str8 from reddit
Yesterday Teemu Selänne was a guest on Aleksi Valavuoris Twitch-channel (VOD:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/590259840). Thought I'd share some of the things Teemu had to say about Boudreau.
On comparisons between Boudreau and Randy Carlyle
Teemu recalls an incident where the Ducks had lost a couple of games in a row and Carlyle decided to call a meeting. The topic of the meeting was not losing the puck on either blue line. Before the meeting Carlyle took Teemu aside for a private chat, he said that "Teemu, I'm going to show 12 clips of us losing the puck on the blue line. Two of the clips are of you. I'll be going at you during the meeting, I'll be screaming at you, but I'm trying to wake the rest of the guys up. I can sell this idea better if I use you as an example." Teemu was on board. During the meeting Carlyle screamed and raged at Selänne "Selänne, how are you not getting this! You are about to be a hall-of-famer and you do these kind of stupid mistakes!". The rest of the players were shocked, and really took in what Carlyle was saying.
Contrastingly, Teemu talked about Boudreau having the same kind of meeting on the same topic. Teemu and the rest of the players knew that both Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf had lost the puck in the 3rd period on the offensive blue line, which had both led to the opposition scoring. Teemu was sure that Boudreau would show these clips at the meeting after the game. However the meeting came, and no clips of either Perry or Getzlaf were shown. All players looked around, that "is this guy serious, why isn't he showing clips from the 3rd period of the last game". According to Teemu, Boudreau was too scared to criticize either player and was worried about their backlash at being critizied. It also communicated to the rest of the players that these players are so good that they shouldn't be accounted for their mistakes.
On his last seasons
During his last two seasons Teemu recalls having meetings with Boudreau before the start of the seasons. Teemu knew that Bruce had the reputation of bringing in younger players and leaving out the older guys. With this in mind Teemu discussed with Bruce and made him promise that if Teemu is better than the younger guys then Teemu should be playing more. Bruce agreed.
As the 2013-2014 season started, Teemu has been playing well and the team has been performing OK. After a couple of games, Teemu is moved to the 3rd line with his time on ice reduced from 17 minutes to 12 minutes. Teemu said he's not the guy to complain, as the team has been performing. After a couple of games and no change to the lines Teemu decided to confront Boudreau and ask him what he should do to get moved back to the 1st line. "You should pass harder". Teemu asked if he is serious, he was. Teemu got up and realized that this was just an excuse, Boudreau didn't have the guts to say to Teemu that it was a decision either by him or the GM to move him aside an take in younger players. However Teemu mentioned the promise from before the season and reminded Bruce that he was leading the internal team scoring and that he isn't playing badly.
In the Sochi Olympics Teemu was determined to show that he still "had it". He played well and was sure that things would change when he came back to the NHL. Teemu played even less after the Olympics! (he is really pissed of when he says this in the video). After a game in Colorado Teemu asked to speak to Boudreau in private. Teemu said that "give me one chance, let me play with Getzlaf and Perry for three games. If I don't perform, then I'll retire. I tried to show you in Sochi what I can do, but you play me even less now." Boudreau agreed. Teemu played in the 1st line for three games with stats 2+2, he was the first star in two games. In the fourth game, after the 1st period Teemu was once again pushed down to the 3rd line. After this he decided to retire.
Teemu was so dissapointed with Boudreau after this. He didn't keep his promise and he didn't speak to Teemu straight but instead came up with excuses.