Teemu Selänne got upset with the Canadian referees - a sharp jab from an ex-teammate: "You should have received a penalty"

The Lions lost the semi-final match against Canada in the Olympics. Finland led the game by two goals, but Canada eventually came back and won with a score of 3-2.

The Canadian referees sparked a lot of discussion after the game. Among others, Teemu Selänne had some direct words for the referees. He referred to Niko Mikkola‘s penalty in the final moments when Mikkola high-sticked Nathan MacKinnon in the face while MacKinnon was emphasizing the foul. During Mikkola’s penalty, it was MacKinnon who decided the game.

– Beating the best hockey nation and Canadian referees on the same night seems impossible… An incredibly embarrassing penalty with 90 seconds left in the Olympic semi-final. What a joke, Selänne wrote on X.

The update received significant attention. The comment section also saw the arrival of Selänne’s former teammate Chris Pronger.

– I understand you, Teemu, but you know very well that you can’t expect to stay in your own zone for over 30 minutes in a tournament like this without something bad happening. Just saying, Pronger wrote.

Selänne responded that he agreed with Pronger on the matter but emphasized Mikkola’s penalty situation further.

– I hate it when we stop playing and focus only on defense. Usually, bad things happen, like today. Canada was better, but that’s not my point here. If you got a penalty like that in the Olympic semi-final a couple of minutes before the end, would that be okay for you? I know the answer, Selänne said.

To this, Pronger responded sarcastically while reminiscing about the past.

– Well, technically you should have received a penalty in the semi-final when you checked me from behind with under three minutes left in the game. But I’m getting off topic. It’s unfortunate that the penalty at the end of the game decided it, but his (Mikkola’s) stick hit the face. We can hug soon, Pronger quipped.

Selänne and Pronger played together on the Anaheim Ducks from 2006 to 2009. Pronger represented Canada in four Olympics, winning gold twice. Selänne, on the other hand, played in six Olympics during his career, winning silver once and bronze three times.