Selanne, Numminen ready for 'emotional' Jets Hall of Fame induction

WINNIPEG - Teemu Selanne and Teppo Numminen have made the most of their few days in Winnipeg.
Numminen even took time to drive around the city to show his daughters the house he used to live in.
Only one problem.
"He couldn't find his house," Selanne laughed.
"Because it was painted green. It used to be white," Numminen grinned. "It has been nice to have family here. Again, and my daughters are here, they haven't been in Winnipeg so it's the first time and it's been great to show them the city and where we used to hang out and tell stories of the past and meet all the friends we have here."

But perhaps the best moment is still to come, as both players will see their numbers rise to the rafters of Canada Life Centre to join the other legends of the Winnipeg Jets franchise in the Hall of Fame.
"I think that it's a humble feeling to be here tonight. It's a big honour for sure," said Selanne. "It's so special to go and do this with Teppo. Obviously, Teppo was a huge factor for me when I came here. He was like an older brother for me at the time when I came here."

Selanne's first season in Winnipeg was the 1992-93 campaign. All one has to do in the city of Winnipeg is mention the Finnish Flash, and memories come flooding back to that special season.
That year, Selanne scored 76 goals, smashing the rookie record previously held by Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Bossy (53). It was a record that stood for nearly 25 years, and when Selanne notched number 54 in front of the home crowd at the Winnipeg Arena - his seventh goal in two games to break the record on home ice - he tossed his glove in the air and used his stick to shoot it down.
It was one of the most memorable celebrations in league history, and Selanne's teammate who caught the glove - Dallas Eakins - will be in attendance as the head coach of the opposing Anaheim Ducks.
"He asked me if he could get in the Hall of Fame too, because he (caught) the glove," Selanne smiled. "It's great timing that the Ducks are here. Two of my favorite teams and I have great memories from both. So it's going be a special night."
Now 52, Selanne maintains he feels lucky to have started his NHL career in Winnipeg. He's been named to the Hockey Hall of Fame, the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame, and has represented Finland on the international stage numerous times. His hockey resume is extensive, but the Jets hold a very special part of it.
SELANNE'S HALL OF FAME PAGE
Selanne was in Winnipeg for just under four seasons - he was traded to Anaheim partway through the 1995-96 campaign - but Numminen was there every step of the way.
In fact, Numminen's time in Winnipeg began two years before Selanne's, in 1988.
The smooth-skating defenceman was the team's second round pick in the 1986 NHL Draft, and not only was he reliable on the ice, he was just as responsible off the ice.
Just ask Selanne.
"Not many times I even knew what time we had practice but he knew. I was just following him," Selanne said. "Sometimes I asked him on the plane: which city we are going? I was just very focused on hockey and didn't have to worry about anything else. He did a great job."
Numminen had 265 points in 547 games with the Jets between 1988 and 1996. He was an assistant captain for the final three seasons the Jets were in Winnipeg.
The team relocated to Phoenix after that, but the Manitoba capital has never left his heart.
NUMMINEN'S HALL OF FAME PAGE
Neither did the cold, which on some nights was a test even for Numminen's Finnish body.
"After the games, you leave the rink and you step outside to the parking lot and start looking for your car and it's, like, minus 35 and windy and your hair's all wet," he grinned, before shifting back to the present. "It's going to be an emotional time. It's nice, we can share it together and with our families. Yeah. I'm kind of nervous about it but excited."
The night will also serve as a chance for the fans to thank both players one more time.
They were active in the community - Selanne even played pickleball in the city on Wednesday, and the two are scheduled to play an indoor tennis match prior to Thursday's game - and they both felt being connected to the fans that paid good money to watch them play makes the connection to the city even deeper.
"You get involved with the community and people around you. Then you find out who you're going to play for, and you have to have a reason who you play for," Numminen said. "You get to know your city and your community and people around you."
And the best way to get to know a hockey playing community like Winnipeg is to dive right in, like Selanne often did on the city streets.
"I'd see kids playing street hockey and would say 'Can I join?' And they're like 'Sure!' It was a great time, such great memories," he said. "If you're a two-year-old little baby or an 80-year-old older person, they love hockey. They live and breathe hockey. It's always amazing when you come here and realize the passion for hockey and when you realize you can give some excitement or them, and something they get excited about."
So while the city has certainly changed - and Numminen's old house colour is a prime example - both players are thrilled to see it alive and well with NHL hockey.
Numminen was also overwhelmed by another addition, the Dale Hawerchuk statue right next to Canada Life Centre.
"He was a great captain, a great leader, and just a fantastic person," Numminen said of Hawerchuk, who was his teammate from 1988-1990. "Coming here as a 20-year-old, I learned so much from the veteran players we had.
"I'm really happy glad that Dale gets the recognition he deserves."
And now, it's Numminen and Selanne's turn for their recognition.
"We both never would have imagined what kind of career we would have," said Selanne. "You just want to play as well as you can and either good things happen or they don't. But if someone would have told me what will happen with my career and what kind of career I would have, all this Hall of Fame things, I would probably tell the guy you're crazy."