NHL ALL-STAR INSIDE LOOK: SELANNE SCORES TWICE FOR WORLD EX-DUCK ENJOYS TIME BACK IN LOS ANGELES.

Byline: Frank Welch  Staff Writer

Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya spent Friday night strolling down memory lane while enjoying dinner in Beverly Hills.

``I don't get to see Paul very often, it was good to get together and talk about the past; we talked about a lot of things,'' Selanne said. ``I told him I'd see him (today) and we'll talk and get together again after that. Paul's a good friend of mine.''

Selanne scored two first-period goals during the World team's come-from- behind 8-5 victory over Kariya's North America team during Saturday's NHL All-Star Game at Staples Center.

Selanne, who plays for the San Jose Sharks, scored goals less than four minutes apart during the latter part of the first period.

Selanne's first of three opportunities for a hat trick was stopped by North America goalie Patrick Roy just 38 seconds after his second goal. Selanne also had a third-period breakaway halted by goalie Sean Burke.

``I was thinking, `Gosh, he's making it look easy, it's not really this easy, is it?' '' said Espen Knutsen, a member of the World team and the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was Knutsen's first All-Star Game. Knutsen and Selanne also were teammates for Knutsen's 19 games during the 1997-98 season in Anaheim.

``Teemu and Paul were like watching magic sometimes,'' Knutsen said. ``I bet they (the fans) miss that, those two on the same line, in Anaheim.''

As a matter of fact, the Mighty Ducks do miss Selanne's scoring punch this season, 11 months after the team traded him to the Sharks.

However, Selanne, 31, becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, meaning he could rejoin Kariya (who himself will be a restricted free agent) if he wishes and if Kariya remains in Orange County.

Selanne is making $9.5 million this season; however, speculation around the NHL is that Selanne could be signed for a lower price.

And two things do point in the Ducks' favor: Selanne still owns his Orange County home, and Selanne and Sharks coach Darryl Sutter haven't always seen eye-to-eye.

``I do like California and the warm weather,'' Selanne said. ``I've been lucky to spend a lot of my career here.

``But Paul and I really didn't talk about the future or anything like that. And, no, I haven't thought about it (becoming a free agent) too much. We have a big mission still with the Sharks; that's really all I'm thinking about.''

Selanne upped his All-Star totals to eight goals in eight games with his goals at 13:10 and 16:52 of the first period. Both goals came against Roy. When Selanne recorded a hat trick in the 1998 All-Star Game, he also scored twice in the first period against Roy.

``It's an All-Star Game, he's a good goal-scorer (in the) regular season, playoffs, whenever,'' Roy said. ``But maybe in this game, everyone becomes a scorer, or wants to be one. This game isn't usually for goalies.''

Selanne had two breakaways and a third-period wrist shot from the right slot stopped in his attempt to become the second player in NHL history to record more than one hat trick in an All-Star Game. Mario Lemieux scored three in 1988 and four in the 1990 game.

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Former Duck Teemu Selanne, right, of the World team battles former King Rob Blake of the North America team. Selanne had two goals for the World All-Stars Saturday at Staples Center.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer