Teemu Selanne once chirped at $550M 20-Grand Slam-winning tennis GOAT after a doubles match

By ARJUN B

Modified Aug 11, 2024 04:48 GMT

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Hockey legend Teemu Selanne shared a story on the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast about when he chirped tennis superstar Roger Federer after beating him in a doubles match.

Selanne explained how he first met Federer, who was born on Aug. 8, 1981. Federer used to play a hockey video game and always chose Selanne as his player. When he found out Selanne's team was coming to town, Federer asked to meet him.

“He told a good story about his house that he has been collecting No. 8 jerseys. So, when he comes in the garage and he opens his garage, the lights come up in the wall and there's all 8, No. 8s and one of my jerseys. So, it's pretty big honor for me you know," Selanne said Tuesday.

A few years later, Selanne's friend, Finnish tennis player Jarkko Nieminen, was retiring and set to play his last pro match in Helsinki against Federer.

“When Jarkko Nieminen, my buddy retired, he had this last match against Roger in Helsinki in the arena 14,000 people, so he said how about if you and me, we play against Roger and Perter Forsberg? So, anyway we did that and then, you know, of course, me and Jarkko beat Peter and Roger.”

Afterward, Selanne made sure to jokingly remind Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion with an estimated $550 million net worth (as per Daily Mail):

“And all the times I tried to remind Roger that remember, there's still one guy that you never beat."

Teemu Selanne's hilarious prank on former coach Bruce Boudreau

Teemu Selanne retold how he once pranked his former coach Bruce Boudreau by impersonating Wayne Gretzky.

"Bruce telling how unbelievable night it was, I met Wayne Gretzky, and I had a beer, couple of beers with him. He just, just kept telling and telling the story how crazy it was like little kid, you know," Selanne said on the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast.

On the way to the hotel after the game, Selanne decided to have some fun with Boudreau's story.

"I said you know what? I'm gonna text him, he doesn't know it's me, but I was texting to be Wayne," Selanne explained. "And I said, 'Hi Bruce, what a great night, you know, I have so much fun, I admire your coaching style and everything, hopefully we can do this again....'"

Selanne described how Boudreau immediately started texting back, clearly elated to hear from his idol Gretzky. As game time neared, Selanne, pretending to be Gretzky, kept teasing Boudreau about possibly meeting up after the game.

In the end, Boudreau was disappointed to learn he had been communicating with Selanne and not Gretzky the whole time.