Teemu Selanne: Doping offenses warrant lifetime bans

With a number of athletes testing positive for banned substances in recent weeks, including, most notably, tennis star Maria Sharapova, many are beginning to ponder if sanctions on athletes caught using performance-enhancing drugs should become even more harsh.

Among those who want to see harsher penalties is retired NHL legend Teemu Selanne, who discussed doping in a blog post published Wednesday on his website, Selanne.com.

"I think the only way that would make athletes think long and hard about using banned substances is an automatic life-time ban for serious doping offences," Selanne wrote. "I'm sure that would at least make a person stop and think whether it’s a chance worth taking."

His words came in response to reports the NHL blocked the World Anti-Doping Agency in September from testing athletes during the lead up to the World Cup of Hockey. The 45-year-old Selanne is a member of Team Finland's executive staff for the tournament.

Selanne also mentioned the highly anticipated alumni game he will participate in between former members of the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers.

"And finally, I can’t even express how excited I am about the alumni game at the NHL Heritage Classic outdoor game in my beloved Winnipeg next October," he wrote, later adding the game will "surely be interesting" with Wayne Gretzky playing in just his second alumni game.