Selanne Ends Silence, Reveals a Knee Injury

Teemu Selanne lives.

He said Thursday that he was not abducted for three days by aliens or by the Mighty Ducks’ media relations staff. He simply wasn’t eager to speak to reporters for reasons that are clear to anyone who has had a conversation with the gregarious Finn.

Selanne cannot keep a secret and would have spilled the beans about the severity of his injured left knee, which will sideline him for a second consecutive game tonight against the Dallas Stars.

After three days of playing keep-away, the team finally made Selanne available to reporters before Thursday’s workout. Selanne indicated that an MRI exam revealed no ligament damage, but he wasn’t certain about whether there was any new cartilage damage. Selanne has had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee twice.

“There are tears maybe,� Selanne said, referring to the cartilage. “[The pain and swelling] should go away with medication and treatments. My goal is to play Sunday [against the Kings]. I can’t extend my knee, so we have to have the swelling go down.�

Selanne, the Ducks’ leading scorer with 25 goals and 56 points, said he isn’t certain how or when he was injured. He said he recalls an opposing player falling on him during a recent game, but can’t remember his name or in which game the play happened.

“The pain just went away,� he said. “Against Calgary [Feb. 19], I think I hurt it again, but it wasn’t bad. Something happened in the Columbus game [Sunday]. It wasn’t the same. It felt puffy. After the game, it started being really painful. Monday, it was sore and swollen. Tuesday was the same thing.�

Asked about his unavailability and Coach Guy Charron’s statements of Monday and Tuesday that Selanne was “under the weather,� the winger said, “We didn’t know how serious it was, so we decided to keep it quiet. I did have the flu, so I wouldn’t have skated Monday. I was at the rink early [the last few days]. I wasn’t hiding.�

The medical plan calls for Selanne to be treated with ice, ultrasound and anti-inflammatory drugs. Surgery will be performed only as a last resort, he said.

TONIGHT

vs. Dallas, 7:30, Fox Sports Net

* Site--Arrowhead Pond.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 18-34-8-5, Stars 35-22-5-2.

* Record vs. Stars--0-2-0-1.

* Update--The Ducks, last in the Western Conference standings, have lost three consecutive games. This is the third game of a seven-game homestand, the Ducks’ longest of the season. Dallas also has lost three in a row. The Stars could have moved into first place in the Pacific Division, but lost Wednesday to the Vancouver Canucks, 5-4. The San Jose Sharks lead the Stars by one point.

* Tickets--(714) 703-2545.