The Los Angeles Kings paid tribute to a rival and one of the NHL’s greatest players Saturday night when the team honored Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne before the two teams matched up.
Selanne, who plans to retire after this year’s playoffs, was not in the Ducks’ lineup for the final rivalry match of the regular season at the Staples Center because of a scheduling strategy devised to help save the 43-year-old’s energy, according to the Los Angeles Times. Selanne will play in his final regular-season game when the Ducks host the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
Selanne was voted the most valuable player in the Sochi Winter Olympics hockey tournament after leading Finland to a bronze medal. He has nine goals and 27 points in 63 games this season. Selanne has played in 1,450 total NHL games, scoring 684 goals and tallying 1,457 points.
Check out the Kings’ tribute to Selanne in the video below.
