Kari's working out!

Lehtonen has begun on-ice workouts

By Mike Knobler | Tuesday, August 5, 2008, 03:47 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kari Lehtonen won’t be returning to Atlanta for a couple of weeks, but the Thrashers’ No. 1 goalie already has returned to the ice. He has been working out in his native Finland for about a week with other Finnish pros, including NHL players and players whose teams are in Europe.

One of the big names: Teemu Selanne, a 38-year-old unrestricted free agent who might or might not want to continue playing in the NHL. Selanne became the leading scorer in Anaheim Ducks history this year; he had 23 points in 26 games with the team in 2008 after joining the team in January. Ducks general manager Brian Burke was quoted by the Orange County Register last week saying he hadn’t heard from Selanne in awhile and would like to speak with him.

“I don’t know if he’s coming back,” Lehtonen said of Selanne. “He’s been quiet about that. I’m sure he’ll tell us when he’s ready to make a decision. He’s still got a scoring touch, for sure.”

Another guy in on the workouts: Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild.

Lehtonen said he’s energized about hockey and playing for the Thrashers. “I’m excited to get to camp with the new coaching staff and a few new players,” he said.