You can count Carolina’s Jussi Jokinen and Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne as skeptics when it comes to playing NHL hockey this season.
The two players said they’re not feeling positive about how talks are progressing and worry there won’t be a season to be played this year. Jokinen was blunt in his take (courtesy of Matias Strozyk of EliteProspects.com) to Finnish site Jatkoaika.
“I have a feeling that the season won’t be played. But from the bottom of my heart I hope I’m wrong.”
Selanne, whose career might end because of the lockout, was equally pessimistic when speaking with MTV3 in Finland.
“It doesn’t look good - especially with the idea of no more talks for two weeks,” Selanne said. “I thought this would be a couple of months but now the owners have been very strict. It’s almost a take it or leave it kind of deal.”
“I trained hard and everything’s set, disappointing if no season. Will then have to re-evaluate whether I want to play somewhere else or am done.”
Well that’s depressing talk from a pair of the game’s best Finnish players. Here’s to hoping Monday’s talks yield optimism that we’ll see hockey played this season.
