Offer Sheets
| POLL | ||
21 AOUT | 74 ANSWERS Teemu Selänne was almost lost to the Calgary Flames in offer sheet battle Do you remember almost losing Selanne to the Flames? | ||
| Yes | 38 | 51.4 % |
| No | 36 | 48.6 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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