Teemu Selanne has one for the books

Reporting from Vancouver, Canada — 

Teemu Selanne can’t say no when Finland calls him to play in international tournaments, though he could have backed out of the Vancouver Games after he broke his jaw a month ago and needed surgery to repair the damage.

Still regaining weight and energy, Selanne on Wednesday made his Vancouver debut a historic moment by tying the record for career points in the men’s Olympic tournament.

Selanne’s assist on Finland’s first goal in a 5-1 rout of Belarus gave him 36 points, matching the total scored by Harry Watson in 1924 and equaled by Vlastimil Bubnik for Czechoslovakia and Valeri Kharlamov of the Soviet Union. Selanne’s linemate here and with the Ducks, Saku Koivu, earned the other assist on Olli Jokinen’s goal and is within two of tying Kharlamov’s record of 22 career assists.

Selanne is playing with a cage that protects his tender jaw and can’t always see the puck when it’s at his feet, but he managed to find Koivu with a pass that Koivu relayed to Olli Jokinen, who had plenty of room inside the right post.

“It’s a nice compliment, a great honor, but more than that I’ve been lucky over the years,” Selanne said. “This is my fifth Olympics and I’ve always played with great players, so good things happen.”

He makes them happen, as energetic and enthusiastic as ever at 39. “I know this is the last time for many players on this team to play for our country, so it’s very special. It’s been so much fun,” he said. “This has been a happy place.”

Koivu marveled at seeing Selanne’s name alongside that of Kharlamov, perhaps the greatest player on the Soviets’ dynasty teams.

“Those guys, they were just . . . you can’t describe how good they were,” Koivu said. “And now your linemate, your teammate, is tied and is hopefully breaking the record. It’s amazing.”

Selanne, who can break the record Friday when Finland plays Germany, is guardedly optimistic about his team’s chances here.

“We have a lot of good players, good chemistry and good roles. Everybody’s doing their job as good as we can and we get great goaltending every night,” he said. “Those things give us a chance to win every night. Nobody expected we’re going to challenge the big teams, but you never know. We all come from same league and drink same beer.”

Slap shots

Ducks defenseman Ryan Whitney got only 42 seconds’ ice time in the third period of Team USA’s 3-1 victory over Switzerland on Tuesday but said he expected that because international rules allow teams to carry seven defensemen and minutes are more spread out.

“Guys are playing well together and that’s going to happen, I think, in this tournament, to every guy, with a few exceptions,” he said.

The quote of the day came from Ducks winger Bobby Ryan. Asked if he found it strange to hear the voice of Ron Wilson on the bench instead of Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle, he laughed. “This one’s a little more lyrical,” Ryan said.

helene.elliott@latimes.com