Jere Lehtinen
A Finnish right winger who redefined his position, winning three Selke Trophies as the league's most defensively brilliant forward.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Finnish ice hockey player·Birthday: June 24·Generation X
Biography
Jere Lehtinen didn't just play right wing for the Dallas Stars; he perfected a two-way version of it that coaches dream about. For his entire 15-year NHL career, he was the organizational standard for intelligent, relentless, and detail-oriented play. While he possessed a sharp scoring touch, his legacy was built on a preternatural defensive conscience. He shadowed the league's most dangerous scorers, killed penalties with genius anticipation, and turned defensive zone starts into offensive opportunities. This rare skill set earned him the Frank J. Selke Trophy three times, a rarity for a winger in an award typically dominated by centers. A cornerstone of the Stars' 1999 Stanley Cup victory, Lehtinen's quiet, consistent excellence made him one of the most respected and complete players of his generation, both in the NHL and for the Finnish national team.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jere was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jere Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Jere's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward three times (1998, 1999, 2003).
- Won the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999.
- Played his entire 875-game NHL career with the Dallas/Minnesota franchise.
- Served as general manager for the Finnish national men's ice hockey team.
Did You Know?
He was drafted 88th overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1992, following them to Dallas.
He won a bronze medal with Finland at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
His number 26 was retired by the Dallas Stars in 2017.
“My job is to check their best player and take away his time.”
