Teemu Selanne had to wait 15 seasons before getting a shot at raising the Stanley Cup David E. Klutho/SI

Teemu Selanne stood at the red line, trying to force out words that wouldn't come. He embraced his wife, Sirpa, fought through one bout of tears, turned to Pierre Maguire, NBC's field reporter, and out came ... nothing. It took some second effort, the very kind that has given Selanne a second life in Anaheim, that turned the emotions into words. "Sometimes I never believed this was going to happen," he said. It took Selanne 15 seasons, many of them played at All-Star caliber, for him to lift the Stanley Cup for the first time, after his Anaheim Ducks closed out the Ottawa Senators 6-2 on Wednesday. Did the 35-pound trophy feel heavy or light, Maguire wanted to know. "Quite heavy actually," Selanne answered. "What an unbelievable feeling. I've waited so long for this."

Selanne broke in with the Winnipeg Jets in 1992 and scored an NHL rookie-record 76 goals in his debut campaign. Though he was an instant star, some of Selanne's teammates didn't embrace him right away. One, a veteran defenseman named Randy Carlyle, was particularly critical of Selanne's practice habits. Instead of putting Selanne on the cover of the team's media guide, the Jets gave the honor to enforcer Tie Domi. "I still get on Teemu now and then," Carlyle recalled this week. "He had so much talent and so much ability, I wanted to see him get the most out of it."

As Selanne's coach, Carlyle has seen him do just that. In 1,041 games, Selanne has posted career numbers of 540 goals, 595 assists in 1,135 games. The man who will turn 37 next month has spoken often of wanting to go out on top and it has taken him a second wind to win a title.

Selanne had a few recent seasons that indicated his declining skills. In 2003, he and Paul Kariya signed bargain-basement contracts with the Colorado Avalanche for a chance to win a championship. Yet somehow, the chemistry failed. Selanne managed just 32 points in 78 games and the Avs fell short of a trophy. When Selanne re-signed in 2005 with Anaheim, it almost seemed like a sympathy move for an aging veteran to finish his career where it started. Instead, Selanne mustered seasons of 40 and 48 goals and at times was the Ducks' only consistent offensive threat.

As he got closer to his ultimate goal this season, Selanne was basking in the moments. He recalled the 59 text messages he received after the Ducks eliminated the Red Wings in the Western Conference final. Many were from his Finnish friends who had promised to come watch him win the Stanley Cup if he ever reached the finals. Selanne flew 16 of them over to North America, including his twin brother, Paavo, to share the occasion. He even needed help from eBay to secure the last of the tickets. The group donned t-shirts reading: "Teemu the Flash." He has hinted, but never confirmed, that this would be his last NHL game.

To be fair, Game 5, wasn't, in itself, a highlight-reel effort for Selanne, who was minus-1, failed to record a point in just over 20 minutes of play and lost six of seven faceoffs, but it is likely one he'll never forget. "These were by far the best two years of my life," he said. "I've always dreamed about retiring on the top."

In almost every lost series, there is one moment of crushing frustration, of debilitating disappointment. Call it the Steve Smith moment. The final victim of Smith-itis (not to be confused with Kasparaitis) this season was Ottawa's Chris Phillips, a steady defenseman, whose fortunes were driven into the ice with a mistake in the second period that embodied his team's dying hopes.

As Phillips' Senators fell to the Ducks on Wednesday night, Phillips made an unfortunate error that called to mind a similar one made by the Edmonton defenseman in 1986. The series provided the only glitch in what could otherwise have been a five-year run of Stanley Cups for Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton juggernaut.

The Oilers were locked in a heated Game 7 against their fierce rivals, from Calgary. Despite playing on home ice, the Oilers had to rally from two goals down to even the final game 2-2. Smith had control of the puck beside his own net and tried to make a lead pass up ice. Instead, the puck hit the back of the skate of his goaltender Grant Fuhr and rolled into the net for what turned out to be the series-deciding goal. No matter that Smith had played superbly for the rest of the series, he was remembered for that one play. Ask Bill Buckner or Scott Norwood what that moment of infamy can stand out among a resume of high standards.

On Wednesday, Phillips' Senators were finally showing signs of life after a horrible first period. Four minutes after Daniel Alfredsson brought the Senators to within 2-1, Phillips was trying to make a play up the ice when he banked the puck off Ray Emery's right skate and into the Ottawa net. The Senators never really recovered.

The Smith moment wasn't quite the same for Phillips, because his team was trailing 3-1 in the series, playing like a defeated group even before his miscue. It was one of several mistakes on the night for Phillips who also deflected home Andy McDonald's opening goal and gave the puck away before a third one. If there is a silver lining, remember the picture of Gretzky receiving the Stanley Cup for the Oilers in 1987 and handing it off to a relieved and worthy recipient: Steve Smith.