Anaheim Ducks News - Vacation Catchup Part 1

Chris Kunitz is interviewed on the latest  Duckcast - Link

Brian Bochenski profile and an upated on Pahlsson/May

Brandon Bochenski first had Orange County on his mind about two weeks ago.

His wife, Jennifer, bought a DVD box set of "The OC," the teen soap opera set in Newport Beach. A week later, on Jan. 2, Bochenski was traded from Boston to the Ducks.

The other, more important twist of fate is that Bochenski has gone from a peripheral player in Boston to a second-line wing for the surging Ducks.

Read the rest here - Link

May is ready

Brad May has been in the NHL long enough that he doesn’t need to be told that there’s always someone ready to fill your shoes.

Nothing is a certainty, even for a 17-year pro like May. The veteran moved closer to returning to the lineup Friday when he skated with the club. But he knows the Ducks have changed dramatically since he went down with a broken bone in his right foot in practice on Dec.15. They’ve gone 8-2-1 with first place San Jose in their sights.

Young players like Ryan Carter and Brandon Bochenski have capably filled roles held by injured Samuel Pahlsson and re-assigned winger Bobby Ryan. The fourth line of Todd Marchant, George Parros and Brian Sutherby had been intact for some time until Parros injured a knee.

Read the rest here - Link

Pahlsson is waiting.....

Samuel Pahlsson wants back in the Ducks' lineup but his sore abdomen isn't allowing it.
Pahlsson missed his eighth consecutive game Wednesday as additional rest has not helped alleviate inflammation in the area. The veteran center has been able to participate in practice but he isn't ready to go back up against the game's top forwards.

"It's frustrating," Pahlsson said. "I felt good for a while and it's frustrating when it comes back. And it doesn't get better. It's no fun to play when you don't feel good."

Read the rest here - Link

But he and May seem to be ready

Back at practice after a day off following their decisive victory over Toronto on Wednesday, the Ducks got some more good news Friday as forwards Samuel Pahlsson and Brad May went through a grinding session without a hitch.
Both appear set to return from injury for the Ducks' home game Sunday against San Jose, leaving Coach Randy Carlyle with this question:
Whom does he sit?
Pahlsson figures to jump back into his customary spot centering the checking line after sitting out eight games because of abdominal inflammation. If that's the case, the Ducks will have to find a new place for rookie Ryan Carter, who has shined in place of the veteran.

Read the rest here - Link

Pronger and Getzlaf are all stars

Back in his early days of junior hockey, Ryan Getzlaf was like many youngsters who dreamed of being a star in the NHL but also worried if they would ever be drafted.
Getzlaf's only worry now is dealing with impending stardom, after the Ducks' center earned his first All-Star game selection Thursday as the Western Conference reserves were announced for the Jan. 27 event in Atlanta.

A participant in the NHL's YoungStars game last year in Dallas, Getzlaf earned a spot in the showcase game as he leads the Ducks with 48 points. The 22-year-old center is on a career-best nine-game point streak and has 17 goals and 31 assists.

Read the rest here - Link

Ryan Getzlaf is an All Star

Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf admits he’s still a kid at heart. He enjoys playing with his three dogs, enjoys watching football or Seinfeld re-runs and will watch plenty of hockey highlights on his off nights.

But don’t let that youthful exuberance fool you. When the 22-year-old Saskatchewan native laces on the skates and steps on the ice, he’s all business. As if leading his team in scoring during its Stanley Cup run last season wasn’t proof enough, now Getzlaf gets an opportunity to skate among the League’s elite after being named to the Western Conference roster yesterday for the NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 27 in Atlanta.

"It’s a real exciting opportunity for me and I consider it an honor being selected," Getzlaf said. "I’ve looked up to a lot of the players that I’ll be playing with and against in the game. It’ll give me a chance to talk to them about the different experiences they have been through. I hadn’t made any plans for that day, so I’ll be there."

Read the rest here - Link

Perry not quite an all star (although he is)

Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf and defenseman Chris Pronger were obvious choices for selection to the Jan. 27 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta. The unfortunate part of the equation is the exclusion of right wing Corey Perry.

Perry is tied for eighth in the NHL with 23 goals, and ranks higher on that list than every player in the Western Conference except Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames and Henrik Zetterberg of the Detroit Red Wings, each of whom earned an all-star berth in fan voting to choose the game’s starters. And yet, Perry will not be going to Atlanta.

Read the rest here - Link

A profile on Bertuzzi

Since the smiles haven't been coming a lot the past two seasons, it's a relief to hear Todd Bertuzzi say he's "having fun" playing the game lately. The usually stoic Bertuzzi has reason to be happy, since he's playing his best hockey in a long time. It's something he had hoped would happen much sooner after he was signed by the Ducks over the summer. 
After back surgery and a concussion limited Bertuzzi’s 2006-07 campaign to just 31 total games (15 in the regular season and 16 in the playoffs) between Florida and Detroit, Bertuzzi was glad to be healthy to start this season. But while just getting comfortable with the Ducks, the Sudbury, Ontario native suffered another concussion after a hit from Minnesota enforcer Derek Boogaard on Oct. 14. The injury would end up costing him another 14 games.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Monday

The latest Ducks TV has been posted - Link

TSN has posted their game coverage - Link

@AnaheimDuckFan - Whatever it takes! - Link

@Princess Duck - Congratulations! - Link

LA Times Game Coverage

A besieged group of Ducks' penalty killers gained a dose of redemption Sunday night, providing the coda to a comeback that renewed their faith in themselves.
The one-goal lead they gained late after trailing all game was left to Jean-Sebastien Giguere and three teammates in front of him to protect for nearly a minute with six Kings ready to fire at will.

Read the rest here - Link

Burke wants to change things again, update

You can say a lot of things about Anaheim Ducks' general manager Brian Burke, but you cannot dispute his persistency.

For the better part of two years now, Burke has been lobbying for an amendment to the collective bargaining agreement that would allow teams to trade players, but have a portion of the traded players' salary count against their own salary cap.

He was at it again Monday morning, when the 30 NHL general managers got together for a wide-ranging two-hour conference call that, among other things, rejected the idea that teenage sensation John Tavares could opt in a year early to the NHL entry draft.

Read the rest here - Link

Read more about Burke's proposal here

We know the new schedule format will be the sexy story of this week's board of governors meetings at The Inn at Spanish Bay near Pebble Beach, Calif.

But there is at least one issue that could come up this week that could have a more significant impact on the game, and we don't mean why the board insists on meeting as far away from an actual NHL game as humanly possible.

ESPN.com has learned NHL general managers will take part in a conference call Monday, when they will try and come to a consensus on the pros and cons of proposing changes to the collective-bargaining agreement that would allow teams to trade players while retaining a portion of a player's salary. The hope is the issue will then get a hearing before the board of governors when they meet Thursday and Friday.

Under the current system, many GMs have complained that the possibility of making trades is near impossible because they don't have the option of eating any salary of a player they might like to trade.

Read the rest here - Link

Another update on the Kids for Kids drive

The Ducks announced today that the Wild Wingers Kids Club and Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) have partnered for the second annual Kits for Kids Donation Drive, giving Ducks fans the opportunity to purchase Kids Club kits for CHOC patients for the holidays.

“This is a great way for our fans to give back to the community,” said Ducks Director of Fan Development Matt Savant. “We’re hoping to build on the overwhelming response from last year’s drive to help make the holiday season brighter for children receiving care at CHOC.”

Read the rest here - Link

The Official Ducks site takes a look at Brian Sutherby

"He’s a big kid who can skate and he plays an aggressive style," says Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle. "This is an opportunity for a player to play to a higher level and give us what he’s got. I don’t think you’ll see Brian Sutherby as a pure offensive player, but he’s a player who will get into the dirty areas, go to the front of the net, defend his teammates and be physical. "

Sutherby, chosen 26th overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, will return to his birthplace of Edmonton when the Ducks play the Oilers on Friday night.

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register has a look at Bert's return to Vancouver

The hockey-mad populace of Vancouver has waited more than 17 months for former Canucks star Todd Bertuzzi to return to GM Place.

The occasion finally appears imminent Tuesday, with Bertuzzi set to arrive in a Ducks uniform, the third he has worn since Vancouver dealt the standout winger to the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster trade for superstar goaltender Roberto Luongo that was the biggest single reason the Canucks returned to the Stanley Cup playoffs last season.

Read the rest here - Link

Calgary Herald has a look at Bert's return to Vancouver

"There's no question it's going to be emotional in a lot of ways for me," said Bertuzzi, now with the Anaheim Ducks, from his home in California while preparing for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Kings.

"After all the great years and great friends I made in the city, it's going to be very strange to be back there playing. It's going to be a very different experience, a very difficult game to play."

Read the rest here - Link

The next Kids Club party has been announced. Get your chance to see the Cup with the Ducks names on it along with a few other trophy's.

THE STANLEY CUP, CONN SMYTHE AND CAMPBELL BOWL TROPHIES ARE COMING TO ORANGE COUNTY IN DECEMBER! On Saturday, December 15^th and Sunday, December 16^th all Wild Wingers Kids Club members will be invited to the Newport Sports museum for an exclusive Kids Club party, where they will be able to take photographs with the trophies, attend a question and answer session with the keeper of the cup, and take part in a Ducks scavenger hunt!

Wild Wingers Kids Club members will be allowed to bring one (1) adult with them to the museum. If additional family members or friends would like to attend the event, they must purchase a Wild Wingers Kids Club kit at www.wildwingerskidsclub.com before the date of the party. Also, please remember to bring Party Voucher #2 located in the back of your kids club calendar. It is your ticket to enter the party.

To attend this great event, please send a RSVP to kidsclub@anaheimducks.com with the member’s name, adult’s name, email address, date and time slot. Please choose a 1½ hour time slot from the following list. Please note that there is a limited amount of space for each time slot. Once a time slot is completely full, no one else will be allowed to attend that time slot.

Available Time Slots

Saturday, December 15^{th and} Sunday, December 16^th

8:00am-9:30am

8:00am-9:30am

9:30am-11:00am

9:30am-11:00am

11:00am-12:30pm

11:00am-12:30pm

12:30pm-2:00pm

12:30pm-2:00pm

2:00pm-3:30pm

2:00pm-3:30pm

3:30pm-5:00pm

3:30pm-5:00pm

Directions to the Newport Sports Museum

The Newport Sports Museum is located on the corner of Newport Center Drive and Newport Center Drive East . Its address is:

100 Newport Center Drive, Suite 100

Newport Beach , CA 92660

Please click here for step-by-step directions to the Newport Sports Museum from your home.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at kidsclub@anaheimducks.com.

Anaheim Ducks News for Tuesday - Part 2

This part 2 of tonight's three part post.  This covers the rest of the news on our Ducks players.

Official Ducks site injury update and a look at Sutherby

For the first time this season the Ducks practiced injury-free on Tuesday, as the team finally exterminated the injury bug that had swarmed over at least one member of its roster since the start of the year.

The final Ducks to escape the injury report were Todd Bertuzzi (concussion) and Mathieu Schneider (sore hip), who each took part in practice before the team boarded an afternoon plane for Dallas.

While Schneider’s hip has only caused him to miss two games, Bertuzzi has been out of the lineup since Oct. 14, when the gritty veteran sustained a concussion via a hit from Minnesota’s Derek Boogaard.

“We have an opportunity to have Bertuzzi available if we choose to utilize him in Dallas,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We’ve missed his offense. We expect Bertuzzi to provide a level of offense that will give us more chances for success.”

On Sutherby

“He had lots of promise as a young player, when I first saw him as a 20-year-old,” Carlyle said. “I know he’s a competitive kid. I know that he can skate and play that aggressive, forechecking game that we require. I know that he’ll stand up and defend his teammates and himself.”

For Sutherby, the similarities between his style of play and the Ducks added to his enthusiasm regarding the trade.

“What also added to the excitement was the type of hockey that is played here,” Sutherby said. “Of the guys that I respect around the league and in the game, there are a lot of them in this dressing room that go to work every night and battle and stick up for one another. I’m just going to try and be another part of that puzzle.”

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register has a look at Bertuzzi and Schneider

Todd Bertuzzi practically has one leg over the boards and is close to hitting the ice in a game.

Bertuzzi has been cleared to play, unofficially ending his five-week recovery from a concussion, but the club will see how he comes out of Wednesday's morning skate before it decides whether to play him against Dallas.

"I'll see how I feel tomorrow and then at the pre-game skate and see if I can get in there ASAP," Bertuzzi said Tuesday.

Read the rest here - Link

MVN has a look at Tuesday's practice and updates on various players

The Ducks practiced at Anaheim Ice on Tuesday before heading on their charter flight to Dallas this afternoon. The new guy, Brian Sutherby, was introduced to his teammates and likely linemates. He was skating on a line with George Parros and Brad May. He has passed his physical with the Ducks, so Ryan Carter is being sent back to Portland.

Coach Randy Carlyle coached Sutherby during his time with the Washington Capitals and said he had a phone call into Glenn O’Hanlon to get their views. Carlyle stated that he liked Sutherby “as a person and as a hockey player.” Everyone in the Ducks organization liked what Sutherby brings to the table in terms of skills. He can kill penalties, play a checking role, play an energy role. In his experience with Sutherby he found that the player is very “competitive, skates well, aggressive forecheck. Defends his teammates and himself.” Carlyle feels that the Ducks are giving a young player with lots of promise the opportunity to “play at a higher level than he has achieved thus far.”

Read the rest here - Link

Bob Mckenzie wonders about Perry

There are a myriad of reasons why the Anaheim Ducks are eager to find out whether Scott Niedermayer is coming back to play and now that Ryan Getzlaf has been signed to a five-year contract extension, there's one more:

Corey Perry's long-term future in Anaheim.

If Niedermayer does return to the Ducks this season, and decides he is going to play next season too, the Ducks would have more than $53 million committed to salaries for 18 players next season. That, of course, is more than the current salary cap of $50.5 million. Those commitments for next season include virtually every key player on the team - Jean Sebastien Giguere, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Francois Beauchemin, Mathieu Schneider, Sean O'Donnell plus forwards Getzlaf, Todd Bertuzzi, Andy McDonald, Chris Kunitz, Rob Niedermayer, Travis Moen, Sammy Pahlsson and Todd Marchant, amongst others - except for Perry.

Read the rest here - Link

Ryan Carter has been sent back to the Pirates

Carter, 24 (8/3/83), has appeared in six regular season contests with the Ducks this season (scoreless). He made his NHL regular season debut on Sept. 30 against the Los Angeles Kings in London, England. The White Bear Lake, Minnesota native has also collected 1-0=1 point with 21 penalty minutes in five games with Portland this season.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Monday - Part 2

Here is the rest of today's coverage.  NHL.com  profiled Sammy, Bertuzzi is on the mends and Schneider gets interviewed by USA Today.

NHL.com Profile of Sammy Pahlsson

He’s the X-factor. The secret weapon. A 50-goal man when you consider he usually gets 10 or so and erases another 40 or so goals by opponents. The perfect role player you need to win a Stanley Cup.

Anaheim Ducks center Samuel Pahlsson is a quiet guy with close-cropped blond hair and a baby face. He’s also tough -- to score on; a Swede who packs a punch and is relentless in his ability to check an opponent into submission.

Read the rest here - Link

An update on Bertuzzi

The Ducks are anticipating the return of forward Todd Bertuzzi, who appears to be near a full recovery from the symptoms related to the concussion he suffered on Oct. 14 against Minnesota.
The exact date of that return remains the final question. But Bertuzzi has been cleared for full contact and is expected to practice Tuesday at Anaheim Ice, General Manager Brian Burke said today. And it is possible, he said, that Bertuzzi will accompany the team to Dallas for its game Wednesday against the Stars.
"I anticipate that for the first time, we'll have our team all together," Burke said.

Read the rest here - Link

USA Today interviews Schneider

Since you've played with the Kings, you've seen hockey's Southern California rivalry from both sides. How different are the fans on each side?

Schneider: When I played for the Kings, it was a great experience there. They have a great fan base, which has been dedicated to the team for a long time. In Anaheim, it's a newer experience. Hockey fans in Southern California are really passionate. There aren't a ton of hockey fans, but the ones who are turn out to the games. That makes it exciting as a player. When you're playing in a dead building, it's not a lot of fun. Both Anaheim and L.A. have been great buildings to play in over the last five or six years.

It doesn't seem as if any team in the Pacific Division has been able to step up and take charge. With the injury bug hitting the Ducks as often as it has, how fortunate do you feel that no team has been able to build up a cushion?

Schneider: Everybody seems to be beating everybody. That certainly played to our advantage with the injuries we've had early on. Combine that with the short summer and coming off the Stanley Cup win, there's a lot of things that went wrong. It was Murphy's Law. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong early. The cream is going to rise to the top. This team is just too talented.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Wednesday

Well I am still sick, so no commentary by me tonight.  Enjoy the news.

The News DucksTV has been uploaded - Link

A new Duck Cast featuring Kent Huskins - Link

A new Duck Cast featuring Newell Brown - Link 

Ducks recall Ryan Carter - Link

The Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday recalled center Ryan Carter from Portland of the American Hockey League.

Carter, 24, did not record a point in four games with the Ducks earlier this season - his first in the NHL. He made his debut in the league during Anaheim's run to the Stanley Cup championship this past spring, appearing in four playoff contests - including Game Four of the Finals against Ottawa.

He had one assist and 21 penalty minutes in five games with Portland this campaign. Last season, Carter registered 16 goals, 20 assists and 85 penalty minutes in 76 contest with the Pirates.

Bertuzzi Skates via MVN and a little more on the Ryan Carter recall

Todd Bertuzzi skated for about half the practice with the Ducks this morning at the Honda Center. Bertuzzi, who has had lingering post concussion symptoms stemming from hard hit by the Wild’s Derek Boogaard on October 14. Bertuzzi has had a couple of setbacks in his recovery, but has “felt decent” for the past four days. He is following the prescribed conservative protocol for working back into the line-up.

Read the rest here - Link

Pronger does not get suspended for his fight with Handzus

At the end of last night’s game between the Ducks and Kings, Michal Handzus shot the puck after the buzzer had sounded at the end of overtime. Chris Pronger went over to Handzus to have a word or two with him and Handzus took a swipe at Pronger. Pronger responded in a terribly one-sided mismatch of a fight. The referees sent both men off to their respective dressing rooms with identical fighting and misconduct penalties. Pronger got an extra 2:00 for instigating. The instigating penalty carried with it an automatic one game suspension and $10,000 fine for the coach. Anaheim was able to appeal to the League, and Brian Burke chose to do so after the game.

AnaheimDuckFan gives her take on last nights game

The Ducks battled the Kings, in what fans decided would be called the "Freeway Face-Off". The Ducks and Kings battled hard, both carrying momentum from their previous games. The players and fans knew what type of game to expect from these cross-town rivals, and they provided just that. The game was quick, full of hard hits, and the occasional fight. Although the fights came from some different Ducks (Todd Marchant and Chris Pronger).

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News - The rest of the Tuesday News

Read the game post here - Link

Here is an update on Bertuzzi

Todd Bertuzzi said Monday he is still experiencing dizziness as a result of his Oct. 14 concussion against Minnesota, and the lingering symptoms are limiting how much he can do off the ice.
Bertuzzi did a light skate on the Honda Center ice, but his slow recovery is getting to the forward. He's played in only seven games since joining the Ducks.

"It's frustrating," he said. "Really frustrating."
Andy McDonald can relate. It took the center nearly two years to fully recover from a devastating hit laid on him in 2003 by Adam Foote, then of the Colorado Avalanche.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks Vs. Kings rivalry gets name

Southern California hockey fans have spoken and selected a name for the local NHL rivalry. Following a seven-week online contest, “Freeway Face-Off” has become the name by which all future competitions between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings will be called. “Freeway Face-Off” received over 4,800 votes, besting three other finalists: “Freezeway Series”, “Ice-5 Series” and “Crosstown Showdown.”

Read the rest here - Link

Another article on Teemu and Scott

If it isn't being discussed openly, it certainly runs through the minds of the Ducks no matter how much they want to block it out.
The great question that has followed them from summer to fall has been whether Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne will return to the team or decide they like being retired enough to make it permanent.

And while at least one is skating and training again, the question of either returning won't go away.
When captain Chris Pronger was asked Tuesday about the fact that Niedermayer was skating again and about Selanne's appearance at Friday night's home game against San Jose, the defenseman said, "Are we going to talk about this again?"

Read the rest here - Link

Kondratiev goes back to Russia

Maxim Kondratiev refused assignment to the Anaheim Ducks' AHL affiliate in Portland and was suspended Tuesday by the minor league team.

The 24-year-old defenseman, who remains the property of the Ducks, has returned to Russia and intends to play for St. Petersburg of the Russian Superleague. He was with Lada Togliatti in that league last season.

Kondratiev made his debut for the Ducks on Oct. 6 and played in four games overall. He has no points, and was a healthy scratch for Anaheim's last four games.

The Ducks acquired him from the New York Rangers on Jan. 8, 2006, for Petr Sykora and a fourth-round draft choice.

Read the original article here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Tuesday

Well, after last nights game I expected a negative response.  Well here it is along with Ducks getting nominated to the All Star team and an update on Bertuzzi'e condition.

Fox Sports has a look at why the Ducks are struggling

Last season, the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup. They were the first elite team in the NHL since the lockout. However, their start this year has not been so great. Currently, they are 6-10 (with two losses counted as regulation ties). If the season ended today they would miss the playoffs.

Under the current CBA, it is hard to keep successful teams together. However, Anaheim came out pretty well in terms of CBA-related moves last summer.

Their only significant loss was Dustin Penner to the Edmonton Oilers. They also have been hit by the sabbaticals of Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne.

The NHL season is a long and hard one and this is especially true for a team that has a long run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Their off-season is shorter than that of most of the league and that takes a toll on your players. It takes so much of a toll that two key Ducks from last season have chosen not to play yet this season. If you subtract Niedermayer and Selanne from Anaheim, they will be a weaker team. This is especially true when these stars have not been adequately replaced.

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register has a look at why the Ducks are struggling

Consistency, it has been said, is the key to winning championships.

If that's the case, the Ducks might be in trouble. Two days after posting one of their best performances of the season with a 5-2 victory Saturday against Phoenix, the Ducks got shut out, 5-0, by the Dallas Stars.

Only two times in the first 16 games have the Ducks been able to post back-to-back victories — Oct. 15 and 17 when the Ducks beat Detroit, 6-3, and Nashville, 3-1. Their second mini winning streak was last week when they beat Columbus, 2-1, on Thursday and the Coyotes on Saturday.

After a one-hour practice at Honda Center on Tuesday, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle didn't have many answers, saying "we are still searching" for the consistency on offense that helped the Ducks win the Stanley Cup.

"We play a couple of good games, and then we seem to falter like we did last night (against Dallas). From a standpoint of execution and structure, we are not anywhere near where we needed to be for the 60 minutes," Carlyle said. "For whatever reason we got flat in a hurry, and then from my point of view we got frustrated and then we tried to do too much as individuals and then the frustration level never stopped. We have to become more focused on our game."

Read the rest here - Link

The LA Times has a look at why the Ducks are struggling

Much of the blame for the Ducks' sluggish start has been laid at their season-opening trip to London and injuries.
Few have suggested publicly that the defending Stanley Cup champions are suffering the aftereffects of winning it all. That changed Monday night. After his team's 5-0 victory over Anaheim, Dallas Stars forward Mike Modano said, "They have a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover going on over there.

"I think it's tough to come back, as much as they put into the playoffs last year," he added. "You've been pushed physically and mentally only a couple months ago."
When asked Tuesday about Modano's comments, Ducks defenseman Sean O'Donnell agreed -- to an extent.

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register has a look at the fan reaction to the way the Ducks are playing

ANAHEIM Is the honeymoon over for the Ducks?

The defending Stanley Cup champions were booed off the ice by the sellout crowd at Honda Center on Monday night after giving up two goals in the final 92 seconds of the period to fall behind, 4-0.

There was more loud booing in the final seconds of the game and when the Ducks' embarrassing 5-0 loss to the Dallas Stars became official. And as the remnants of the crowd filed out of the arena, one disgusted fan in the cheap seats near the press box yelled, “Dallas had a home game tonight!”

The anger in the stands was understandable. On a night when a victory would have moved the Ducks into sole possession of first place in the mediocre Pacific Division, they instead suffered their most lopsided home loss since January 2001.

When a championship banner is raised to the rafters, expectations also go up. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Can getting booed at home be motivational?

Read the rest here - Link

AnaheimDuckFan has a look at the Stars game

The Ducks got killed by the Stars last night in a 5-0 shutout. Congrats to the always amazing Marty Turco on a great win!!! (Yes I said that!)

The Ducks failed to show up and play the game last night. It was an awful massacre that most fans couldn’t even sit through. A lot of fans left after the 4th goal was scored (end of second), and then most of the ones that were still there, left after the 5th goal was scored (about 12 minutes left in the third).

Read the rest here - Link

Girl with a Puck has a look at the fan reaction

Somewhere between the first and second period, someone drugged and tied up the team that played the last two Ducks games (and won, mind you) and replaced them with a listless, irresponsible group that had conveniently forgot to play the game. They skated in circles, looked at one another with boredom, and basically rolled over and played dead.
I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to say to that because when you – Mr. Hockey Player(s) Extraordinaire – cannot present the general public with a quality product – i.e. decent to awesome 60 minute hockey game – guess what? FANS LEAVE. They boo. They ditch out and throw up their hands in disgust.
One fan, seated a few rows behind me, put it bluntly: “There you go, Ducks! You suck!”

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks think they are ready to move forward

While they were humbled in a 5-0 defeat to Dallas on Monday, the Ducks returned to Honda Center for practice Tuesday in search of consistency, which appeared to be building after back-to-back wins over Columbus and Phoenix last week.

“We play a couple of games and then we falter like we did Monday night from a standpoint of execution and structure,” coach Randy Carlyle said. “We were not anywhere near where we needed to be for the 60 minutes.”

While he acknowledged the Ducks’ roller coaster ride of a season thus far, second-year defenseman Kent Huskins said the team needs to push forward to find a solution.

Read the rest here - Link

A great profile on Corey Perry from the LA Times

Corey Perry is doing his best to help the Ducks' struggling offense.
Perry is coming off his biggest game of the season Saturday night at Phoenix where he scored two goals, assisted on another and also dropped the gloves with the Coyotes' Daniel Carcillo in a 5-2 victory.
It was a so-called "Gordie Howe hat trick" -- a goal, an assist and a fight. More important, Perry now has eight goals, almost halfway to the 17 goals he scored last season.
The third-year forward is beginning to emerge as the first-line pure scorer that the Ducks envisioned when they took him in the first round of the 2003 draft.
"I think it's awful early to say that he's doing this or doing that," Coach Randy Carlyle said. "I think he's showing the maturity process that takes place in a young hockey player.

Read the rest here - Link

An update on Bertuzzi's condition

Todd Bertuzzi has felt like himself the last three days, but he knows his real test is ahead.
Bertuzzi hasn't appeared in a game for the Ducks since Oct. 14, when he suffered a concussion as a result of an open-ice hit by Minnesota Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard. When Bertuzzi plays next remains undetermined.
Over the last three weeks, recurring headaches and dizziness have prevented him from resuming his off-ice workouts.
"I wasn't even coming down to the games here" anymore, Bertuzzi said. "I'd come down between periods and I'd get dizzy and get all sick again. I've been at home, laying around and doing nothing. It's frustrating."
Bertuzzi watched practice Sunday. He said he has not had any of the headaches that plagued him the last two weeks.

Read the rest here - Link

The Ducks are starting the auction on autographed helmets on 11/07/07 - Link

A look at Burke's trade proposal

So, Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke is proposing that the NHL allow teams retain a portion of a player's salary in a trade.

It is the same proposal Burke launched a year ago, you might recall, and it is still a good one.

The purpose is to inspire a little more trading activity in the NHL and to create a buzz. You might have noticed, there haven't been a lot of trades this season and there haven't even been a lot of serious trade talks and, by extension, rumours. There is a reason why everyone is so focused on the game, dissecting it, and fixating on the flaws, real or imagined.

There is nothing else of consequence to talk about.

Read the rest here - Link

Nominations for the All Star game have been posted, Ducks get 5

Ducks defensemen Francois Beauchemin and Chris Pronger, forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Andy McDonald and goaltender J.S. Giguere have been named to the ballot in XM/NHL All-Star Fan Balloting, Presented by 2K Sports, which opens Nov. 13.
Beauchemin, Getzlaf and Giguere are looking to make it to the All-Star Game for the first time. Pronger has played in five All-Star Games, while McDonald made the Western Conference team for the first time last season. Both Pronger and Giguere were likely selections last year, but were injured.
For the second consecutive season, the NHL-All Star Fan Balloting process will be entirely digital. From Nov. 13 through Jan. 2, fans around the world can “Vote Now, Vote Often” online at NHL.com to select the starting lineups for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta. In addition, U.S. fans also can cast votes through Verizon Wireless cell phones.
The 2007-08 season marks the 20th year in which fans will determine the starting lineups for the NHL All-Star Game. Fans can vote for six Eastern Conference All-Stars and six Western Conference All-Stars: three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender for each team. If a player is not listed on the ballot, a space is provided for “write-in” votes. The three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender from each Conference receiving the most votes will comprise the starting lineups. Each of the 30 NHL clubs has at least two representatives on the ballot.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Wednesday

I am officially declaring this black October for the Ducks. We have two players who cannot make up their minds about retirement, we have had multiple players down with injuries and when we get them back somebody else gets injured. I am looking forward to November. Any ways, here is today's news.

Preview of tomorrow's game against Phoenix

No team has been busier in the first month of the season than the Anaheim Ducks. That heavy workload has been reflected in their play.

The Ducks looks to make it 11 straight home wins over the Pacific Division rival Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night when the teams meet for the first time this season.

After starting the season with two games in England on Sept. 29-30, the Ducks have had a very busy October, playing a league-high 11 games to this point.

Anaheim (4-6-1) continues to be a very good home team but has yet to win on the road. A 4-2 loss Tuesday at St. Louis dropped the defending champions to 0-5-1 away from Jobing.com Arena.

The Ducks looked like a fatigued team Tuesday, getting outshot 33-16 while going scoreless on five power-play opportunities.

"It was a hard-fought battle," coach Randy Carlyle said. "This is the type of game we've been involved with for a while here. I thought our guys reached back and gave us everything they had. I've got to be proud of their effort."

Already missing defenseman Mathieu Schneider (ankle) and right wing Todd Bertuzzi (concussion), the Ducks could be without top center Ryan Getzlaf and forward Rob Niedermayer on Thursday.

Read the rest here - Link

Official Ducks update on the Ducks return to Anaheim and an update on the status of Rob and Ryan.

With fire blazing through much of Southern California, the Orange County home the Ducks returned to early Wednesday morning was markedly different from the one they departed last Friday for a two-game road trip.

Starting on Saturday, fires ripped through seven counties in the Southland, claiming several lives, thousands of homes and hundreds of thousands of acres in its path. Playing in Dallas on Saturday and St. Louis on Tuesday, all the Ducks could do was watch the destruction from television screens and offer family and friends encouragement over the phone.

“It’s difficult not knowing what’s going on, the uncertainty of everything,” Ducks captain Chris Pronger said. “You’re on the road and you can’t really do anything to help. You can’t do anything to support your family.”

Coach Randy Carlyle noted after Wednesday’s practice that the families of two Ducks players had to be evacuated as a result of the fires. As of Wednesday, the properties of the two Ducks have not been damaged and their families are doing okay.

Read the rest here - Link

Update on Bert via the OC Register and on the guys who had to evacuate their families

The Ducks returned to Anaheim banged up and still winless on the road, but Todd Bertuzzi offered a silver lining to their recent woes.

Bertuzzi skated for the second consecutive day Wednesday and appears to be moving closer to a return. The big winger said he has been symptom free from a concussion for a couple of days and hasn't had any recurrences of headaches or loss of peripheral vision associated with the head injury.

Bertuzzi did not have a target date for his return but was optimistic about his progress. He is scheduled to meet with a doctor Thursday. The club won't put him in a game until he is symptom free for four or five days.

___

Coach Randy Carlyle held an optional skate with his team tired and missing healthy forwards. Ryan Getzlaf has a strained forearm, Carlyle said, and Rob Niedermayer rested a pulled groin muscle. Both are day to day.

An optional skate perhaps was appropriate amid the fire crisis in Southern California. Todd Marchant and Shane Hnidy had to evacuate their families from their homes in the Irvine area because of the Santiago fire.

Only seven players and goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere took to the ice Wednesday. Carlyle thought it was necessary to take a breather even a day before a game.

Read the rest here - Link

OC Register Ducks blog on the injuries and personnel moves

There likely are going to be some young men headed for Anaheim from Portland, Maine, on Wednesday. The Ducks were caught short one forward Tuesday night in St. Louis when checking-line right wing Rob Niedermayer did not play because of a sore groin muscle, and the situation became compounded early in the second period of a 4-2 loss to the Blues when top-line center Ryan Getzlaf left the game because of an unspecified upper-body injury. Things appeared to be even worse when rugged left wing Brad May missed the final 8:26 of the second period after a fight with Blues defenseman Barret Jackman, but May returned to action in the third period.

Read the rest here - Link

MVN coverage of the injured ducks

The Ducks continue to be hit hard by injuries. Yesterday Rob Niedermayer missed his first game of the season after experiencing groin soreness in the morning skate. That left the Ducks one man short on their bench against the St. Louis Blues. During the game, Ryan Getzlaf left after only 2 shifts in the second period with an “upper body injury.” That description does nothing to narrow down the injury. Both he and Niedermayer were to be evaluated further in Anaheim today.

Brad May also hurt his hand during a fight with Barrett Jackman. Jackman suffered quite a few stitches to close a cut that left a good deal of blood on the ice. A cut face doesn’t stop one from skating, but a hurt hand makes it tough to hold your hockey stick. May took only a couple of shifts in the third period but that was it. During the fight he was shaking the hand vigorously leading the tv announcers to ponder if he was trying to shake off his elbow pad. However, considering the grimace on his face, you knew May was hurt.

Read the rest here - Link

The LA Times coverage of the personnel issues

The Ducks reduced their logjam in goal Tuesday by sending Jonas Hiller down to their American Hockey League affiliate in Portland, Maine.
Hiller gave up one goal in defeating the Kings in his first start and gave up five goals in a loss to Pittsburgh. The move was probably made now because the team is at last confident that Jean-Sebastien Giguere is fully recovered from hernia surgery.
Giguere made 29 saves Tuesday, allowing two goals to Brad Boyes and one to Keith Tkachuk in a 4-2 loss. Ilya Bryzgalov remains the primary backup.
Meanwhile, the Ducks could dip into Portland for some help up front if the injuries to forwards Rob Niedermayer and Ryan Getzlaf keep them out of the lineup for Thursday's home game against Phoenix.
Among those who could be considered for recall are center Petteri Wirtanen and winger Jason King.
Coach Randy Carlyle followed through with his plan to juggle the lines and it worked to some degree against the Blues.

Read the rest here - Link

Saint Louis Today interview of Chris Pronger

The remnants of Chris Pronger's nine seasons with the Blues are nearly gone.
Pronger, 33, has sold his house in St. Louis. His No. 44 Blues jerseys are only occasionally spotted in the crowd. Few mention his name anymore in relation to how rebuilding the Blues could have been different. Even his trips to town aren't met with the same emotion that awaited him after he was traded to Edmonton more than two years ago.
With Pronger now on his second team since leaving St. Louis, the only difference between his visit tonight with the Anaheim Ducks and his trips to other cities is that his family — wife Lauren and sons Jack, 5, and George, 3 — are with him to visit Lauren's parents.
"We come back to see the in-laws and let them see the grandkids," Pronger said.

Other than that, all ties are cut. Pronger is now a West Coast guy, a neighbor of former Cardinal Mark McGwire, and a hockey star who may be forever remembered in NHL history as a Duck after winning his first Stanley Cup last season.

Read the rest here - Link

Ryan Getzlaf gets a cameo in a commercial - Link

Thursday Night News - Part 3, London

Well there has been a lot of coverage the Ducks in London. I've got video, photos and other news coverage. So here you go!

The Latest update from the Ducks Blog

You know one of the great things about staying in a nice hotel? When you come back to the room after a long day and you see that the chamber maid has taken your mess and organized it nicely for you. I came back yesterday to see all the junk I had dumped on the desk in this room had all been put in nice little piles. Today I noticed that all of my toiletries were carefully arranged, all facing the same way and lying on a washcloth. It gives me a warm feeling to think of this anonymous woman taking the time to put everything in its little place so that I'll be just a little happier. Makes me want to leave an anonymous tip.

Incidentally, what's the deal with using a new towel every time you take a shower at a hotel? Why do we do that? You never do that at home. I'll go weeks without using a new towel at home. But there is something about a hotel that makes you feel like you're justified in using a brand new towel for every shower, even if the once-used towel is completely dry. (By the way, this is funnier if you read it in a Jerry Seinfeld voice.)
Speaking of tips (in the first paragraph), I still can't get used to tipping people with coins, even though I did it in Canada too during the playoffs last year. Since there are 1 and 2 pound coins here, you often tip a bartender or a bellman with them, and it always makes me feel cheap. Try tipping a guy with coins in the States. He'll look at you like you just stepped on his foot. Or he'll give you that look people always give at a ballgame when you want to walk past them down the aisle and they have to actually rise out of their seat.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks TV has posted on a new episode here - Link

NHL.com interview with Brad May - Link

NHL.com interview with Todd Bertuzzi - Link

NHL.com interview of Corey Perry - Link

NHL.com interview with Giggy - Link

Video of the Ducks seeing their names on the Cup - Link

Shawn Rourke got to go to London. 

Wednesday, NHL.com took an abbreviated double-decker bus tour of London. But the company couldn’t be beat as I joined the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks and the Stanley Cup itself for a quick jaunt through the city.

We all climbed aboard a 30-year-old traditional red double-decker bus that is only used for special occasions. And, what could be more special than escorting the Ducks and the Stanley Cup on a sight-seeing tour?

We saw it all in the course of two hours. First stop was Tower Bridge – and not the London Bridge, as I mistakenly called it yesterday. I publicly apologize to all the Brits that I offended and especially to those that took the time to gently point out the error of my ways.

Then, we sped past the Tower of London (good thing I stopped for the tour Tuesday) and on to Big Ben, Westminster Abby and Parliament Square. We stopped here briefly for some pictures with the Cup in Parliament Square and then it was back on the bus for a quick pass past Buckingham Palace – where I learned there are 94 washrooms at the disposal of the royal family – and a slog through rush-hour traffic back to the Canary Wharf hotel.

I must admit, at times, it seemed too close to the classic Vacation scene where Chevy Chase can’t merge out of traffic and keeps looping around the same London circle, pointing out all the same tourist attractions to his kids over and over.

See his NHL blog here - Link

See his photo gallery here - Link

See his videos here - Link

Earl Sleek has posted his thoughts on London

As the Ducks and Kings finish preparing for actual games this weekend, I thought I’d devote a post to the apparent problems of having two BoC teams starting their season in London. This is not to say that there won’t be any positives to these two teams taking the trip—but without knowing what the actual point of this Euro-experiment is, it’s tough to say how well the NHL did in its preparations. Anyway, here’s four reasons why the NHL’s decision-making seems odd to me.

1. Distance
In terms of miles traveled, the Ducks and Kings are the two most geographically distant NHL cities from London, England. It’s quite strange that the NHL would take its two furthest franchises and fly them 5,400 miles out of their way to start their season. But travel distance isn’t even the main concern here—there’s also an issue of time zones. If the NHL is trying to make more fans in the UK, maybe a smarter plan might have been to send two teams that don’t start most of their games at 3 or 3:30 am London time.

Read the rest here - Link

The AP has coverage of the Ducks trip

So ends the summer when the National Hockey League stood out by simply laying low.
No talk of lockouts, doping, rogue referees or police blotters in the North American ice hockey league during the few short months following the Anaheim Ducks' landmark championship for California.
The league that usually gets noticed when things

go wrong, was glad to let the other Americans sports own the scandal-focused spotlight. Ice hockey escaped embarrassment and turmoil, and now is readying its next attempt to matter in the U.S. sports landscape.
From new streamlined uniforms with peculiar colors and designs, to season-opening games played outside North America, to one played out of doors, the NHL is trying gimmicks and novelty to create buzz.
Having a star like just-turned-20 Sidney Crosby doesn't hurt, either.
It all begins this weekend in London where the champion Ducks begin defense of their Stanley Cup title against their closest neighbor and biggest rival, the Los Angeles Kings.
«Obviously the purpose in going to England is opening up a new building for the Kings' owner,» Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger said, «but at the same time it's a chance for us to go over there and show off our product and try to bring some fan following in England.

Read the rest here - Link

The BBC has coverage as well

Some of North American sports biggest stars will showcase their skills in London over the next month as a roadshow of ice hockey, basketball and American football hits the capital.

October sees NBA and NFL games, but this weekend it's the turn of NHL as the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings meet twice at the 02 Arena in the first regular-season games ever staged in Europe.

"This is an exciting place to be, with an opportunity to showcase the NHL to people in the UK," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, whose team begin the new season as defending Stanley Cup champions.

"We just hope it gives more exposure to the sport. It's a world game and we're playing here in London. I think there are 200-plus media outlets here that are going to cover it, so it's an excellent opportunity," he added.

Billed as the UK Premiere Series, the two sell-out games are being televised in 115 countries and follow three previous successful season-opening games played in Japan in 1997, 1998 and 2000.

Read the rest here - Link

MVN has coverage

The Ducks continue their British jaunt with sightseeing, soccer matches and golfing in addition to their practice schedule. The highlight of the trip, however, is something that the Ducks have been waiting all summer to see - the Stanley Cup engraved with their names. In spite of months of partying and days with the Cup all summer long, the reality didn’t sink in until they saw their names on the Cup. They will be there for the next 62 years until the ring they are on will be removed and retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Amazing stuff!

In other Ducks news, Jean-Sebastian Giguere anticipates being ready to go in the next two weeks, which will cause a great dilemma with Brian Burke. Which goalie will be the back up? Will Jonas Hiller take the job away from Ilya Bryzgalov? Will Burke find a good trade for Bryzgalov? Both Hiller and Bryzgalov have the opportunity this weekend to make the answers easier or more difficult, depending upon how they play.

Read the rest here - Link

The National Post has coverage

How is the National Hockey League being met here in Jolly Old England? Well, put on your best British accent, then say this: "Is that hockey?"

Perfect. Now, you are beginning to grasp the mountain of a job that lies ahead for the NHL--or the National Ice Hockey League, as they need to be reminded here -- as it dips a toe into the waters of the rare Western European capital where the game is still on the fringe of the fringe sports. Even behind what we would call field hockey.

When the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks meet the Los Angeles Kings this Saturday and Sunday evenings at the O2 Arena in East London, they will be the first NHL regular-season games played outside North America. But yesterday, as members of the Ducks used the Tower Bridge as a backdrop for some photos with the Stanley Cup, most Londoners walking past had no idea who they were and why they were carting around that giant silver thing.

"Is that the Carling Cup [an English soccer trophy]?" one fellow asked a reporter, after some discussion with his mate as to what the big, shiny Cup represented. "I'm just wondering, which footballers are these?"

Another man approached Anaheim's Todd Marchant, inquiring as to what they were doing in London.

"We're in town to play the Los Angeles Kings," Marchant explained.

"And who might 'we' be?" the man asked.

Read the rest here - Link

Burke does not mind going to London

LONDON -- The Kings' ownership tie to London's O2 Arena and the Kings' get-accustomed trip to Austria would seem to give them an edge in effusiveness regarding this monster trip to open the season.
But then you might listen to Brian Burke.

"When I come to London, the first thing I think of is how many of the greatest people who have walked this planet have walked here," the Ducks' 52-year-old general manager said Thursday in the lobby of the team hotel.
He mentioned the "soldiers, sailors, authors, poets, leaders."
He glowed about past visits to the Tower of London, where they keep the crown jewels.
During a news conference that preceded his remarks, he sold the need to sell the league in all corners.
Given that the Ducks signed on to this before the Stanley Cup run that consumed them all the way to June 6, it's an unusual start, he agreed.
"Yeah," he said, "but when the league asks you to go, you go. When the NHL asks you to represent them overseas, you go."

Read the rest here - Link

Fox Sports has a preview of the Ducks/Kings games

Nearly a decade has passed since the NHL crowned back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. The Anaheim Ducks' hopes of ending that streak have taken a number of hits even before the team has gotten on the ice.

The league's 90th season kicks off Saturday when the Ducks meet the Los Angeles Kings at the O2 Arena in London in the 2007 Premiere Series, a two-game set that concludes Sunday.

Anaheim is trying to become the first repeat champion since Detroit in 1997 and '98, but the Ducks look like a much different team than the one that defeated Ottawa in five games to become the first Cup winner from California.

Scott Niedermayer, the team captain and Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP, said in June he was mulling retirement and the 34-year-old defenseman was suspended for failing to report to training camp. Veteran forward Teemu Selanne, who scored a team-high 48 goals in the final year of his contract, remains a free agent.

Injuries and defections have also hurt Anaheim. Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere will not play in London while he recovers from surgery on a sports hernia - the same injury that has sidelined forward Samuel Pahlsson. Former Red Wing Mathieu Schneider, signed as insurance against Niedermayer's possible retirement, broke his left ankle during the Ducks' preseason opener.

Giguere may not play until Anaheim's home opener Oct. 10, while Pahlsson and Schneider are expected to return later in the month.

Read the rest here - Link

Thursday Night Ducks News - Part 1, Bertuzzi!

So there was lots of news today.  An avalanche of interviews with Todd Bertuzzi, London coverage and a lot of other misc. news.  So this part covers all of the Bertuzzi interviews and coverage.

Ottawa Citizen has coverage on Todd

Todd Bertuzzi doesn't even try to hide the disgust on his face when asked by a reporter if his move this year to the Anaheim Ducks has forced him to re-live the Steve Moore incident.

It was more than three years ago that Bertuzzi sucker-punched the Colorado forward, resulting in a 20-game suspension, but it's still a hot topic.

"Anyone else? Anyone wanting anything about the game?" Bertuzzi said, looking away from the questioning reporter after his first practice in London in advance of this weekend's National Hockey League games at London's O2 arena.

Bertuzzi, who has shed 20 pounds in a bid to regain his edge after an injury-plagued season last year with the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings, was similarly dismissive when asked if he's lost anything from his elite years in Vancouver, when he played on a line with Markus Naslund.

"I'm the exact same player. If not I'll be better," said Bertuzzi, 32, who scored a career high 46 goals and 97 points in 2002-03.

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said Bertuzzi has not been a distraction, despite initial media attention after the bruising winger signed a two-year, $8 million US contract this summer.

"There's been some articles written about it, but that's part of the past. We can't change what happened, and we're about creating a more positive future," he told reporters.

Read the rest here - Link

ESPN has coverage of Bertuzzi

In the world of sport, redemption is strong currency.

Pro athletes are exalted as they ascend and just as quickly vilified and demonized when they fall.

Sometimes, if they're lucky, those fallen athletes get another chance, a chance to escape from under the rubble of their own misdeeds. And as the media and fans follow the ups and downs, it's the up-off-the-mat saga that always plays best.

And so it is that Todd Bertuzzi, perhaps the most demonized of NHL players of the modern era, sits contentedly in his dressing room stall here in London, surrounded by his new Anaheim Ducks teammates, looking somehow like a man who may well have walked away from his own rubble.

Todd Bertuzzi's stint in South Florida was not a happy one.

"There's naysayers about our team and there's naysayers about him and what he's got left in the tank," offered Anaheim defenseman Chris Pronger. "It's a way for him to shove it where the sun don't shine and show people what he's still got left, the type of player he can still be.

"I know guys are excited to have him on the team. We heard nothing but great things about him when he played in Detroit last year. Reputations follow people around a long time, that's why people deserve second chances," Pronger added. "When you go through the situations that he's gone through, you grow up a lot and you get a different outlook on life.''

Bertuzzi is not quite jovial -- that's a little like suggesting a cactus can be cuddly; but certainly this Todd Bertuzzi is at ease. Why?

Read the rest here - Link

TSN has coverage and some video

The first thing that jumps out about Todd Bertuzzi as he zig-zags around the ice is that he's 20 pounds lighter and looks 10 years younger.

Bertuzzi, now 32, says he feels better than he has in a long time and is ready to do some damage this season with the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, who kick off the NHL season Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings at London's 02 Arena.

After last season was a writeoff due to back problems, Bertuzzi spent the summer trimming down.

''I think after you go through a year of having surgery and having back problems, I think maybe carrying the 245 and 250 (pounds) around maybe took its toll on it,'' Bertuzzi said. ''So I thought I'd try a new route and see if I can stay healthy.

''Knock on wood, it's actually been a blessing.''

Ducks GM Brian Burke says signing the winger to an US$8-million, two-year deal wasn't a gamble despite the back problems that limited Bertuzzi to 15 regular-season games last season with Florida and Detroit.

''I'm much more comfortable with Todd, because I had him as a player (in Vancouver) and I know his character,'' said Burke. ''Our doctors, when he passed his physical, said there is no health issue there that they're worried about. This is the lightest he's been - he hasn't played at this weight since he was 17.

''I know this player, I'm not worried about him fitting in, and I'm not worried about what he can do on the ice.''

Bertuzzi wants to repay Burke for believing in him.

''And with that comes the pressure to perform,'' said Bertuzzi. ''I think it's something that I need. There's nothing better than to have a little pressure on you to go out and perform. Obviously I'm fortunate that there was an opening on a Stanley Cup roster for me. So I've got to go there and make the best of it and play hard.''

He's landed in a comfortable spot. His old GM from his days with the Canucks is running the show and his best friend Brad May is in the dressing room.

Read the rest here - Link

Video - Together Again

NHL.com has coverage of Bertuzzi

The message is loud and clear here in Anaheim’s camp as the days tick away to Saturday’s opening to the 2007-08 season with the first of two games against the Kings in the NHL Premiere Series set to take place at the O2 Arena.

Ignore Todd Bertuzzi at your own risk is that message, emanating from every corner of the Ducks’ dressing room, from the coaches’ room and from the general manager’s suite. Most importantly, the message is coming from the player himself -- not so much from his words, but through his actions.

It is a warning issued from London, but one that should be heeded across the pond by the NHL’s 28 other teams, as well.

“All Todd Bertuzzi has done is come in here and worked his butt off: he hasn’t been anything but a true professional,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “He’s been everything that you would ask; he has been no distraction whatsoever. He’s trying to fit in. I think that the off-ice commitment he made during the summer is a statement for him.”

Bertuzzi approached the Ducks this summer and asked to join up. Coming off an injury-ravaged season that saw him play just 15 regular-season games, Bertuzzi was not in much a position to make demands. There were too many questions about Bertuzzi’s surgically repaired back and demeanor to term the market as a seller’s market.

Yet Anaheim GM Brian Burke was interested. Burke was GM of the Vancouver Canucks when Bertuzzi was at the apex as a player. In 2002-03, Bertuzzi had 46 goals and 97 points – both career highs – and Burke watched it all unfold. So, the match was natural as both player and manager would like to see tho

Read the rest here - Link

Fox Sports has coverage of Bertuzzi

LONDON - LONDON -- There are a number of reasons why Todd Bertuzzi will be a total flop in Anaheim. A bust. A washout. A waste of $8 million over two years.

The Bertuzzi bashers, and they are legion, can rhyme them off with ease. Lets start with five easy ones: (1) his back problems; (2) he weighs too much, somewhere in the range of 245-250 pounds; (3) he's a new guy on a close-knit team: (4) in recent years, he has tended to play an east-west game whereas the Ducks play north-south; (5) he doesn't work hard enough.

And not that it really matters much, but those who dislike Bertuzzi toss in another one. He's not communicative with the media.

That one went out the door right away when the media hordes here to cover the season openers between the Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings approached him. He was relaxed and smiling.

And a lot thinner.

"I think it was just a matter of time," said Bertuzzi. "I think after you go through a year of having surgery and having back problems, I think maybe carrying the 245 and 250 around maybe took its toll on it. So I thought I'd try a new route and see if I can stay healthy. Knock on wood, it's actually been a blessing. I'm around 230, 228, give or take."

A reporter noted that he weighed about the same. "That's what you are?" asked Bertuzzi, as he looked at the pot belly. "I guess I hold it better."

He didn't say it with malice, he said it as a shared joke. This is not the Todd Bertuzzi that some members of the media have experienced in recent years.

But whatever the case, two of the five criticisms were answered in the opening salvo. The back problems appear to have gone the way of the extra weight.

Read the rest here - Link

Monday News Part 1 - Non Player movement news

This post is dedicated to all non player moves.  So if you are looking for info on the player moves today, look for part 2.  It should be posted shortly.

Here is a link to the official Anaheim DucksTV highlights of last nights game - Link

AnaheimDuckFan has posted her thoughts on last night's game.

Now this is the team I remember. The Ducks came out strong and fast against the Vancouver Canucks in the Ducks final preseason game. A game which gave Ducks’ fans hope for the upcoming, a game in which the Ducks slaughtered the Canucks 5-0.

Francois Beauchemin was back out on the ice tonight after missing a couple of games due to a groin injury. Apparently all he needed was a couple of days rest.

Bobby Ryan again amazed us with his talent. He had four assists, the only goal he didn’t assist on was Corey Perry’s. This game was full of fighting and penalties. At one point in the third period, the Canucks penalty box had five guys in it. The Canucks had a total of 19 penalties, while the Ducks only racked up 10. Of the 10, 4 were fighting majors, so technically it wasn’t that bad.

Good news for all of you Ducks fans, announcer Phil Hulett is back. Thankfully!!!

Read the rest here - Link

A look at the Ducks chance of repeating

Not the one in which people with rifles shoot at flying fowl, but the one that will have 29 NHL teams trying to knock off the defending Stanley Cup champions from Anaheim.

And Ducks players know they are in everyone's sights.

"We have a target on our back," defenseman Chris Pronger said. "Each night, it's going to be, 'Try to knock off the Stanley Cup champion.' We've got to be prepared for that and make sure we are even more focused and determined each and every night."

The Norris Trophy finalist's thoughts were echoed by center Ryan Getzlaf and blue-liner Sean O'Donnell.

"We're going to have to play hard every single night we step on the ice," Getzlaf said. "We have a target on our back from the way we played last year, and we earned it. Now we have to earn it again."

"We're the Stanley Cup champions, and everyone is going to be ready for us," O'Donnell added. "It's a long season, and teams get up for certain games for different reasons - division rivalries, playing against the defending champions. Everyone is going to get fired up when it's time to play against us."

Read the rest here - Link

Mark Whicker from the OC Register has a look at the Ducks start of the season

They left Monday. Too late to call it off. The Ducks are in England on perhaps the least-advised transcontinental exercise since the Dixie Chicks informed a London crowd they were ashamed President Bush was from Texas.

There was no evidence that any Londoner has asked for the input of either a Duck or a Chick.

The two situations have little in common — although Chris Pronger isn't ready to make nice either — but they do share two minor shortcomings.

Time and place.

It's not that the Ducks and Kings shouldn't play twice in Europe, but not two regular-season games. And not in England. If you've ever been there, you know how little use they have for ice.

Two exhibitions in Sweden or the Czech Republic or even Russia would have been perfect. The NHL has very little to gain in the U.K. besides the odd jersey sale.

If the league wanted to make any splash in Britain, it should have recruited the Phoenix Coyotes, coached by Wayne Gretzky, whose name might ring a faint bell with someone.

That would have satisfied the need for a Western team to suffer approximately the same hardship the Kings will. Certainly the fact that the Kings' owners also own the arena in London was not enough reason for the Ducks to sign up.

They agreed to do this before they won the Stanley Cup in a run that didn't end until June 6. Nevertheless, they had a pretty good idea they were going deep and should have begged off. The Ducks' first day of training camp was Sept. 11, and even Randy Carlyle, a supporter of the trip in principle, admitted it felt "absurd" to be back at work so soon.

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Dan Wood from the OC register has a look at Bertuzzi

Newly acquired Ducks winger Todd Bertuzzi arrived in Anaheim three weeks before the club reported to training camp Sept. 10. His reputation showed up sooner than that.

Fairly or not, the gifted 6-foot-3, 230-pound Bertuzzi is dogged by questions, almost certainly more than any other NHL player. The Hockey News asked the following in a series of Top 10 questions in its Sept. 18 cover story:

"Will Todd Bertuzzi sink the Ducks?"

People who notice hockey only when an ugly or unfortunate event takes place know Bertuzzi from the 2004 incident when he drew a lengthy, NHL-imposed suspension and later pleaded guilty to an assault charge for punching then-Colorado center Steve Moore in the head from behind during a game. Those closer to the game raise other issues.

Bertuzzi, 32, is coming off Nov. 2 surgery for a herniated disk in his back that limited him to a combined 15 regular-season games with Florida and Detroit in 2006-07. Even in the new NHL, where punishment in front of the net is a far cry from what it used to be, there is concern as to whether Bertuzzi can withstand the physical demands necessary to play the type of game that made him an elite power forward with Vancouver the first half of this decade.

Less evident but potentially more damning are whispers about the complex elements Bertuzzi might bring to a locker room. The elusive commodity known as team chemistry, which the Ducks rode to a Stanley Cup championship last season, is critical to hockey success.

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The NHL has posted it's calendar for the year

Sept. 29-30 -- Anaheim Ducks vs. Los Angeles Kings season-opening series at London.

Oct. 3 -- General regular-season opening night.

Nov. 10 -- Hockey Hall of Fame Game -- New York Rangers at Toronto Maple Leafs.

Nov. 12 -- Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Toronto.

Dec. 1 -- Signing deadline for Group 2 free agents.

Dec. 19-27 -- Holiday Roster Freeze. No waivers, trades or loans. ^2008=

Jan. 1 -- Outdoor game: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, N.Y.

Jan. 25-28 -- All-Star break.

Jan. 26 -- CHL-NHL Top Prospects Game at Edmonton, Alberta; Super Skills Competition at Atlanta.

Jan. 27 -- All-Star Game at Atlanta.

Feb. 26 -- Trade deadline at 3 p.m. EST.

See the rest of the schedule here - Link

Mike V has updated his blog

Well, here we are just days away from the puck officially dropping on another season of NHL Anaheim Ducks Hockey. It seems like the summer has flown by and in a sense the season never ended for us Ducks fans. I don’t know about you, but I spent a good portion of my summer following the Cup as it made the rounds from player to player and keeping updated on NHL news and transactions especially concerning the Ducks.

Of course the big news of the summer that everyone was following was what were Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer going to decide to do; were they going to continue to play or retire? And now here we are a few days away from the season starting and neither player has made a decision, and it doesn’t seem like one is coming from either guy anytime soon. There’s been a lot of talk about how Brian Burke has given these players as much room and time as they need to make their decisions out of respect for who they are and what they’ve made of their careers. Definitely a class move by Burke for two class players, but still, we fans want to know.

There are so many factors involved in these guys making their decisions and I can respect all of it. And I wish them the best in whatever they decide. But I would love to see one or both of them return to the Ducks for one more run.

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The OC Register continues its analysis of concussions and hockey.

More than two years after concussions forced him into retirement in 1999, former National Hockey League defenseman Jeff Beukeboom still suffered from the effects of his head injuries.

He couldn't remember things. He forgot what he was talking about in the middle of conversations. Light bothered him. So did the slightest noise. He slipped into depression, was frequently irritable and always exhausted.

"That was my life on a daily basis," the 14-year NHL veteran said. "Waking up every day and hoping you would feel better and you didn't. Every day I woke up and my head felt like an over-inflated basketball. It was 2½ years of feeling like (garbage). I felt like (garbage) every day."

Stories like Beukeboom's will become increasingly common among NHL veterans in the coming years, medical experts predict.

An average of 64 players in each of the last six seasons have suffered concussions or related symptoms, an Orange County Register study of NHL injuries since 1996 found. Concussions have kept players out of more than 5,500 NHL games in the past decade.

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