Going back to the start, he’s Finnish

Stanley Cup celebratory champagne was flying in that mosh pit of a Ducks dressing room Wednesday night, running up dry cleaning bills and stinging more than a few eyes of those not quick enough to duck and cover.

This sweet drenching did nothing to dampen the MVP quote-making ability of Anaheim General Manager Brian Burke, who paid tribute to the end of the long suffering of Ducks forward Teemu Selanne, of Finland, flipping back in the history books. Way back.

“There’s a time when Scandinavians were feared all over the globe,” Burke said. “I think Teemu’s gene line goes back to that. If he was living in those times, he’d be jumping out of a boat with an ax scaring somebody. He’s a warrior.”

Even though Finland technically is not part of Scandinavia, we’ll let it slide.

Add Selanne: Maybe there’s something to this Vikings analogy if you look closely at a few lyrics from Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.”

“Ah, ah

We come from the land of the ice and snow,

from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.

“The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,

... On we sweep with threshing oar. Our only goal will be the western shore.”)

Would that goal be Anaheim?

One other curious note: Led Zeppelin released that song in 1970, the year Selanne was born. Hmmm.

Lefty on lefty

Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, asked by the Sporting News to rank the five sweetest left swings, went with an order of Hank Blalock, Prince Fielder, Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro Suzuki and Lance Berkman.

He saved his best comment for Berkman: “I know he’s a switch-hitter, but I like the way when he hits a home run, he sets the bat down on the ground, then starts around the bases.

“Who else does that?”

Trivia time

What was the record of the Vikings in their first season in 1961?

Anti-Belmont

Trust our fun friends across the pond to host a wonderfully wacky race the same day as the Belmont. In case you missed it, the man-versus-horse marathon was Saturday over in Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales, and two men, a German and a U.K. runner, managed to finish ahead of the first horse.

Incidentally, this place seems to be the hot spot for unusual events, with the world championships of Bog Snorkelling coming up in August.

Media reports about the man-versus-horse race, in its 28th year, acknowledged that the horses were hindered by the hot weather and that many were pulled out because of safety reasons.

Just goes to show that if you can’t handle the heat, stay in the barn.

Trivia answer

The Vikings went 3-11 but won their debut, beating the Bears, 37-13, when a rookie quarterback named Fran Tarkenton led the upset.

And finally

Andy Roddick, joking in Friday’s BBC interview with Jonathan Ross about his record against Roger Federer: “I’m coming in a very strong 1-13 against Federer.”

lisa.dillman@latimes.com