The Los Angeles Times has great coverage of Giguere's Beauchemin's, Kunitz's, Getzlaf's, Moen's, Pahlsson's, Selanne's and the Niedermayers days with the cup. They are called "Audio Galleries" - Link
An article on the banner raising, but more interestingly quote from Scott Niedermayer on his potential retirement
Ryan Carrter has gone back to Portland"Yeah, I'm in quite a different situation than I've ever been before," Scott Niedermayer said. "To be able to go there and be a part of putting that banner up to the ceiling, to be there to support everybody who was part of that, is a great moment. I knew it was going to be a big moment, going back to the rink, There will be some different feelings on my part, as to what the future holds.
"I'm going to have to make a decision sooner or later. I don't have a time frame. It's hard for me to judge 'soon' — within two weeks, or two months. I don't know exactly what 'soon' means. I hope the sooner the better, but there still could be some time here."
Red the rest here -Link
Ryan Carter was sent down from the Anaheim Ducks to the Portland Pirates yesterday evening. This is to make room on the roster for Samuel Pahlsson who is coming off injured reserve. Carter has had a surreal life since last spring. He was called up to the Ducks during the playoffs and played four games for the Ducks, including one game in the Stanley Cup Finals. That earned him his name on the Cup and his own 24 hours with Stanley in the summer. Carter, along with the rest of the team, received his Stanley Cup ring on Monday evening.Glass Seat Auction, get them for the Red Wings game here - Link
Read the rest here - Link
Earl from BOC has a look at the Ducks
Some coverage of the Ducks Stanley Cup event
After a road trip that can best be described as "predictably brutal", the Ducks finally raise their banners tonight in front of the home crowd--Scott and Teemu are supposed to be in attendance, so that should be an interesting ceremony, at least. I'm not going to overcriticize the team for the lackluster start, even though the last three cup-winners have all had excellent starts to their year: Tampa Bay took points in 14 of its first 16 games (11-2-3), Carolina earned points in 13 of 16 (12-3-1), and last year's Ducks got points in all 16 (12-0-4).
This year's Ducks have only taken points in 2 out of its first 5 games, but I'm staying optimistic. Here's some semi-random thoughts I've been mulling over:
1. Last year's Senators recovered from a brutal start to make the cup finals, so a rough start isn't insurmountable. Ottawa took points in only 7 of its first 16, but unlike the Ducks so far, the Senators' goal-differential was pretty promising. Just a side note on the Sens' top line: it took them less than 2 games this season to score as many goals and points as they got in all 5 games against the Ducks last spring. Just sayin'.
2. Fortunately, the rest of the Pacific Division has started slowly as well. The Ducks will have a games-in-hand issue as the season goes on, but I'm surprised nobody in the division has passed the Ducks in the standings yet. Last year, the Pacific produced three 107-point teams; so far this year nobody in the division sits above the .500 mark and every team is getting outscored.
Read the rest here - Link
Eight big floodlights started at 4 p.m., which didn't seem to make sense since the sun was still shining high above Honda Center.But this was no ordinary evening at the hockey rink. The place was so decked out it looked like it was ready to play host to some Hollywood premiere and not the Ducks' home opener.
Fans stood three and sometimes four rows deep along the red carpet that stretched from the parking lot to the Southeast entrance of the arena. They waved towels, signs, jerseys and even stuffed teddy bears in a frantic attempt to catch the players' attention. Those stuck in the back waved their camera phones in the air trying to capture this historic moment
Jenn Pletcher and Stephanie Broyles, both from Long Beach, were some of the first to arrive, staking out a spot in front of the makeshift stage that was set up just outside of the glass doors leading into the Honda Center. That's where the defending Stanley Cup champions would stop for their TV interviews. Broyles and Pletcher said it felt like they had been there for five hours, but really it was more like 45 minutes.
An hour before the Ducks were scheduled to arrive, there were about 10 people waiting outside the arena, and Tammy Sides of Cypress was one of them.
Read the rest here - Link
