Anaheim Ducks News - Non Game News

Not too much news today, but I've got a few videos gems for you.  Enjoy!

Burke has sympathy (?)

As the front office watch with the Toronto Maple Leafs continued Wednesday, the parties involved got some much-needed sympathy from fellow NHL executive Brian Burke.

The Anaheim Ducks' general manager, who recently denied media speculation that he would one day join the struggling hockey team, did not hide his disappointment at the overall treatment of John Ferguson Jr.

Read the rest here - Link

I call it the Niedermayer Effect

Numbers have never truly defined Scott Niedermayer's impact on a team, but there is one set that is the clearest gauge of what he has meant to the Ducks since he ended his dance with retirement.
10-2-2.

Before the defenseman's return, the Ducks were an inconsistent bunch stumbling along with a 15-15-4 record that had them sitting outside the Western Conference playoff picture. Since the return of Niedermayer, the Ducks sit one point out of the Pacific Division lead.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks shopping Edmonton's first round pick

Some might argue that unless another NHL GM loses his sanity and overwhelms Anaheim’s Brian Burke with a trade offer nobody in their right mind would reject, there’s not a hope in hell Burke trades the first round pick he received from Edmonton in exchange for Dustin Penner.

Read the rest here - Link

J.S. Giguere's Commercial

 

Doug Weight Interview

Anaheim Ducks News for Thursday

George Parros gets interviewed

When did you start wearing the mustache?
In college I would grow a mustache for the playoffs or something like that, just to be different or as a half joke. I always had a fond respect for the mustache, and I always loved hockey’s history with the mustache. It used to be that everybody had one. But I didn’t have one for a little while, until two summers ago when I went to Vegas and grew one in for that trip just for fun. I showed up to L.A. and was working out before training camp, and the new coach there, Marc Crawford, saw it and said, “That’s a great mustache.” I told him, “Oh yeah? I’m thinking about keeping it for camp.” He said, “You better.” I kept it for camp and the rest is history.

 
But you shaved it since then.
When I got picked up by Colorado [just prior to last season], I shaved it and they all got mad at me. They had seen it when I played against them in a preseason game in Las Vegas. When they heard the mustache was coming over to their team, they were pretty disappointed that I had shaved it. So, I grew it back and I had it for about a week or so before I got traded here. They’ve loved it so much, it took on a life of its own.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks Visit CHOC

Photos - Link

“Although we try to be active in the community throughout the year, the holiday season is a special time for us,” said Ducks owner Susan Samueli.  “Our players look forward to this annual visit to CHOC, as they enjoy spending time with the children and sharing the excitement of the holidays.  Our partnership with CHOC has provided great opportunities to create special memories.”

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks get analyzed again

With the puck headed to the front of his net and a menacing Shark ready to pounce for a tying goal, Scott Niedermayer extended his stick to full reach.

Not only poking the puck out of harm's way, Niedermayer sprung teammate Todd Marchant on a rush that ended with Bobby Ryan scoring late in the second period, a goal that was insurance in Anaheim's 2-0 win over Pacific Division rival San Jose Tuesday night.

So subtle was Niedermayer's play that he wasn't awarded his first point of the season until official scorers reviewed the goal at the second intermission.

Read the rest here - Link

Burke the best GM?

In the wake of the hard-won Collective Bargaining Agreement there was a general consensus that it suddenly became a whole lot harder to be a good-to-great general manager in the National Hockey League.

With a nod to the declaration that no man is perfect, I offer up a candidate for master of the new agreement, the precursor to sainthood and greatness conferred upon the likes of hockey legends Sam Pollack, Bill Torrey and, in more recent times, Detroit's Ken Holland and New Jersey's Lou Lamoriello.

His name is Brian Burke and he manages the defending Stanley Cup champions in that somewhat under-the-radar hockey hotbed of Anaheim, CA.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Duck of Carona? Just kidding, they did open a rink there......

The Anaheim Ducks and Anaheim Hockey Club (In-line) announced today that a new in-line rink will open in Corona, Calif., this January (2008). The rink, named the Anaheim Hockey Club of Corona, will serve as the Ducks’ official in-line facility and complement Anaheim ICE, the club’s official practice facility. Renovations are underway, which will make Anaheim Hockey Club the premiere in-line facility in Southern California.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Tuesday

Here is the rest of the day's news.  If you are looking for the game report, click here.

Mowers is on waivers via TSN - Link

 Burke denies a rumor

Ducks General Manager Brian Burke took the time Tuesday morning to address speculation out of Toronto about a job that, at least for the moment, isn't even open.
Burke said he is not interested in becoming the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, even though John Ferguson Jr. is still employed in that capacity by the team.

Articles in the Hockey News and by the Canadian Press speculated Burke would be a good fit to succeed the besieged Ferguson, who, according to reports out of Toronto, may be fired with the Maple Leafs sitting in the Northeast Division basement.

Read the rest here - Link

Profile on Perry and Getzlaf

No one ever will accuse Corey Perry or Ryan Getzlaf of being the touchy-feely type, so there should be no expectations of spontaneous “You complete me!” outbursts from either player.

But after more than three years, it has become abundantly clear that each Anaheim Duck forward is made more complete by the presence of the other.

Read the rest here - Link

Pacific Division update from the NHL.com

When the Anaheim Ducks and Ryan Getzlaf agreed to a five-year contract extension last week that will keep the emerging star in Anaheim for a sum of $26.6 million, it marked a pivotal moment in General Manager Brian Burke’s attempt to keep his Stanley Cup-winning team intact in the salary cap era. The 22-year-old Getzlaf was in the final year of a three-year deal and would have become a restricted free agent this summer.

Getzlaf, who has 15 points in his last 10 games, was Anaheim’s first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2003 Entry Draft. Last season, he had 25 goals and 58 points in the regular season before leading the Ducks with 17 postseason points – fifth among all playoff scorers – as the team claimed its first-ever Stanley Cup. He leads the Ducks with 25 points so far this season.

“This is an important day for the franchise,” Burke said. “He’s the whole package.”

Read the rest here - Link

AKTSE went to a Ducks practice and took some great photos

See them all here - Link

New ticket packages are available

Celebrate the holidays with the Ducks this season. Bring out your office, family, friends or clients for a unique holiday or birthday party, department outing, or just a night out with the gang.  All groups of 20 or more receive special discounts or promotions such as our Puck Pack or Hat Trick Package below:

Puck Pack
Wednesday, December 12 vs. Vancouver, 7:05 pm

20 Terrace Main Tickets
20 Stanley Cup Commemorative Photo Pucks
20 Food Vouchers (regular hot dog and soda per seat)

$ 33.50 per person – minimum 20

Hat Trick Package
Wednesday, January 2 vs. Columbus, 7:05 pm
or
Tuesday, January 15 vs. Dallas, 7:05 pm

20 Terrace Main Tickets
20 Anaheim Ducks Hats
20 Food Vouchers (regular hot dog and soda per seat)

$ 35 per person – minimum 20

Original Info - 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 3

Well here is the third and final post for tonight.  Just to review, Part 1 covers Getzlaf, Part 2 covers all the other player news and this third part covers all the other odds and ends.  I have a preview of tomorrow's game, an interview with Burke and a look at back at the first quarter of the season.

Just a reminder that the watch party is tomorrow, 11/21 (Wed) at the ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney at 5:30 p.m.  Be there and enjoy the game, good food and a chance to win autographed stuff!

Ducks-Stars Preview

The Anaheim Ducks have had three days off to relish their recent turnaround. Their leading scorer particularly enjoyed the break.

With a new contract in hand, Ryan Getzlaf looks to lead the Ducks to a fifth consecutive victory on Wednesday when they host the Dallas Stars.

The defending Stanley Cup champions appear to have put a rough start behind them, going 6-1-1 this month and winning their last four games. Anaheim (10-8-3) had won just four of its first 13 games, failing to score more than two goals in nine of them.

The Ducks have scored at least four goals in four of their last seven games, a stretch during which Getzlaf has accounted for four goals and seven assists.

Read the rest here - Link

A quick look at the Bryzgalov issue

So why couldn't Ducks general manager Brian Burke at least get a draft choice for Bryzgalov, a potential unrestricted free agent next summer who is making $1.36 million this year? Although one team executive told me that Pittsburgh took a serious look at Bryzgalov a few weeks ago, apparently Burke never found a serious trading partner.

Read the rest here - Link

The Globe and Mail has a great look at Brian Burke

Most Canadians know Brian Burke as the forceful, combative hockey executive who shaped the Anaheim Ducks into the reigning Stanley Cup champions and who wouldn't seem out of place trading elbows with an opponent in front of the net.

What few people know is that Mr. Burke's hugely successful career in the National Hockey League was built on a strong legal foundation that continues to play an important role in how he views the sports world and his place in it.

"There is very little in my job that my law degree didn't directly provide valuable skills and background [for]," the Harvard Law School grad said.

Read the rest here - Link

Karen Francis who posts at MVN also has a post at Hockeytalk.biz covering the first quarter of the season

The Ducks had a slow start to the season, going 4-7-2 in October. Part of this had to do to roster changes. Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne pondered official retirement. Dustin Penner was signed by the Edmonton Oilers as a restricted free agent. Mathieu Schneider, who was signed to potentially take Niedermayer’s place was out with a broken bone in his ankle. Todd Bertuzzi was in and out of the line up with various injuries. Andy McDonald had a rotating door for linemates, none of whom seemed to click. The Ducks started off in London, England, a mere eight time zones away from home after only a short off-season that followed winning the Stanley Cup in June. All of these little things added up to be big things.

Read the rest of this great post here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Saturday and Sunday Pt. 2 - The rest of the story

I've got the latest update on Scott Niedermayer, rumors and a few other interesting items for you today.  Enjoy!

Scott gearing up to make a decision

Ducks General Manager Brian Burke said Scott Niedermayer hasn't given him a deadline on whether he'll indeed retire or return to the team in light of a report out of Canada that said the former team captain will decide on his playing future well before Christmas.
Burke said he spoke with Niedermayer before Saturday's game at Phoenix and said the defenseman remains indecisive. Niedermayer continues to be suspended by the team so that his $6.75-million annual salary won't count against the cap.

"I've heard about it," Burke said of the TSN website report. "I'm going to call him again over the next couple of days and see what he's thinking. He has not told me about any deadline. He told TSN about it."

Read the rest here - Link

A little more on Schneider's shootout thoughts

Defenseman Mathieu Schneider, asked by the L.A. Times what he thought when Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle put him in a shoot-out Thursday: "Don't fan on it. I thought he was kidding at first, to tell you the truth. Mike Babcock never had confidence in me. I showed him."

(Schneids, who scored the decisive shoot-out goal in a 2-1 win over Columbus, was joshing Babcock.)

Read the rest here - Link

AnaheimDucks.info has an update on Getzlaf and Scott Niedermayer rumors

The second rumor, FAR more likely in my eyes, is that Getzlaf is close to signing an extension with the Ducks. This would be smart by Burke, to lock Getzlaf up as soon as possible for three reasons:

Read the rest here - Link

Want to win  a Ducks road trip?  Welk resorts is giving one away - Link

Burke wants to mix more things up in the NHL

Brian Burke is trying to promote movement in the National Hockey League.

Three executives told Sun Media yesterday the Anaheim Ducks president/general manager has asked NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly to study a proposal that would allow teams to pick up a portion of a player's contract to help facilitate trades.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Thursday

Well its time for another round of news on our Anaheim Ducks.  I've got news on a possible trade, interviews with some of your Ducks and some other interesting news.

Trade Rumors abound via MVN

The past two Ducks games have seen numerous scouts in attendance. On Monday, there were scouts from seventeen different teams - Tampa Bay, Carolina, Vancouver, Chicago, Minnesota, Calgary, Columbus, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Boston, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Florida and Atlanta. The sudden surge in scouts came the day after Jean-Sebastien Giguere came off the injured reserve list and returned to his duties in goal.

On Wednesday night, the same scouts were there, with the exception of Calgary. Toronto and Dallas were also represented and Boston had a second scout in attendance. It has also been reported that there has been an unusual number of scouts at the Portland Pirates games as well.

Read the rest here - Link

A new episode of the Duck Cast featuring Drew Miller - Link

Video highlights of last nights game via TSN - Link

See a video with his new Easton Stealth S17 Hockey Stick - Link

Watch the intro and you get to see some photos of Getzy, then click Watch the Ellipse and Select Ryan.  It's a short little video where he shows off some of his talent.

Jim Rome interviews Pronger and a news reports about last night

A nice article on George Parros

There are moments, fleeting as they may be, that a fighter by trade treasures.
Winger George Parros, the Ducks' heavyweight enforcer, picked up a few extra shifts Wednesday night against Nashville and took full advantage.
It wasn't the usual suspects such as Ryan Getzlaf or Andy McDonald who set up the game-winning play in the 3-1 victory. It was Parros. And it didn't involve beating up anyone. He moved his 6-foot-5, 229-pound frame up ice as fast as he could and centered a pass to Petteri Wirtanen, who finished the play to score in his first NHL game.
"It's fun to be in the mix," Parros said Thursday. "You get a chance to get into the game. We realized we were going to get a couple more shifts and we knew something was coming."

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register has a nice story on the checking line

They are referred to simply as the checking line or the shutdown line. Nothing flashier has stuck.

Usually when a line is as uniquely effective as the Ducks' trio of Rob Niedermayer, Samuel Pahlsson and Travis Moen, a nickname is in order. New Jersey had The Crash Line in the 1990s and Detroit had The Grind Line in the early 2000s.

They haven't been together long enough to join that noted list, but it's safe to call them the glue of the Ducks, whose turnaround from a 1-3-1 start has, not surprisingly, coincided with the return of the third line.

The Ducks have won three of their past four games with the Niedermayer-Pahlsson-Moen line intact, a stretch that has underlined the line's importance to the club.

While the top two lines have been mixed and matched because of injuries to Todd Marchant and Todd Bertuzzi and the absence of Teemu Selanne, the third line has again been the one constant.

Read the rest here - Link

Ross McKeon has a look at the Ducks to date

The season-opening road trip to London is in the rearview mirror. Championship rings have been awarded. The Stanley Cup banner was raised to the roof with all the appropriate pomp and circumstance afforded a first-time California champ.

Still uncertain are the status of two of the team's biggest stars – defenseman Scott Niedermayer and dynamic right wing Teemu Selanne. Both reside within a slapshot of the Honda Center, yet continue to ponder the temptation to retire on top. Those decisions could linger.

Rehabilitation from injuries and new bumps and bruises are an everyday problem, but general manager Brian Burke won't allow those to be excuses.

And no one is going to feel sorry for the Anaheim Ducks. They've got the big shiny trophy that everyone wants, and now they're a marked team.

"We've been patted on the back for 2½ to three months," coach Randy Carlyle said. "We had to get back to doing some of the things and recognizing that the process was much more difficult than the result."

Read the rest here - Link

Duck Fans and the Ducks do some good

Regina Tan, 8, rode on the Zamboni machine on the Honda Center ice Wednesday at the Ducks-Predators game.

Then she went back to her front-row seat, sporting a pink Ducks jersey signed by the whole team.

"The Duck gave me a jersey!" she cried to her mother, running down the aisles after the "The Duck," mascot Wild Wing, presented her with the signed memorabilia.

She also wore a black-and-red knit cap – hiding the bald patches on her head.

It was an extended and tenuous social net that prompted a Yorba Linda man to give his center-ice seats to Wednesday's game to Regina, a girl he never met or knew existed until a few weeks ago.

"She's a Ducks fan," said Don Seaman of Yorba Linda. "I've got five seats on the glass and I've got seats in Row 'B' as well. I said, 'Why don't I give the tickets to Regina? I'm going to pull a few strings.' This is just something very small I can do for her."

Seaman has been a Ducks season-ticket holder since the team's inception. After nearly 15 years of devotion to a hockey team, most people wouldn't give away their rinkside seats to a stranger.

Read the rest here - Link

Brian Burke gets a new role

FASTHockey, the Web's leading resource for amateur hockey content and player recruiting, today announced that longtime National Hockey League executive Brian Burke has joined its Strategic Advisory Board. In his role, Burke will assist the company in forging relationships that will extend FASTHockey's reach among governing bodies, leagues, teams and players.

Currently the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, Burke becomes the latest NHL figure to join the Advisory Board. He brings more than 30 years of experience in professional and elite amateur hockey to the FASTHockey advisory board.

"FASTHockey is filling a real need in the hockey community, creating a clearinghouse for amateur hockey content, as well as recruiting tools for players and coaches," said Burke. "I am excited to join the strategic advisory board because I believe that FASTHockey can dramatically improve the quality and fun of amateur hockey for players, coaches and fans around the world."

Read the rest here - Link

Win a Loft by attending Ducks games

Fans attending a regular season home game can enter for a chance to win a Stadium loft decorated by J.S Giguere
There are two ways to win:

• At the game: Find the “golden ticket” in the Ducks Digest.
• Visit Stadium Lofts on the corner of Katella/State College, take a tour and be entered. One fan from each game and one from the Stadium Lofts tour will be brought back on Fan Appreciation Night (April 6 vs. Phoenix) to take a shot from half ice to win the Stadium Loft decorated by J.S. Giguere.

Call 877- WILD WING for more information.

Tuesday News

Today's news coverage is on the Duck/Red Wings rivalry, Brian Burke interviews, stuff to buy and Stanley Cup news.

Official Ducks preview of the Red Wings vs Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks are eagerly awaiting the return of No. 1 goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere. In his absence, they appear to have a pair of capable replacements.

Fresh off splitting their first two games in England, the Ducks continue their stretch of games away from home Wednesday night when they face the Detroit Red Wings in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals.

Anaheim began defense of its first Stanley Cup championship Saturday with a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings as the NHL opened its season outside North America for the fourth time.

The Ducks rebounded Sunday with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Kings as Corey Perry scored a pair of goals in support of Jonas Hiller, who made 22 saves in his NHL debut.

"We competed hard in both hockey games, so we've got some wear and tear in our bodies," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "But our mental focus was good."

Hiller got the nod on Sunday after regular backup Ilya Bryzgalov gave up three goals on 23 shots in Saturday's loss.

Although Bryzgalov took the loss Saturday, he has proven to be a more than solid backup the past two seasons. Bryzgalov is 24-21-0 with a 2.49 goals-against average in 61 games with Anaheim.

Giguere missed the first two games while he continues to recover from sports hernia surgery. He hopes to be ready to play either Wednesday, Friday at Columbus or Saturday at Pittsburgh.

The Ducks already have logged a lot of travel and won't raise their Stanley Cup banner at home until Oct. 10 against Boston.

"It's their home opener, so it's gonna be pretty difficult," Ducks captain Chris Pronger said. "We're pretty well adjusted now (to London time). And now you have to readjust the other way."

Giguere isn't the only key player missing from Anaheim's lineup. Defenseman Scott Niedermayer and right wing Teemu Selanne are still undecided on their playing futures, and checking forward Samuel Pahlsson is also recovering from sports hernia surgery.

Defenseman Mathieu Schneider, who spent the past 3 1/2 seasons with Detroit, is still out with a broken ankle and won't face his former team.

Detroit won its sixth straight division title in 2006-07, tying Buffalo with a league-best 113 points.

After defeating Calgary and San Jose in six games in each of the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Red Wings were eliminated in six games by Anaheim in the conference finals.

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register has a look at the Ducks vs. Red Wings

Ducks, Detroit renew rivalry

The Ducks expect to encounter an extremely motivated group of Red Wings when the teams face off at Joe Louis Arena for the first time since last season's Western Conference finals.

By DAN WOOD

The Orange County Register

DETROIT -- Less than a minute remained in the third period of Game 5 of last season's Western Conference finals at Joe Louis Arena.

Down a goal to the Detroit Red Wings, the Ducks seemingly needed a miracle.

Displaying the uncanny flair for the dramatic that makes him a sure-fire Hall of Fame choice someday, Scott Niedermayer provided exactly that. He banked a 6-on-4, power-play goal off the stick of perennial Norris Trophy-winning Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom with 47.3 seconds left.

In overtime, Teemu Selanne, exhibiting the magic goal-scoring touch that first began torching NHL goaltenders in 1992, took advantage of a turnover forced by linemate Andy McDonald. Selanne drew goalie Dominik Hasek into a full sprawl and popped the water bottle atop the net for the winning goal 11:57 into OT.

Suddenly, the Ducks had an improbable 2-1 victory, a 3-2 series lead, and the next thing anyone knew, they were skating the Stanley Cup around Honda Center.

It might be simplistic to say that any one game in a sequence of 21 was thedefining moment, especially when 12 of the Ducks' 16 postseason victories came by one goal. But that is understandably the view from Detroit.

"You realize how close you were," Red Wings center Kris Draper told Detroit-area reporters. "You don't forget things, especially the way Game 5 ended. I still kind of see that puck hitting Nick's stick and kind of going above the crossbar and dropping in, obviously losing in overtime, the flurry at the end of Game 6, almost putting ourselves in a situation to force a Game 7.

"Those are things you're always going to remember. You realize how close you were to taking the next step and putting yourself in the Stanley Cup Finals."

The Ducks expect to face exactly such a determined mindset Wednesday night, when the teams reunite at Joe Louis Arena. While the Ducks already have played two regular-season games, splitting last weekend's set with the Kings in London by identical 4-1 scores, the Red Wings will celebrate opening night.

"We know Detroit is oozing to get back at us," Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger said.

Read the rest here - Link

An article on how Burke builds his teams

Brian Burke laughs at the idea that is so widely shared in the N.H.L. that it qualifies as a cliché. Burke, the idea goes, builds his teams in his own image. After all, his Anaheim Ducks — as his Vancouver Canucks once were — are feisty bordering on bellicose, a phrase that should headline Burke’s résumé.

Skip to next paragraph

His Ducks reflect his preference for speed and toughness. They do not back down from fights; in fact, they frequently start them.

Burke sits atop the hockey world these days, as general manager of the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks, who began the season over the weekend by splitting two games against Los Angeles in London.

Burke could bask in the championship glow and feed the cliché, except that one of his other qualities is blunt honesty, which prompts him to poke his own holes in the analogy.

“Everyone says to me that you’re building your team in your own image, but whoever says that never saw me play,” Burke said. “I was such a marginal pro at the American Hockey League level. That’s why I went to law school.”

Burke laughed as he sat back in his chair in his office at the Honda Center in Anaheim one afternoon before a Ducks preseason game. An untied necktie hung around his neck, having surrendered to the force of his personality.

The 52-year-old Burke long ago built his reputation with that personality, having spent 19 seasons in the N.H.L. He is entering his 10th season as a general manager, and also spent five as the director of hockey operations for the league.

Read the rest here - Link

Another article on Burke via Sportsnet

It would have been disastrous for the Ducks to start the season 0-2 but Randy Carlyle made all the right moves.

I admire Randy Carlyle for how seriously he reacted to losing the first game of the NHL season. The Anaheim Ducks have begun the year hammered by key injuries and no-shows and their head coach is coaching like it's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final to avoid a disastrous start.
Leaving England at 0-2-0 was not an option given what's at stake this week, home openers in Detroit on Wednesday, Columbus on Friday and Pittsburgh on Saturday.
His team didn't look very good in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at the 02 Arena in London. What does he do? He switches goalies, giving Swiss League star Jonas Hiller his first career start over Ilya Bryzgalov. What does Hiller do? He looked splendid in turning away 22 of 23 shots in Sunday's 4-1 win by Anaheim.
Carlyle also switched his top two forward lines, breaking up Todd Bertuzzi and Ryan Getzlaf after having the pair together for most of training camp, pre-season and Saturday's first game. Getzlaf was reunited with Corey Perry on a line with Chris Kunitz and they combined for three goals Sunday.

Read the rest here - Link

One more on Burke from the Globe and Mail

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The request, from NHL headquarters, came last winter. Would Brian Burke — the volatile, larger-than-life general manager of the Anaheim Ducks — keep a diary of his moves leading up to the trading deadline and then publish the account in USA Today?

The idea was to bring fans behind the scenes for February's annual rush for reinforcements, one of the most anticipated moments of the NHL season. Dutifully, Burke agreed — and mindful of his colleagues, was careful to delete any and all references to players that didn't move, for fear of compromising their relationships with their holdover teams.

Even so, it made compelling reading: How he traded a regular, Shane O'Brien, for a first-round pick, in the hopes of flipping it again, to get added depth up front for the playoff run — and the frustration that he had in coming up short, in one overture after another. It was just what the league needed — powerful positive publicity at a time when it is still trying to get a foothold in the U.S. market after the devastating effects of the lockout.

And of course, his colleagues hated it.

That's Burke though — in the buttoned-down universe of NHL managers, he is out there, selling, promoting and otherwise doing what he can to get the game front and centre, all the while trying to bring home a winner, and not worrying too much about any feathers he may ruffle.

In the six years he spent as general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, he turned a franchise with a minimal season-ticket base coming off a last-place finish in the Pacific Division into a winner — both on and off the ice. When he joined the Ducks, they were in the midst of an ownership change — from the Disney Corporation to the Samueli Family. Season-ticket numbers were at their lowest since the early days and the Ducks were an afterthought in Orange County.

Read the rest here - Link

Stuff You Should Buy

The 6 Disc DVD Collectionis out and is available for $37.49 at Amazon - Link

Anaheim Ducks 2008 Calendar - Link

Donald Duck Bobble head - Just Kidding, but yeah it is still available - Link

The Keepers of the Cup get coverage of their favorite experiences with the cup and some pics of your favorite Ducks.

The Stanley Cup is always accompanied by a handler, one of several who rotate, and is supplied by the Hockey Hall of Fame. On the surface, being 'keeper of the Cup' is the greatest job in the world, but underneath that shiny veneer, it truly is one of the great unheralded jobs -- too many nights with no sleep, too many meals eaten on the fly racing through the airport to make a connecting flight, and extended travel that takes the keeper away from family and friends over long periods of time. Yet, there's not a hockey fan we've met yet who wouldn't trade his or her soul for the chance to accompany the greatest trophy in sport — the Stanley Cup.

* * *

Mike Bolt spends almost as much time with the Stanley Cup as the NHL's championship team. Crisscrossing the continent, Mike ensures that the rights and privileges that accompany winners of the Stanley Cup are both enjoyed and upheld, doing so in a firm yet most entertaining way. Loved by both players and management, Bolt is a hockey fan first and foremost, but treats his job with the seriousness it demands. Even NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman once took him aside and said, "You've got an awesome job."

Born and raised in Toronto, Mike dreamed of one day hoisting the Stanley Cup just like every other hockey-playing youngster. After all, the Leaside area in which he grew up was rich in hockey heritage -- former Maple Leafs George Armstrong, Carl Brewer, Bob Davidson and Cal Gardner all called the area home. But life took a different turn early on, as Mike's career saw him managing a cowboy boot and western wear store. It wasn't until 1995, when he joined the Hockey Hall of Fame working on special events and as a guest services associate, that the path veered back towards hockey. Mike's first foray with the Stanley Cup was a quick jaunt down the street from the Hockey Hall of Fame to the studios of the CBC, Canada's public broadcaster, in 1997.

Read the rest here - Link

The Stanley Cup Visits Maine

The Portland Pirates, the proud AHL affiliate of the Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks, announced today the team's plans for Opening Weekend on Friday, October 5th and Saturday, October 6th. The plan includes the arrival of the Stanley Cup, great giveaways, a ticket plan and great entertainment all weekend.

The Pirates first two games of the 2007-2008 season will feature an Opening Weekend ticket package where fans can get tickets to both games for the price of one. Fans that buy one ticket to Friday's game at full price will receive one ticket to Saturday's game free. To take advantage of this money saving offer, fans must purchase tickets before Thursday, October 4th. Individual tickets for all Pirates home games will go on sale Saturday, September 29th at 10:00 a.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
Opening weekend will include numerous events and giveaways surrounding the celebration of the Anaheim Ducks capturing the Stanley Cup this past spring.

On Friday the Pirates will open the 2007-08 season against the Springfield Falcons (Edmonton Oilers) at 7:05 p.m. Plans for Opening Night include a magnetic schedule giveaway sponsored by New England Credit Consultants. During the game the videoboard will feature highlights from the Anaheim Ducks championship playoff run.

Saturday marks the arrival of the Stanley Cup to Maine. It will be the first time since 2003 that the Cup has come to Portland. During the day the Pirates will provide an opportunity for fans from all over the state of Maine to view take pictures and celebrate the Stanley Cup in Maine. A schedule of appearances leads up to the Pirates game versus the Lowell Devils (New Jersey Devils) at the Cumberland County Civic Center at 7:05 p.m. The pre-game events at the Civic Center will also include a performance from the band WEATHERD, an acoustic, pop, rock style band that is appealing to all ages. Plus, the first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive Duck Calls courtesy of Ducks Unlimited.

The Pirates will celebrate the Anaheim Ducks Championship with a full schedule of events throughout the day. Transportation for the Stanley Cup will be provided by Lilly's Limousine. The schedule for the day is below:
Saturday, October 6th
Androscoggin Bank Colisee (Lewiston, ME)
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (Appearance by Governor Baldacci)
L.L.Bean (Freeport, ME)
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Portland Museum of Art (Portland, ME)
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Barbara Bush Children's Hospital (Portland, ME)
1:45 p.m.– 2:30 p.m.
Cumberland County Civic Center (Portland, ME)
5:15 p.m.
The Stanley Cup is the most famous trophy in the sports world. The Cup was first presented in 1893 and is the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes. The historic trophy has logged more than 400,000 miles in travel during the past five seasons and raised more than $4 million for charity during the past three seasons. After winning the Stanley Cup, each winning player and team management member gets to have the Cup for a day to share with family and friends. The Stanley Cup weighs 35 pounds and stands just under three feet in height.

Visit the Portland Pirates here - 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 2 Miscellaneous News and Analysis

So I am leaving the London news for last.  Can you feel the anticipation building?  I've got some cool stuff for that post.  However here is all other non Bertuzzi, non London related news.

Ask Sevy has is being advertised again. So if you have a Hockey question, here is your chance!

Got a question about the Ducks or the game of hockey in general? You can send an email to Ducks radio analyst Brent Severyn and he'll give you an answer. He might read your question and answer it on the air during the second intermission of a Ducks broadcast.
CLICK HERE TO ASK SEVY!

See the original post here - Link

So you create a game where a person can play as a hockey GM.  How do you promote it?  By scoring and interview with Jennifer Burke and challenging her and her husband Brian Burke to a game.

See the 5 minute (funny) video here - Link

Buy the game here - Link

USA Today has a "What to watch for this season in NHL" article today and the Ducks get some coverage

Three reasons the Ducks could repeat as Stanley Cup champions. 1. Even without Scott Niedermayer, the Ducks, with Mathieu Schneider added, have one of the league's better defenses. 2. No other team can match Anaheim's blend of talent and toughness. 3. This team understands what's required to win it all.

Three reasons the Ducks probably won't repeat: 1. The Ducks are banged up. Samuel Pahlsson, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Schneider all are starting on the injured list. 2. Teemu Selanne has unofficially retired, and his eternal optimism and jovial demeanor will be missed. Even at the most pressure-filled times, Selanne could keep his teammates loose. 3. This is the salary-cap era, and there's too much parity to allow for any hint of dynastic rule.

Most improved teams: 1. Philadelphia Flyers. 2. Los Angeles Kings. 3. Washington Capitals.

Better than you realize: The Florida Panthers. Nathan Horton and Jay Bouwmeester are coming of age, and newcomer Tomas Vokoun brings stability in net. When you add the bullishness and talent of Olli Jokinen, you have the picture of a playoff team.

Read the rest here - Link

TSN cover the top 20 rookies in the NHL, Bobby Ryan is on that list

Bobby Ryan, RW, Anaheim - Power forward taken with the second pick in 2005 has earned a spot with the defending champs and is currently working with Ryan Getzlaf and Todd Bertuzzi on a potent power line.  There's no telling how long Ryan will last in a prominent scoring role with the Ducks (particularly if Teemu Selanne was to return), but he had 102 points in the OHL last year, so he knows what to do around the net.

Read about the other rookies here - Link

The LA Times thinks the Ducks have what it takes to repeat and thoughts on will make it to the playoffs from the Western Conference

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alex Ovechkin, two talented forwards who play in the Eastern Conference, have been on the fast track to becoming the faces of the new NHL for a while now.
And rightfully so, based on their early success.
But news flash to the league: The Western Conference has a bunch of young phenoms too, starting with the Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, Colorado's Paul Stastny and the Kings' Anze Kopitar.
Throughout the west, every team seems to have a youngster with enough size and skill to dominate offensively and enough grit to be known as a solid two-way player. How quickly they develop will go a long way toward determining who wins the Western Conference this season.
The Ducks hold the distinction as defending Stanley Cup champions, but for them to become the conference's first repeat winner since the Dallas Stars in 1999-2000, they are going to have to hold off several Cup-ready teams.
The San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings thought they were ready last season and are determined to take the next step this season. Colorado, Vancouver, Minnesota and Calgary believe this could be their time, while teams such as St. Louis, Dallas and even the Kings, think that they are good enough to surprise.

Read the rest here - Link

The LA Times also have a brief scouting report on the Ducks

2006-07 record: 48-20-14, 110 points, first in Pacific.
* Playoffs: Defeated Minnesota, 4-1, in first round; defeated Vancouver, 4-1, in second round; defeated Detroit, 4-2, in Western Conference finals; defeated Ottawa, 4-1, in Stanley Cup finals.
* Coach: Randy Carlyle, third season.
* Additions: Todd Bertuzzi, Shane Hnidy, Maxim Kondratiev, Mathieu Schneider, Jonas Hiller, Brandon Segal, Bobby Ryan, Mark Mowers.
* Subtractions: Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Dustin Penner, Ric Jackman, Ryan Shannon, Mark Hartigan, Shawn Thornton.
* Outlook: And now they are the target. The rough-and-tumble Ducks started fast, survived a spate of injuries and rode a postseason wave that culminated in their first title. Now they must defend without Niedermayer and Selanne, who may call it quits for good. Schneider and Bertuzzi can put up numbers when healthy but can they replace the dynamic duo's leadership?

See the original article here - Link

The Stanley Cup visits Maine

The most famous trophy in all of sports, the Stanley Cup, will make an appearance in Maine.
The Anaheim Ducks, who won 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, will bring the trophy to Maine Saturday, Oct. 6. The NHL Ducks’ are the parent team of the AHL Portland Pirates, who open their season against the Springfield Falcons at 7:05 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5.
Fans hoping to see the Cup will have several opportunities to do so Saturday, Oct. 6. The Cup will appear at five different locations, where fans can view the trophy. The tour starts from 9-10 a.m. at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, home of the Lewiston Maineiacs. From there, the Cup heads to L.L. Bean from 11 a.m.-noon, then to the Portland Museum of Art from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and finally to Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital from 1:45-2:30 p.m.
The Cup will end up at the Cumberland County Civic Center at 5:15 p.m. prior to the start of the Pirates game at 7:05 p.m. against Lowell.

Thanks to Maine Today for the info - Link

Burke gets interviewed by the BBC

Extratime: Brian Burke

Brian Burke

In an Extratime programme first broadcast on Friday 21st September 2007, Rob Bonnet talks to the manager of the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey team, Brian Burke.

Click here to watch the interview

A week before the new NHL ice hockey season begins in the US, Extratime talks to one of the most outspoken managers in the competition.

In June 2007 Brian Burke led the once-unfancied Anaheim Ducks to win ice hockey's greatest prize, the Stanley Cup.

Burke makes no apologies for his team's combative style and says he looks for "pugnacity, truculence, belligerence, hostility and testosterone" in his players.

Why does he describe ice hockey as "the most exciting sport in the world, and the fastest sport without an engine"?

HARDtalk can be seen on BBC World at 03:30h GMT (not Asia), 08:30h GMT, 14:30h GMT, 20:30h GMT, 23:30h GMT (not Asia)

It can also be seen on BBC News 24 at 0430 and 2330.

See the article here - Link

The News Part 2 - Training Camp and Everything Else

So training camp has been going on for a week and we have some players who are not quite ready for the show.  I also have other news and analysis, events and one more fun picture.

The Ducks send some players to back to the minors.

The Ducks announced today that they have made the following roster moves:
Assigned to Portland Pirates (AHL) Training Camp:     
Bobby Bolt – Left Wing
Joe Callahan – Defenseman
Stephen Dixon – Center
Andrew Ebbett – Center
Brett Festerling – Defenseman
Shane Hynes – Right Wing
Matt Keith – Right Wing
Mike Hoffman – Right Wing
Dan LaCouture – Left Wing
Jean-Philippe Levasseur – Goaltender 
Brendan Mikkelson - Defenseman
Brian Salcido – Defenseman
Nathan Saunders – Defenseman
Clay Wilson – Left Wing
Assigned to junior team:
Matt Beleskey – Left Wing (Belleville/OHL)
Maxime Macenauer – Center (Rouyn-Noranda/QMJHL)
Eric Tangradi – Center (Belleville/OHL)

Released from pro tryout:
Tyler Bouck – Center
Anaheim now has 31 players remaining on its 2007 Training Camp Roster – 17 forwards, 10 defensemen and four goaltenders.

See the original article here - Link

Get a chance to meat the team...... for $225

Wine enthusiasts and die-hard Ducks fans will gather on October 12^th at The Cannery in Newport Beach to celebrate the 2007 Ducks Stanley Cup victory and to toast the start of the new season alongside the 2007-08 Ducks players at Meet the Team presented by OC Post.  At the scenic restaurant located on the Rhine Channel, Meet the Team presented by OC Post will feature an exclusive wine tasting in which guests will enjoy an evening socializing with the entire Ducks roster, coaches and management staff while tasting a variety of wines which are specially paired with an assortment of delicious hors d'oeuvres created by The Cannery’s nationally recognized Executive Chef, Felix Salcedo.

Read the rest here - Link

Earl Sleek over at BOC has a humorous look at the Ducks situation

Schneidermayer (noun) – a term used to refer to defenseman Mathieu Schneider in a situation where he is signed to replace the minutes of retirement-muller Scott Niedermayer.
LockoUK (noun) – a collective scheme by players to utilize whatever means necessary (surgery, injury, or possible retirement) to avoid taking intercontinental flights for regular season games in London.
I’ve been under the weather the past couple of days, but fortunately, there hasn’t been a terrible amount of Ducks news to report. Anaheim is 2-1-1 through four games this preseason, but hasn’t played a full-lineup game to really evaluate.

Read the rest here - Link

Burke get interviewed by Cam Cole

VANCOUVER — You know the kind of blissful summer that follows a Stanley Cup victory — hectic, in a good way? Things rolling along smoother, somehow, because everyone is fulfilled, and looking forward to the challenge of working together again toward the same goal. One, big happy, committed family?
Brian Burke didn’t have one of those summers. He probably wouldn’t know what to do with it if he had.
“If I complain about anything that happened this summer, someone should throw something heavy at me,” the Anaheim Ducks’ general manager said this week.
“We have no right to complain. It’s been a magical summer, it’s what we all dream about in this business. There’s been some bumps, but I’ll take the bumps. If we win again and it means more bumps, I’ll take those, too.”
Bumps, such as …
Well, all Burke lost was his most accomplished player — Conn Smythe Trophy winner and four-time Stanley Cup-winning defenceman Scott Niedermayer — and his leading scorer, Teemu Selanne, to retirement. We think.
And his second-leading goal man, Dustin Penner, to an absurd five-year, $21.25-million U.S. offer from Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe, whom Burke proceeded to call, not to put too fine a point on it, a back-stabbing sneak thief desperate to save his own sorry butt.
For the direct quote — well-rehearsed, by now — we refer you to the visiting GM’s box at GM Place, prior to Monday’s half-roster scrimmage against the Vancouver Canucks.
“I think the fans should understand, I don’t object to losing a player via an offer sheet. That’s part of the CBA,” Burke said.
“My objection is the amount of money they committed on two offer sheets (including an unsuccessful seven-year, $50-million whopper to Buffalo’s Thomas Vanek) and I think they adversely affected 30 teams including their own. And that’s the stupidity of it, from my perspective. The sheer stupidity of the two offer sheets, in my mind, comes from a general manager who is fighting desperately to justify his own existence.”
But surely, a fellow noted, the Oilers have to overpay to get free agents to play in Edmonton, which some skeptics stubbornly refuse to concede is the Paris of the prairies.
“I don’t buy that,” Burke said. “I think Edmonton is one of the great hockey cities, not just in Canada, not just in North America, but in the world. I think players would be proud to play there. I think they just don’t want to play for the current regime.”

Read the rest here - Link

Here is a great picture thanks to SCPIX.com's flickr photostream

See more picture here - Link

Busy News Day - Part 1, The Stanley Cup

So there is a lot of news today so I am breaking up tonight's post into multiple parts. This post is all about the Stanley Cup.  The Stanley Cup Journal was updated.  Unfortunately the Cup Keepers Photo Blog was not.  There was also some more on the Cup summer with the Ducks and Carlyle's day with the cup (they also discussed with Burke other Ducks news).

Stanley Cup Journal's update featuring Bob Murray.

There's a lot to be said for consistency, and Bob Murray practically defines the word.

Drafted by the Chicago in 1978, Murray spent his entire career — all 1,008 games — in the red, black and white of the Black Hawks. A tireless worker and a fearless leader on the ice, Bob brought those same attributes to the organization when he was appointed a scout for the Hawks after hanging up the skates for good in 1990. A year later, he was Chicago's Director of Player Personnel, and by 1995, Bob was the club's assistant general manager. During the summer of 1997, Murray was promoted to general manager, a role he held for two years. In all, Bob spent 28 years with the Chicago organization.

After a one-year stint Anaheim, Bob worked with the Vancouver Canucks from 1999 to 2005. In July 2005, Murray returned to Anaheim, hired as the Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations.

Bob met the Stanley Cup at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Saturday, September 1. It was the first time Murray had contributed to a Stanley Cup championship, although in 2005, he had watched both the NHL Ducks and their AHL affiliate in Portland go to the conference final.

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More on Carlyle's day with the cup and a discussion of other topics

This might tell you something about Randy Carlyle.

The Anaheim Ducks coach had the Stanley Cup for two days in mid-August and arranged for two public appearances with the Grail. His first stop was the Edgar LeClair Community Centre in his hometown of Azilda, Ont., a building Carlyle helped construct 178 years ago when he was a teenager.

There, some 2,000 people lined up to have their picture taken with Carlyle and the Cup. This is noteworthy because there aren't 2,000 people in Azilda.

Azilda, we hasten to add, was also the more glamourous stop on Carlyle's summer victory tour. The next came in Rockville, near his summer home on Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay, where 1,000 or so locals queued up to visit with Stanley.

Carlyle is asked about Rockville's population.

"Maybe 35," he says.

He's then asked what taking the Stanley Cup to those two outposts meant to him.

"It allowed me to share that success with friends and family," says Carlyle.

That, at least, was the meaning this summer. As of Sept. 29, when the Ducks open their season in London freaking England, it will take on a slightly different dimension.

Read the rest here - Link

The Ducks Summer with Stanley retold by Jeff Miller at the OC Register.

He speaks French and lives in Canada, but he sang the English words of an Australian band.

Being a champion can bring a man to tears, move him to make out with a trophy and even convince him that he can rock. Sadly, though, carrying a puck and carrying a tune are wholly unrelated.

Not that Francois Beauchemin was, in the most technical sense, actually singing.

"I was just yelling," the Ducks defenseman said. "I had a couple too many that night. That always helps."

Particularly when drinking from a cup that is nearly 3 feet tall.

Anaheim's professional ice hockey team has returned to work, preparing to defend its NHL title, putting behind it a whirlwind of love, a summer during which players were celebrated, decorated and, yes, occasionally saturated.

They partied on both sides of the Atlantic, on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border and on both sides of midnight. They received proclamations from cities, had their jerseys retired and, in the extreme case of Chris Pronger, had their entrances announced by bagpipers.

The Ducks pretty much covered it all, from Sean O'Donnell taking the Stanley Cup to Ottawa to meet Canada's prime minister to George Parros taking the Cup to New Jersey to have lunch at Cluck-U Chicken.

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The Stanley Cup visits Peters Canyon Elementary School

Everyone wanted to see and touch "Stanley" when he stopped by Peter's Canyon Elementary.

That's because "Stanley," as it was nicknamed during the visit, is one of the oldest and most revered trophies in professional sports – the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup.

The family of Todd Marchant, a center for the champion Anaheim Ducks, played show-and-tell on Friday by taking the 35-pound trophy inside classrooms.

"This is a famous hockey trophy," 5-year-old Timothy Marchant told a class. "My dad won it."

Timothy, 9-year-old Lilli and 7-year-old Ashley, children of Todd and Caroline Marchant, all attend Peters Canyon. The three rolled the trophy on its case into most of the school's classrooms, including kindergarten classes.

"Wow," the kindergarteners said as the shiny silver trophy rolled in.

Mike Bolt, the keeper of the cup for the hockey hall of fame in Toronto, watched to make sure the trophy was safe. He explained to students what the trophy represents.

Read the rest here - Link