Today was a busy day with the first day of training camp and the Stanley cup visiting Anaheim City Hall. I was first in line at city hall was able to touch it and get a picture with it. So if you did not get to go, make sure you go to the Newport Sports Musuem this Friday and check it out!
Training Camp News, videos and Photos
Here are a couple of my videos from Training Camp..
Official Ducks Coverage
The Ducks open training camp with a different look than the team that capture its first Stanley Cup title three months ago. Missing from camp are captain Scott Niedermayer and leading goal-scorer Teemu Selanne, both of whom are still contemplating retirement.
But the Ducks still come to camp with veterans Chris Pronger, Andy McDonald, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, third-year stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, newcomers Mathieu Schneider and Todd Bertuzzi and a hungry group of rookies looking to make the roster of the defending champions. Everyone will be preparing for the earliest start to the season the Ducks have ever had, as they open in London against the Kings on Sept. 29 and 30.
Starting today, AnaheimDucks.com is with the Ducks throughout training camp, offering features, photos, audio clips and more.
9/11/07
The Ducks opened camp with a scrimmage this morning at Anaheim ICE, in which a couple hundred fans showed up to take a look. Absent from the scrimmage, aside from Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, were J.S. Giguere and Samuel Pahlsson, both recovering from abdominal surgeries.
Audio from the first day of camp
Randy Carlye Part 1 Randy Carlyle Part 2
Chris Pronger
Mathieu Schneider
Todd BertuzziVideo of all four interviews
LA Times has a look at the Ducks training camp
Scott Niedermayer, who is contemplating retirement, is officially suspended without pay in a move expected because of salary cap issues. Teemu Selanne also remains noncommittal about his future.
8:55 PM PDT, September 11, 2007
Training camp officially opened for the Ducks on Tuesday and, as expected, there were two notable no-shows as Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne continue to contemplate retirement.
And, as expected, Niedermayer was officially suspended without pay on Tuesday in what is basically a move that will give the Ducks some salary cap relief if he stays on the sideline into the regular season.
The 34-year-old captain's $6.75-million salary would come off the Ducks' current $49-million cap figure.
"It wasn't a fun phone call," General Manager Brian Burke said. "But he was expecting it. He's a professional."
Also on Tuesday, Burke met with Selanne but divulged little over what they spoke about, other than to say the unrestricted star forward remains noncommittal about his future.
There had been indications that Selanne was waiting to see what Niedermayer would do.
"There's no change," Burke said. "We talked about a few other things but I'll keep that between us."Read the rest here - Link
The Globe and Mail has their take
Training camp has opened early for the Stanley Cup champions, minus a few familiar faces.
The Anaheim Ducks began practising in California without future Hall of Fame players Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, who are both undecided about continuing their splendid NHL careers.
Anaheim general manager Brian Burke met yesterday with Selanne, an unrestricted free agent who scored 48 goals last season, but was unable to get a firm answer about the 37-year-old right winger's possible return.
Meanwhile, the club suspended Niedermayer, 34, meaning his salary won't count against its total while he continues to mull over his playing future.
Niedermayer is under contract for another two years, with $13.4-million (U.S.) still on the table for the smooth-skating defenceman who may have tired of the rigours of more than 14 professional seasons.
Adding to the problems of Burke and Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle is opening the regular season on the road — overseas in London on Sept. 29 against the Los Angeles Kings.
"It's an honour to go," Burke said with bravado during an NHL telephone conference call. "When the league asks you to go, you go. We're extending our brand overseas. It's a chance to market our game internationally."
Burke conceded it's not the ideal way to begin a new season so soon after a championship — the first for the Ducks — because their training camp started a few days ahead of those of the other teams. As do their exhibition schedule and then the first games of the regular season on consecutive nights in faraway London.
With off-season player shuffles and Selanne's indecision, the Ducks were forced to make changes to their first three lines, which played the majority of minutes in the 2006-07 regular season and playoffs.
Newcomer Todd Bertuzzi likely will replace Selanne on the top line alongside Andy McDonald and Chris Kunitz.
Bertuzzi, 32, played sparingly with the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings last season before using free agency to sign with the Ducks. He must prove he still has the skating speed after back surgery to keep up with new linemates.
Read the rest here - Link
The Daily Breeze has their coverage
Training camp opens today for the Ducks, who seek to defend their Stanley Cup title. Roll call?
Scott Niedermayer, one of the NHL's top defensemen, might be driving his kids to school. Teemu Selanne, one of the Ducks' most dynamic forwards, probably will be racing his Ferrari somewhere.
The Ducks will attempt to become the NHL's first repeat champions since Detroit 10 years ago, but they won't get a true sense of their team until Niedermayer and Selanne, both of whom remain undecided about playing this season, announce their intentions. And neither player has set a timetable for that.
So the Ducks will press forward. Niedermayer, at age 34, has two years left on his contract. Selanne, 37, is a free agent but won't play anywhere but Anaheim. No matter what they do, the Ducks are stacked.
Not certain of his veterans' plans, and not wanting to be left shorthanded, Ducks general manager Brian Burke turned pro-active and signed defenseman Mathieu Schneider and forward Todd Bertuzzi.
If Niedermayer and Selanne decide to play at some point this season, the Ducks will be ridiculously talented. But if both decide to hang up their skates, the Ducks won't suffer much of a drop-off this season.
It all starts in goal, where Jean-Sebastien Giguere, in the prime of his career at age 30, signed a four-year, $24 million contract this summer to stay with the Ducks. Things are so good for the Ducks that their backup goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, could be a solid starter for any number of teams.
On defense, Chris Pronger remains one of the NHL's elite defensemen and would help make a formidable No. 1 defensive pairing with either Schneider or Francois Beauchemin.
The Ducks are even deeper at forward. Losing Selanne, and his team-high 48 goals and 94 points, would be a major blow, but wingers such as Ryan Getzlaf (25 goals, 33 assists last season) and Chris Kunitz (25 goals, 35 assists last season) seem well prepared to step up and play first-line minutes.
Read the rest here - Link
CBC/Canadian Press has their analysis
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - The shortest summer in Anaheim Ducks history ended Tuesday when the defending Stanley Cup champions opened training camp without captain Scott Niedermayer and unrestricted free agent Teemu Selanne.
Ducks general manager Brian Burke had no other recourse but to suspend Niedermayer, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs and has been contemplating retirement.
The 34-year-old defenceman hasn't decided whether to return for a 14th NHL season. The 2004 Norris Trophy winner had a career-high 69 points last season en route to his fourth Stanley Cup title.
"I spoke to him, and obviously he knew it was coming," Burke said of the suspension. "It wasn't a fun phone call, but he expected it. He's a professional.
"The only option the club has is to wait. I mean, this is a player who's earned the right to make this call."
Selanne, the franchise's career leading goal scorer, also is considering retirement. Last season, his 13th in the league, he accomplished his goal of winning an NHL championship.
He wasn't suspended because he's a free agent. Niedermayer has two years and US$13.5 million left on a four-year contract. As of now, the team's facilities are off limits to him.
"I want our fans to understand that we didn't have a choice but to suspend Scotty," Burke said. "I think for some of our fans, that might seem like a harsh step. And it's not. That's what we have to do.
"There also seems to be a notion on the websites in Canada that these players are inconveniencing us in some way, or that this is working to the detriment of the hockey club. And nothing could be further from the truth."
Selanne, 37, was third in the league with 48 goals last season, becoming the first NHL player with consecutive 40-goal seasons after age 35.
"I met with Teemu this morning and there's no change. He's not prepared to come in," Burke said. "We talked about a few other things, but I'll keep that between us. He's unrestricted, so he didn't even have to come in and talk to me if he didn't want to.
"But we feel that we've plugged in a couple of players who should replace the two players who might not be back and we'll go from there."
Ducks forward Rob Niedermayer doesn't have any more insight into his brother's plans than the front office.
"That's his decision, and I can't predict anything," the younger Niedermayer said. "He's going to make that decision when he feels comfortable, and everyone in this dressing room is comfortable with that. I'm sure I'll be one of the first ones to know, but his family is something that's come first for him."
The Ducks, who begin defence of their title with two regular-season games in London against the rival Los Angeles Kings, leave for England on Sept. 24. Before that, they will play seven pre-season games in 11 days, starting with a matchup with the Kings on Thursday night.
"You can only start with the people that are here," said coach Randy Carlyle, rewarded with a one-year contract extension during the off-season. "As a coach, you live in the real world. Our training started here this morning, and we're going forward with this group. If the others at some point decide they want to join us, we will welcome it."
Read the rest here - Link
The Orange County register offers up their take
The Ducks arrived at training camp a year ago among an elite group of top-flight Stanley Cup contenders and fulfilled that immense promise nearly nine months later, capping a magical season by winning the first championship in franchise history.
They will show up at Anaheim Ice today to begin defense of that title in a decidedly different state, burdened by a host of potentially debilitating circumstances, some painfully familiar to past champions and others perhaps unprecedented in NHL history.
It is a testament to the club's immense talent base that the Ducks still appear formidable despite the absence of last season's leading scorer, right wing Teemu Selanne, and top-scoring defenseman, team captain Scott Niedermayer. The short off-season was not lengthy enough for either seemingly certain Hall of Famer to reach a decision on possible retirement. Neither will be in training camp, at least at the outset, leaving two huge voids — and more than a bit of room for potential distraction.
"Our preparation has to be that we take the worst-case scenario — that they both won't be back," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "There are lots of distractions that will be taking place here in the next month and a half. We have to be as focused as possible, and eliminate potential excuses. Accepting the responsibility is probably the No. 1 thing we have to grasp as a group."
Carlyle spoke to players at the club's customary training-camp dinner Monday night, but the theme won't stop there.
"It's not something you just show up one day and produce that message," he said. "You have to constantly remind, refresh, talk about it. We're selling a program. We're expecting our hockey club to play to a high level. We're expecting that when they drop the puck in London."
London?
As if it weren't challenge enough to play into June and rebound in October, everything has been moved up a few days for the Ducks, who will open the regular season Sept. 29-30 with a two-game set against the Kings in Jolly Old England as part of NHL Premiere, the league's latest overseas venture to "grow the game."
Read the rest here - Link
MVN has their analysis
The Anaheim Ducks opened their on-ice portion of training camp today at Anaheim Ice. Yesterday was spent doing evaluations and team physicals and miscellaneous paperwork. As expected, Scott Niedermayer did not show up to report to camp. Since Niedermayer is still under contract until he makes a retirement decision, GM Brian Burke had no choice but to suspend him. The suspension means that the Ducks budget can breathe a little for now.
Other players missing in action are Teemu Selanne, who is also pondering retirement but does not have a contract with the Ducks or any other team, and Sami Pahlsson who is still recovering from last week’s hernia surgery. Jean-Sebastian Giguere, who also underwent hernia surgery in August, skated on his own without any gear prior to practice. Giguere is expected to join the team in workouts by next week.
The players are split into two groups, A & B, with one team on each of the rinks at the same time. Group A practiced on the NHL rink and consisted of goalies Jonas Hiller and Gerald Coleman; defensemen Clay Wilson, Brett Skinner, Joe Callahan, Brian Salcido, Brett Festerling, Shane Hnidy, Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin; forwards Andy MacDonald, Corey Perry, Bobby Bolt, Matt Beleskey, Todd Bertuzzi, Todd Marchant, Andrew Ebbett, Travis Moen, Mike Hoffman, Petteri Wirtanen, Matt Keith, Brad May, and Dan LaCouture.
Read the rest here - Link
