Anaheim Ducks News For Friday

Vote for the Ducks win as the biggest story in 2007 at the OC Register - Link

The Ducks share stories of Christmas Past and Present

Brian Sutherby
I usually like the Griswolds in “Christmas Vacation.” That’s probably one that I make sure I watch every year. It’s a pretty funny movie. Another one that I’ve started watching is “Elf” with Will Ferrell. That’s also a pretty good one.
George Parros
I think “A Christmas Story” is pretty classic. I just grew up with it. It’s always fun to watch little Ralphie.

Travis Moen
I remember as a kid getting a GT racer that was pretty exciting. I always like clothes and those have been some good gifts over the years, but the GT racer sticks out in my mind as a little kid getting that and going out on the snow hill.
George Parros
I got Greyskull Castle one year for He-Man and I was pretty pumped about that back in the day.

Read the rest here - Link

O'Donnell is happy that he did not get traded

"But it is still kind of stressful at the time. . . . It was the first time I was in that type of situation. I mean you hear rumors all the time and you hear your name in rumors all the time, but they are usually speculation.
"This was different. They had to do something to clear space. You look around the room and you just weren't sure who it was going to be."

Read the rest here - Link

Bobby Ryan gets profiled

The first pick that year was Sidney Crosby, and it’s unfair to compare the two. Crosby was a once-in-a-generation prospect; Ryan, Brian Burke’s first pick as Ducks GM, was a project, and Burke knew it.

But Burke deemed Ryan the best player available, and he fit Burke’s power-forward profile at 6-foot-2, 218 pounds.

While Crosby became the NHL’s brightest star, Ryan spent the past two seasons working on his game and his body.

Read the rest here - Link

Four reasons for the trade by TSN

There are fairly obvious reasons why the St. Louis Blues traded Doug Weight to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Andy McDonald.

McDonald is six years younger than Weight, he's got more offensive upside (even though McDonald is way off his usual pace this season) and is under contract for another season after this one while Weight is an unrestricted free agent who wasn't likely to be re-signed

Read the rest here - Link

Evidently the Ducks are not special enough

The Ducks are hoping Scott Niedermayer will be the boost they need to win another Stanley Cup.

The Anaheim Ducks are hoping that the return of All-Star defenseman Scott Niedermayer is the catalyst to another Stanley Cup run. But before they worry about who they’ll be playing in April, the Ducks have some serious problems -- mostly on special teams -- that need fixing now.
A year ago, the Ducks entered the weekend before Christmas with a lordly 27-4-1-5 record; their 60 points were 10 more than Eastern Conference-leading Buffalo. Anaheim’s 134 goals were the most in the NHL (only Buffalo was within 15), and its 87 goals against (including the five shootout goals) was seventh. Most notably, the Ducks were plus-22 on special teams, having scored 44 power-play goals, allowed just 25 and scored three shorthanded goals while allowing none.

Read the rest here - Link

More on how cool Drew Miller is

Drew Miller is a rookie for the Ducks, even though he has his name on the Stanley Cup. He debuted with the Ducks during the playoffs last spring, playing three games with the team. He got his first NHL goal and point on October 17 against Nashville. He has been scoring points off the ice as well, just by being himself.

Haili Todrick loves her teddy bears, Hannah Montana and hockey. At the Fan Fest, she had most of the Ducks players sign the bear with the Stanley Cup Champions jersey on it. One Duck took a little more time with Haili. He took the bear and gave it a BIG hug, smiled and said, "It's so cute! Can I keep it?" Of course she said no.

Read the rest here - Link

More on the CHOC visit

On Thursday, the entire Ducks team visited CHOC for their annual Christmas visit. All of the Ducks players arrived at CHOC and were split up amongst the different floors. Some wore Santa hats, others wore reindeer antlers. They all wore grins and were happy to visit the children and take their minds off their illnesses, if only for a short period of time. The Ducks also handed out Wild Winger Kid’s Club kits that had been donated by fans. Close to 1,500 kits had been donated, which meant that CHOC could distribute them not only to their in-patients, but also to their out-patients as well. That is the first time they have been able to do that, thanks to the generosity of Ducks fans. In addition to the kits, the Ducks distributed blankets courtesy of Hockey Fights Cancer. Especially fitting on the oncology ward.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Tuesday

Nearly all of today's links cover's Scott Niedermayer and a few other things. So here you go!

Scott Niedermayer doubtful for Wednesday

Back home from a three-game road trip, the Ducks and their returning former captain, Scott Niedermayer, finally got the chance to get reacquainted on Tuesday.
In an optional day of practice at Honda Center, Niedermayer took to the ice with teammates Jonas Hiller, Kent Huskins, Brad May, Drew Miller, Geoff Platt, Brian Sutherby and recent call-up Bruno St. Jacques.
It was the first time the Conn Smythe Trophy winner has had the chance to skate at Honda Center or practice with any of his teammates since announcing his plans to return. The Ducks departed for the road the morning of Dec. 6, around the same time Niedermayer practiced for the first time at Anaheim Ice.

Read the rest here - Link

Scott Niedermayer made  an appearance on Ducks Calls (December 10) - Link

Stanley Cup to appear in Tournament of Roses parade and some repetitive coverage of Scott's possibilities to play on Wednesday - Link

Drew Miller makes a kid feel very special (and vice versa)

Back in October I attended the "Face Off Fest" with my wife and our two children(Aiden, 8 and Haili, 7) We had two goals... Get my 06/07 Jersey signed by as many of the Players who's names are on the cup as possible and, possibly more importantly, get the same players to sign my daughter’s Teddy Bear(who wears a Stanley Cup Champs T-shirt). This endeavor was VERY successful, with many memorable conversations with players, But one encounter left a lasting impression on my daughter, Haili.
When Haili handed the bear to Drew Miller he gave it a BIG hug smiled and said "It's so cute! Can I keep it?" Haili gave an emphatic "No" Drew looked over at Andy Mac who told him "No man, you can't keep the bear" we all had a good laugh and Drew promptly signed the bear, gave it another hug and gave it back. We really thought nothing of it at the time... Little did we know how much Drew's playful banter had meant to Haili.
Fast forward to November.

Read the rest at the allducks.com message boards. - Link

Girl with a Puck has a great new round up including news on the State of the Franchise event

... is coming your way, January 8th! Sweet. I've got to start coming up with some questions to pick the brains of Brian Burke (Sleek, here's your chance!), Coach Randy Carlyle, and the unnamed players who will be in attendance.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Thursday - Non Game News

So here is everything not related to the game.  The Ducks have the next podcast interview featuring Corey Perry, Drew Miller gets profiled in the OC Register, a preview of Carlyle's breaking up of the Pahlsson line, and a few other things.....

Duck Cast featuring an interview with Corey Perry - Link

Ducks have a new game notes feature, check it out here - Link

The OC Register has a great profile on Drew Miller

The Ducks had just lost, their third consecutive loss, and one of them was crying.

And not just a little bit. Drew Miller was sobbing, buried in the arms of the team's head trainer, Tim Clark.

It was only the first week of October, just five games into the new season. The Ducks hadn't even played at home yet.

Crying?

Miller had joined the team in Pittsburgh that morning, recalled from the minors because of injury. It was just his fourth career NHL game.

Crying?

It was a tough loss, sure, 5-4, the Penguins scoring twice in 19 seconds of the third period.

But crying?

The scene in the visiting locker room was so extreme a few of the Ducks thought Miller was joking.

Soon, they found out he wasn't. This week, they found out more about the forward with the hands of a rookie but the grip of a veteran.

"A lot of people do things for one or two days or do one or two events a year," Angela Howard says. "They all say the right things. But Drew's different. He lives it."

Read the rest here - Link

The Sporting News has a look at the Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks really hope their second month as defending Stanley Cup champions goes better than their first.

The Ducks (4-7-2) will try to snap a four-game skid and avenge a shutout loss earlier this season to Columbus when they meet the streaking Blue Jackets (7-3-1) on Thursday night at the Honda Center.

The Ducks already have matched their longest losing streak from last season, which ended with them being the first California-based team to win the Stanley Cup. Anaheim hasn't lost five in a row since an eight-game slide from Nov. 3-20, 2005.

Fatigue and injuries could be why the Ducks have gotten off to a rocky start. They opened with a two-game set in London, goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere has played in just five games following offseason sports hernia surgery, and veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider is recovering from a broken foot and has yet to make his debut as a replacement for Conn Smythe Trophy winner Scott Niedermayer.

Forward Ryan Getzlaf has missed three straight games with an injured wrist and hard-nosed right wing Todd Bertuzzi has sat out six straight due to a concussion.

Anaheim also is winless in six road games, and in fourth place in the Pacific Division with just 10 points. Perhaps the only good news for the Ducks is they're only three points behind first-place San Jose.

Read the rest here - Link

Coverage of Carlyle breaking up the checking line (game note - this changed in the latter part of tonights game)

The checking line of Samuel Pahlsson, Rob Niedermayer and Travis Moen, which proved itself an imposing presence for the Ducks in the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, might be disbanded -- at least for one game.
Moen skated with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on Wednesday and Coach Randy Carlyle said he might use that new line Thursday night against Columbus. Rookie Drew Miller filled Moen's spot on the checking line.

"We're going to explore all our options and that's one of them," Carlyle said. "Read into it whatever you will. If it stays that way, it might stay that way for one shift, two shifts, 10 shifts. It could be that way for the rest of the year."
Carlyle also said his line combinations aren't set in stone. But the Niedermayer-Pahlsson-Moen trio has been together the longest under his tenure.
"That's not an easy decision to make, to take that line apart," Carlyle said.
Niedermayer said he planned to play after sitting the last three games because of a groin strain. Getzlaf will be back after sitting out two games because of a sprained wrist.

Read the rest here - Link

Earl from BOC has a look at the start of the season for the Pacific Division, a hilarious graphic and pays my blog a great a compliment by mentioning my blog in the same breath as Kukla's Korner (Thanks!).

I know my Ducks writing of late has been pretty pessimistic in nature, so I thought today I'd talk about one positive about the Ducks' crummy start to the season: at least it didn't happen last year. To illustrate, here's the 5 Pacific teams and their start thus far, along with how they started last season in the same number of games:
1. San Jose Sharks 12 GP, 6-5-1 (.542), 13 pts. 29 GF, 28 GA. PP 17.5%, PK 88.1%
Start of Last Year 12 GP 8-4-0 (.667), 16 pts. 40 GF, 28 GA. PP 28.0%, PK 85.9%
Key Metrics: Pts down 19%, GF down 28%, GA even, PP down 11%, PK up 2%
2. Dallas Stars 12 GP, 5-5-2 (.500), 12 pts. 33 GF, 33 GA. PP 19.2%, PK 87.0%
Start of Last Year 12 GP, 10-2-0 (.833), 20 pts. 38 GF, 22 GA. PP 15.7%, PK 89.5%
Key Metrics: Pts down 40%, GF up 15%, GA up 50%, PP down 4%, PK up 3%

Read the rest here - Link

Trade speculation at The Fourth Period

As the Ducks struggle to score goals, GM Brian Burke is finding it difficult to pull the trigger on a move, reports the Los Angeles Times.

"You look at the paucity of trades in the NHL. It's cap-related," Burke told the paper. "It's hard to make deals now in this system. If you look at the number of deals in a cap system, it's down dramatically from three and four years ago.

"When you're talking to everybody about a deal, it's not only got to line up for your money, it's got to line up for his money too. It's not just us having a hard time making a deal. It's everybody.

Read the rest here - Link

More trade speculation over at AnaheimDucks.info

First of all, this rumor comes from my own friend, a Caps fan who often follows the team on road games and hangs with some Washington players. It shouldn’t be taken as any more than that; my friend wouldn’t qualify as any kind of professional source. While sharing drinks with Matt Pettinger, he was told that Matt thinks Ducks’ GM Brian Burke is looking to acquire him. How would he know this? Who knows. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, hehe.

Read the rest here - Link

A couple of articles on the Junior Ducks (Portland Pirates)

The Portland Pirates made a couple of roster moves on Thursday as they reassigned Bobby Bolt and Ryan Dingle to the Augusta Lynx, Portland ECHL affiliate.

Bolt, 20, has yet to play a game for the Pirates this season after suffering a hand fracture during a pre-season game against Manchester.

Selected in the 5th round (127 overall) of the 2005 Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks, he played five games with the Pirates in 2006-07, scoring two points (1G,1A). In 62 games with the Kingston Frontenacs, he scored 22 goals, 28 assists from 50 points.

Dingle, 23, played seven games with the Pirates this season season, scoring two points (2A). Last season, Dingle played four games with the Pirates after finishing his junior season with the University of Denver.

Read the rest here - Link

Portland Pirates do some charity work

Jason King, Colby Ames (age 3), Tyler Bouck, Brendan Segal and Clay Wilson

Portland, Maine - Today the Portland Pirates team visited the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland. The players were involved in the annual Halloween parade as part of the Halloween celebration at the hospital. During the appearance, the Pirates players handed out candy, signed autographs and took photos with the kids at the hospital.
Today marked just one of the many visits the team will make to the hospital this year. Later this season, the Pirates will host "A Day of Hockey" on February 24th at the Cumberland County Civic Center as the Pirates host the Norfolk Admirals (Tampa Bay Lightning) at 4:05 p.m. This will be the fourth year in a row the Pirates have held an event to benefit the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center.

See the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Sunday

Today's news has multiple previews of tonight's game and a couple of interviews with Drew Miller.  Also according to the LA Times Getzy's wrist has shown improvement and he hopes to play tonight.  Rob Niedermayer will stil be out.  Enjoy!

AP Preview

As a rookie, Dustin Penner helped the Anaheim Ducks to the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history last season. They haven't fared nearly as well without him.

For the first time since signing with the Edmonton Oilers in the offseason, Penner returns to Anaheim on Sunday night to face his former club.

Penner had 29 goals and 16 assists during the regular season in 2006-07, and added three goals and five assists in the postseason during the Ducks' title run. But Anaheim chose not to match Edmonton's five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet to Penner, paving the way for the Ducks' second-leading scorer to join the Oilers.

The move triggered an ugly public spat between Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe and Anaheim counterpart Brian Burke. Lowe said he thinks Burke overreacted when the Oilers offered the big contract, and doesn't plan on speaking to Burke during Sunday's game.

"In some respects, Brian has tried to make it personal. But I'm not going to comment on that publicly," Lowe said Saturday. "He's certainly entitled to say what he wants to say. But there's people in this business who feel that any news is good news for the National Hockey League, and I think Brian subscribes to that theory."

Anaheim's title defense has gotten off to a rocky start. The Ducks (4-7-1) are near the bottom of the league as they're averaging 2.08 goals per game. They've also totaled only three goals during a three-game losing streak - one shy of their season-high from last season.

"I think the biggest thing is for us not to panic and start pointing fingers," Anaheim defenseman Chris Pronger said. "We're all making mistakes out there. It's a fine line between winning and losing. Those little mistakes we're making are costing us games."

Read the rest here - Link

If your interested in the Burke-Lowe rivalry, read these articles  - Link or this one Link

A nice profile on Drew Miller

Every day in the NHL is important for a young developing player such as the Ducks' Drew Miller, but today's home game against the Edmonton Oilers has special meaning for the winger.
All 30 teams are recognizing one home game in October as Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night and the Ducks are doing their part tonight to raise money to benefit the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

But 23-year-old Miller already has a long history with his work in that area. During his sophomore and junior seasons at Michigan State, the winger started a program called Spartan Buddies, in which many of the school's student-athletes made visits to children in the hospital.
The program has continued after Miller left school to turn pro.
"It started catching on and people really wanted to be a part of it," Miller said. "It's really grown into a pretty good little program."
Miller first visited cancer-stricken youngsters in Omaha when he was 17 and playing Tier 1 junior hockey for the River City Lancers of the United States Hockey League.
"The first time I went, I really enjoyed it," he said. "To give back and just be around the kids, to see what they were going through and how happy they were when someone came to visit them. It really brightened up their day."

Read the rest here - Link

Another profile on Drew Miller

When Drew Miller got sent back down to the minors toward the end of Ducks training camp, he figured he might not see much more of the NHL.

The Ducks had nearly a full complement of forwards, so there wasn't much of a need for a skinny left winger such as Miller.

"I was prepared to be down there for a while," Miller said.

How quickly things can change in the NHL.

Not only is Miller back with the Ducks, he has played a vital role filling in for injured Rob Niedermayer on the club's vaunted checking line with Samuel Pahlsson and Travis Moen.

Miller acknowledged that it feels good for the coaching staff to hand him that responsibility after he failed to earn a roster spot in training camp.

"I'm in the mindset knowing I have to be at a certain level everyday and contribute in the lineup," he said.

Coach Randy Carlyle said Miller's training camp was "not very good," particularly considering the expectations he has for the 23-year-old. Carlyle envisions the 6-foot-2, 170-pound Miller as a gritty player who can handle the grind minutes.

Miller, a three-year Michigan State player who earned CCHA's Best Defensive Forward his senior year, had 16 goals and 20 assists in his first pro season with AHL-affiliate Portland last season.

Read the rest here - Link

Other Ducks News

Here is the rest of the days news.

An article on Drew Miller from the LA Times

Upon being sent to the Ducks' minor-league affiliate at Portland, Maine, in the final days of training camp, rookie Drew Miller was told by team officials to find a place to live.
The young winger didn't spend much time in his rented home. Two weeks later, Miller was packing his bags again, this time joining the Ducks in Pittsburgh.

Not that he's complaining about being on the move.
"If it means I can stay, I don't mind," the 23-year-old said after Tuesday's practice at Scottrade Center. "What every player wants is to be told to get a place. But I'm not too worried about that right now. I'm just happy to be here. I don't mind staying in a hotel."
Because of injuries at forward, Miller was recalled Oct. 6 after failing to win a roster spot out of training camp. He has one point in four games but that point was his first NHL goal in a 3-1 victory over Nashville last week.
Miller established himself as an all-around player in three seasons at Michigan State, where nine other members of his family played hockey, including older brother, Ryan, of the Buffalo Sabres.

Read the rest here - Link

Jonas Hiller sent to the AHL via AnaheimDucks.com

The Ducks announced on Tuesday that they have assigned goaltender Jonas Hiller to the Portland Pirates, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Hiller, 25 (2/12/82), has appeared in two games for Anaheim this season, posting a 1-1-0 record with a 3.03 goals-against average (GAA) and .885 save percentage (SV%). He secured his first NHL win in his NHL debut, stopping 22-of-23 shots in Anaheim’s 4-1 victory over Los Angeles on Sept. 30 in London, England (NHL Premiere). 

Signed as a free agent on May 25, 2007, the 6-2, 196-pound goaltender spent the 2006-07 season with Davos of the Swiss National League. The Felben Wellhausen, Switzerland native posted a 28-16-0 record in 44 appearances with a 2.60 GAA.  In addition, he helped Davos to both Swiss National League and Spengler Cup championships, while also being voted Best Goalie in the Swiss League.  In 141 career Swiss National League appearances, Hiller owned an 80-52-10 record with 16 shutouts and a 2.53 GAA.

Ducks Weekly Report has been posted

THE ROAD HOME: Following tonight’s game in St. Louis, the Anaheim Ducks will return to Orange County for a three-game homestand that begins Thursday, Oct. 25 against the Phoenix Coyotes (7:05 p.m.).  The homestand also features visits by the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, Oct. 28 (5:05 p.m.) and Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, Nov. 1 (7:05 p.m.).

RANKED: Among National Hockey League leaders, center Ryan Getzlaf is currently tied for 14th in points scored (10) and left wing Chris Kunitz is tied for third in power play goals (3)...defenseman Chris Pronger is tied for second in power play assists (5) and tied for fourth in scoring among NHL defensemen (7).

SUNDAY’S SPECIAL NIGHT: The Anaheim Ducks will join all NHL teams by hosting Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night this Sunday, Oct. 28 when they play the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center (5:05 p.m.).  As part of the 10th Anniversary celebration, the Ducks join a league-wide initiative in honoring Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month by devoting a home game in the month of October to raising awareness and funds for fighting cancer, benefiting the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. In honor of bringing a heightened awareness to cancer, Ducks executive management members, coaches and broadcasters will wear commemorative pink ties for Sunday evening’s game.  In addition, in support of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all NHL players have been wearing pink Hockey Fights Cancer decals on their helmets throughout the month.  As Sunday’s contest marks the Ducks final game in the month of October, players will autograph their helmets post-game and will be auctioned online at anaheimducks.com, with proceeds benefiting the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.
As a part of Sunday’s game, a special member of the Anaheim Ducks/Honda Center family will be honored as a community hero during Sunday’s game.  Mike O’Donnell, who served as Honda Center’s Senior Vice President and General Manger and spent 14 years with the arena, will be recognized and remembered. After a three year battle with cancer, O’Donnell passed away in August, 2007.  A booth will be located on the main concourse level for donations to the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, where O’Donnell received his care.  Representatives from the Norris Center will also be interviewed during the game on the Ducks radio broadcast, raising awareness for cancer research.

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.

Morning News

Here is the morning news:

Stanley Cup Journal has been updated with Drew Millers day with the cup - Link

A Ducks Dynasty? Some thoughts from Ryan Eletto of Sportshubla - Link

Jason King will be playing with the Pirates next season - Link

Tales of the Cup

Penner is going home and Miller had his day:

Penner

Akron Beacon Journal - Link

Slam Sports - Link

Miller

The State News - Link

Mike Bolt - The Keeper of the Cup - Link

Sunday Morning Links

Another article on the Ducks UFA and retirement issues. This time from the LA Times. Unfortunately it also cover the Kings so skip the 2/3 of the article. Link

The Stanley Cup visits Minnesota with Ryan Carter. Here are a bunch of links covering his visit.

Link

Link

Link with video

The Stanley Cup will be visiting Lansing, Michingan on July 5 with Drew Miller. He is a former Spartan. The cup will be visiting Sparrow Hospital, no other stops were noted in the short article. Link