Anaheim Ducks News for Thursday - One More thing....

Ducks tough guy George Parros loses the locks for a good cause

George Parros has lost the hair but his fists are still flying.

The Anaheim Ducks tough guy, second in the NHL with 11 fighting majors, had his trademark long locks chopped off last weekend in what has become a yearly tradition.

For the fifth year in a row he donated the hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization south of the border that provides hair pieces to financially disadvantaged children experiencing medical hair loss. Most of the time it's children battling cancer.

Read the rest here - Link

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 Monday

Well shockingly enough most of today's news covers Scott's return and the associated trade. Ryan Carter is back from the AHL. My thought's on Ryan Carter's return is that Samuel Pahlsson's injury is more severe and he will be out a few games or more. Todd Marchant will move up to center the checking line and Carter will center the 4th line. Now that is a pure guess. It could be we found a trade for Marchant and we are filling that role. However, I do not think it has to do with any trades as we are so close to the Christmas deadline. There is also a bunch of misc. news that I will put up front because I am bored with all of the Scott Niedermayer news.

More coverage on Parros donating his hair

Since the start of his professional career, Parros has been growing his hair long so he can donate it to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children experiencing medical hair loss. Parros, alongside Ducks Kids Club members and season seat holders, cut the minimum of 10 inches of hair it takes to create a Locks of Love hairpiece. Professional hairstylists from TríKo Salon in Newport Beach were on hand volunteering to cut hair.

Read the rest here - Link

See the pics here - Link

Watch the Ducks and Win

Presented by the Orange County Register

Watch the December 30 game on KDOC and during the telecast, three (3) clues will be given about the “mystery player” of the game. Once you have gathered all the clues, simply log onto the OC Register website to enter the name of the mystery player and you could be a winner!

A Grand Prize Winner will receive an Authentic Team Autographed Ducks Jersey! Plus, 25 Runner Up winners will receive an Anaheim Ducks Prize Pack.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Ducks will be visiting CHOC

The Club’s Entire Roster Will be on Hand to Greet Patients and Distribute Donated Kids Club Kits

The Ducks will make their annual holiday visit to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in Orange on Thursday, Dec. 20 from 2-4 p.m. The entire Ducks roster will be in attendance in an effort to brighten the season for patients and their families who will receive ongoing care at CHOC during the holidays.

“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 Recall Ryan Carter

The Ducks announced on Monday that they have recalled center Ryan Carter from the Portland Pirates, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Carter, 24 (8/3/83), has appeared in six regular season games with the Ducks this season (scoreless). Now in his third stint with Anaheim in 2007-08, Carter made his NHL regular season debut on Sept. 30 against the Los Angeles Kings in London, England

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register takes a look at the Duck's penalty problems...again

It's safe to say that no one else around the NHL is shedding any tears for the Ducks, who gladly cultivated a rough-and-tumble image all the way to last season's Stanley Cup championship.

The reputation gained in the process might be coming back to haunt them now.

Primarily because of their own lack of focus and undisciplined play, the Ducks lead the NHL with an average of 20.2 penalty minutes per game and have been short-handed a whopping 201 times, far more than any other team in the league and 41 more times than the Ducks have gone on the power play.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducksblog takes a look at the Scott's return

Skating with former Ducks and New Jersey Devils teammate Jeff Friesen and an assortment of far less accomplished mates, nearly all of whom were simply out for a mid-day workout and undoubtedly thrilled to be on the same sheet of ice with a former Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Niedermayer played it very close to the vest. Rarely did he carry the puck for any length of time and hardly ever did he take a shot. Surely, the last thing he wanted was anyone to think he was “showing off.” Anyone who knows Niedermayer would be certain of that.

Read the rest here - Link

OC Register takes a look at future of this season

Then the Ducks unwrapped themselves as the defending Stanley Cup champions.

For the first time in this 35-game-old season.

And you thought Christmas took a long time to arrive?

Your calendar is a liar today, folks. Opening night actually was Sunday at Honda Center, the night Scott Niedermayer returned and the Ducks finally were as close as they'll ever be to being themselves again.

Read the rest here - Link

The Canadian Press has a look at the Ducks

The trade finally happened. Their superstar defenceman has returned. Now it's time for the Anaheim Ducks to start winning some games.

"We feel with the addition of Scott Niedermayer back into our lineup and the change we've had to make, that it's given us a little shot in the arm," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle told The Canadian Press on Monday.

"We're feeling better about ourselves today than we did five days ago."

Read the rest here - Link\

National Post take a look at the McDonald trade

Scott Niedermayer's return from semi-retirement set off a salary-induced chain reaction last week with the Anaheim Ducks, whose stalled Stanley Cup defence will now look to two players who began their careers before Sidney Crosby began grade school.

General manager Brian Burke had to carve into his payroll to find space for Niedermayer, the 34-year-old defenceman, and ended up trading Anaheim's longest-serving player to a Western Conference rival. Centre Andy McDonald was shipped to the St. Louis Blues for a prospect, a draft pick and Doug Weight, an ageing 36-year-old forward who has struggled at times to generate offence this season.

Read the rest here - Link

The LA Times has a look at Weight

"It's great to have a role and be singled out in it," said Weight, who'll center the second scoring line with Ryan and Todd Bertuzzi. "I know what I've got to do. I've got two pretty darn good players playing with me right now and some great defensemen. This is team that's got a lot of confidence."
Weight said he has been excited for the last two days since learning that he might get traded to Anaheim after it became clear that he wouldn't be part of the youth movement transpiring under Coach Andy Murray in St. Louis.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Sunday Morning

George got his hair cut and a look at what Scott and Doug Weight bring to the table is what's in this edition.

George get a new look.... :)

Photo via the Daily Pilot

Newport Beach stylist Vincent Vu, who owns the Triko Salon on Birch Street, had the honor of cutting Parros’ hair. As he worked, the crowd applauded and took pictures — which probably amounted to the second-most adulation Parros got this year. In June, the Ducks won the Stanley Cup for the first time.

Read the rest here - Link

OC Register Analysis of Scott and Doug

If this revised edition of the Ducks that includes returning star defenseman Scott Niedermayer, newly acquired center Doug Weight and just-recalled rookie winger Bobby Ryan isn't markedly better than the group that has meandered to a 15-15-4 record to this point, the defending Stanley Cup champions won't be around to defend their title come playoff time.

Read the rest here - Link

LA Times Analysis of Scott and Doug

Niedermayer said it is up to them to fulfill their potential.
"Things on paper translate sometimes and sometimes they don't," he said. "Our job is to try and make that translate into good things on the ice. That really has to be our focus. It looks good, but let's get out there and play well and do our jobs."
The Ducks are giving Bobby Ryan another shot as they recalled the onetime No. 2 overall pick from the Portland Pirates, their minor league team in Maine.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Thursday

Well, I've the usual Niedermayer news coverage plus a nice article on Andy McDonald, the latest Duck Cast featuring Geoff Platt and a few other interesting tidbits.

Duck Cast featuring Geoff Platt - Link

George is getting his hair cut this weekend - Link

A profile on McDonald

Although Andy McDonald may not have known until the last minute he was going to break the Ducks record for consecutive games played on Tuesday night, the record is still meaningful to him, considering how he got to the mark.

McDonald played in his 276th straight game Wednesday night, breaking Samuel Pahlsson's record.

Previous to starting the streak of 276 straight games, a good chunk of McDonald’s 2002-03 season was derailed by a concussion. Rebounding from that injury is how the new Ducks record started for McDonald, which makes the achievement more important than it would have been otherwise to the veteran center.

Read the rest here - Link

MVN covers Thursday's Practice

Scott Niedermayer got his first full practice in with the Ducks on Thursday, complete with all the barking by coach Randy Carlyle. Although the rest of the team practiced about an hour, Niedermayer remained on the ice with George Parros, Geoff Platt, Bruno St. Jacques and Jonas Hiller for at least another half an hour. After practice Niedermayer said, “I feel pretty good so far. I’m just going to keep working as hard as I can on and off the ice and get ready as soon as I can.” When asked if he would be ready to play on Friday night against the Minnesota Wild, he said “I would be ready.”

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks coverage of Scott's return to the team

While Niedermayer skated with six of his teammates on Tuesday and took part in pre-game workouts before last night’s game against Vancouver, Thursday was the first chance he had to simulate game situations, something the Conn Smythe Trophy winner said was important in getting mentally prepared for his return to the ice.

Read the rest here - Link

Another profile on Scott Niedermayer

Typical millionaire athletes do not drive to games in a Toyota Prius, car-pooling with their baby brother. They do not lend their time and celebrity to a conservation project and, most certainly, do not walk away from $13.5 million in salary.

So, Anaheim Duck defenceman Scott Niedermayer is not your typical millionaire athlete, which is why the 34-year-old will probably make a seamless comeback from "retirement," possibly starting tonight against the Vancouver Canucks.

Read the rest here - Link

OC Register coverage of Scott Niedermayer

A day off in between games equated to another day of waiting for the Ducks to activate Scott Niedermayer.

Niedermayer went through another practice with his teammates Thursday and ended the session still a non-roster player until the Ducks clear room for their former captain. That would involve trading a player, and all heads were accounted for at the team's morning skate at Honda Center.

Read the rest here - Link

Press Enterprise Coverage

The cavalry hasn't come to the rescue yet. But it's in the building, and for the Ducks that's room enough for optimism.

Scott Niedermayer did not suit up for Wednesday night's game against Vancouver. Part of the reason was that morning was the first and only time he has skated with the full team in anything resembling a practice.

The other part is that technically Niedermayer still isn't a member of the active roster, nor will he be until General Manager Brian Burke sheds $900,000 or so to satisfy salary-cap restrictions. Presuming Burke can make a deal in the next 48 hours, it's realistic to assume Niedermayer would make his season debut Friday against Minnesota.

Read the rest here - Link

LA Times Coverage

"Scotty is a special player," Carlyle said. "He could go away [from hockey] for four or five years and then come back and put the skates on and he'd be ready. That's how effortless a skater he is."
For Niedermayer to play, the Ducks must make a trade to create enough salary-cap room. Trade speculation has centered on defensemenMathieu Schneider and Sean O'Donnell, and center Todd Marchant, but as of late Thursday the Ducks had still not made a deal.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Sunday - Non Game News

So not much to say, I've got coverage of the current status of the Ducks, Mowers was shipped off to Europe and some more player news.  I will start off with the funniest thing which was video the Parros and Getzlaf did while playing golf.

Parros and Getzlaf have fun golfing

 

Mowers is shipped off to Europe

The Ducks announced on Friday that they have assigned center Mark Mowers to SC Bern of the Swiss National League.
Mowers, 33 (2/16/74), appeared in 17 games for Anaheim this season, scoring a goal (1-0=1) with eight penalty minutes (PIM).  The 5-11, 174-pound center spent the 2006-07 season with the Boston Bruins, scoring 5-12=17 points with 26 PIM in 78 games played. He set numerous career highs with the Bruins last season, including goals, assists, points, PIM, games played and average TOI (12:00).

Read the rest here - Link

A profile on Getzlaf

Having all ready lost the services of one young, talented skater, the Anaheim Ducks didn't want to take another chance.

On November 20, the Ducks locked up 22-year-old Ryan Getzlaf with a five-year contract extension that begins next season and runs through the 2012-13 season.
This helps the Ducks avoid a repeat situation of what happened with Dustin Penner. Penner, of course, became a restricted free agent after Anaheim won the Stanley Cup last year, and was signed to an offer sheet of five years at over $21 million by the Edmonton Oilers.

Read the rest here - Link

Sutherby was surprised by the trade

Hockey players are paid to read and react, but Edmonton native Brian Sutherby says he never saw it coming -- that he was suddenly expendable as a member of the Washington Capitals.

"I'd never been a healthy scratch in the NHL," said the 25-year-old winger, who got dealt to the Anaheim Ducks -- the only NHLer who has traded teams in the first two months of the season -- for a second-round draft pick in 2009.

"I only played two of seven exhibtions, had a goal and a fight ... I thought I did everything I could," said Sutherby, who had worn an 'A' on his jersey.

Read the rest here - Link

Stanley Cup hangover?

A "huge list of possibilities" exists for why the Ducks find themselves mired in mediocrity a third of the way through the NHL regular season.

"I have lots of ideas," Coach Randy Carlyle said Saturday as the Ducks prepared for a game tonight against the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center.

Friday's 5-1 loss at Edmonton was just the latest head-scratcher for the Ducks, who appeared to be in solid position, tied 1-1, before giving up two goals in the final minute of the second period and then falling completely apart in the third.

Read the rest here - Link

Inconsistency.... Argh!

As the the Ducks head into tonight's second game of a home-and-home with the Edmonton Oilers, it's becoming harder to figure out which team is going to appear.
The recent three-game trip to western Canada was emblematic of their wildly inconsistent ways.
Are the Ducks the team that efficiently handled an injury-plagued Calgary team, or are they the team that collapsed at the first sign of trouble against Edmonton and Vancouver?
Maybe both.

Read the rest here - Link

Monday News - A whole lot of news for you!

So, here I was thinking that Monday would be a slow news day and I could relax a little bit.  Boy was I wrong.  Well I have coverage of the Ducks return to Anaheim, an update on Giggy and Pahlsson, info on the Ducks banner raising and a whole lot of other interesting articles. So here you go!

Ducks injury update via MVN

The Ducks did not have a full practice today at the Honda Center. They went through an off-ice workout only, with the exception of Jean-Sebastian Giguere, Sami Pahlsson and Travis Moen. Those three did skate on the ice. Moen apparently broke his nose after being hit hard in the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He did not play against the Penguins, but is fine at this point and will be on the ice on Wednesday night.

Pahlsson and Giguere are both recovering from sports hernia surgery - Pahlsson’s was on September 5 and Giguere’s was on August 6. They continue to get closer to coming off the injured reserve and are listed as “possible” for Wednesday’s home opener against the Boston Bruins.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks are going to raise the Championship banner on Wednesday

Festivities Begin at 6:45 p.m.; Fans in Attendance Will Receive Mini Replica Championship Banners

The 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks will open their regular season home schedule at Honda Center on Wednesday, Oct. 10 vs. Boston.  Opening night will include pre-game festivities beginning at 6:45 p.m. for the standing-room only crowd in attendance.  Fans will watch as the 2007 Stanley Cup, Western Conference and Pacific Division champion banners are raised to the Honda Center ceiling, with the opening face-off taking place following the conclusion of a very special pre-game ceremony.

“We’re hoping every fan will be in their seat at 6:45 p.m. to witness this incredible sports moment in Southern California history,” said Ducks Executive VP/COO and Anaheim Arena Management President/CEO Tim Ryan.  “We’re expecting a standing-room only crowd and would like to encourage fans to arrive early so they don’t miss a second of the special ceremonies planned.”

Prior to the commencement of pre-game ceremonies, Ducks players, coaches and executives along with sponsors, VIP’s and premium seat holders will walk down a red carpet entrance into Honda Center on the southeast corner of the building.  Fans are encouraged to arrive early to cheer on the players as they enter the building before suiting up for the game. Players should start arriving around 4:30 p.m., but getting to the arena before that time might help.

Read the rest here - Link

Duck Notes from the official site

HOME, AT LAST: After a 13-day road trip that made stops in London, Detroit, Columbus and Pittsburgh, the Anaheim Ducks now prepare for their 2007-08 home opener against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday...the 2007 Stanley Cup Championship banner will be raised prior to the game, with festivities beginning at 6:45 p.m…the Ducks finished the road swing with a 1-3-1 record, earning points on Sept. 30 vs. Los Angeles (W, 4-1) and Oct. 3 at Detroit (SOL, 3-2)...Anaheim and Boston did not play during the 2006-07 regular season...their most recent game was Jan. 16, 2006 when the Bruins earned a 4-3 win in overtime at FleetCenter...Boston's last appearance in Anaheim was on Oct. 19, 2003 when the Bruins skated to a similar 4-3 overtime victory.

DUCKS SELLOUT STREAK CONTINUES:  A standing-room-only crowd will be on hand Wednesday as the Ducks play the first of 40 regular season games at Honda Center this year (one “home” game in England)…it will mark the club’s 35^th consecutive sellout (23 regular season plus 12 playoff games)…the Ducks capped season ticket sales at 15,000 this past August and have started a waiting list for future orders…the Ducks recorded 25 total sellouts last season, the most since the 1997-98 season…the club's average attendance (16,377) and percent capacity (95.4%) were also the highest since the 1997-98 season.

DUCKS TOUGH AT HOME: The Ducks finished the 2006-07 regular season with a home record of 26-6-9, tying the club record for home wins in a season (26-10-5 in 2005-2006)...Anaheim also went 10-2 at home in the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, clinching all four series wins at Honda Center…the club is 46-11-12 in their last 69 regular season games at Honda Center dating back to Nov. 25, 2006…the Ducks have a .681 winning percentage (89-33-33, 211 pts.) over the last 155 home games, earning at least one point in 122 of the 155 contests (19-6-8 in the last 33 home games of 2002-03 season and 19-11-11 in 2003-04)...in addition, the Ducks have not been shut out at home since March 1, 2006, a streak that has lasted 52 games…that is the third-longest streak without being shut out at home in team history (92 games, 4/9/95-10/10/97 and 54 games, 3/8/98-10/29/99).

HOME OPENERS: In 13 home openers, Anaheim has a record of 5-7-1...last season, the Ducks snapped a four-game "home-opening" losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 6, 2006 at Honda Center...prior to that four-game streak, Anaheim went unbeaten in four consecutive home openers from 1997-2000...below are the results from each home opener:

Read the rest here - Link

Road trip analysis by MVN

Having arrived late Saturday night, the Ducks are finally home. Nothing could be sweeter than sleeping on your own pillow in your own bed after having been gone for nearly two weeks, not to mention some good home cooking and family time.� The Ducks were given a day of rest on Sunday, and deservedly so after their 12,000 plus mile, five game road trip to start the season.

The first two games in London were split between the Ducks and the Kings and things did not go so well for the Ducks after that. Ilya Bryzgalov earned the Ducks a point in Detroit by keeping them in the game and making three times as many saves as Dominik Hasek had to make. The Ducks followed that up by a listless performance in Columbus that couldn’t wake them up even when the cannons kept booming to announce a Blue Jackets goal. The Ducks tried to respond in Pittsburgh and gave a much better effort and reduced their penalties as well, but the Penguins took advantage of their chances and bested them by one goal.

The results are a 1-3-1 start to the season which is a far cry from the Ducks start last year who went 12-0-4 in their first 16 games. The Ducks have played the most games of any team but finally will get a bit of a rest with only one game this week on Wednesday night. They will then have back to back games on Sunday and Monday and a third game in four nights the following Wednesday. The schedule just isn’t going to get easier for the Ducks.

The penalty kill is 73.5% successful. Clearly they are missing Sami Pahlsson’s presence. It will be interesting to see if the penalty kill improves after he returns off the injured reserve list. At this point it isn’t even remotely close to last season’s 85.1%, which was good for 4th overall in the NHL.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks Announce  a new jewelry (err fan loyalty ring) program

The Anaheim Ducks have announced a fan loyalty ring program in partnership with the Herff Jones Company of Indianapolis, Indiana that will allow fans to purchase commemorative 2007 Stanley Cup Championship rings, along with commemorative jewelry and limited edition-numbered coins celebrating the team’s championship season.

“The ring program is the perfect opportunity for Ducks fans to share in the celebration of the 2007 Stanley Cup Championship,” said Anaheim Ducks Executive VP/COO and Anaheim Arena Management President/CEO Tim Ryan. “In addition to its impressive look, the commemorative ring is a tremendous keepsake fans can be proud of.”

Steve Forell of the Herff Jones Company was selected by Anaheim Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli to design and manufacture the club’s 2007 Stanley Cup Championship rings. The rings were produced in the company’s Warwick, Rhode Island facility and will be presented to the Ducks as part of a private ceremony prior to the club’s home opener on Oct. 10 vs. the Boston Bruins (7:05 p.m.).

Fans can share in the excitement by owning an Anaheim Ducks fan version of the 2007 Stanley Cup ring, which will be available for purchase on Oct. 10 at Honda Center. That night, Ducks fans will have the opportunity to view the complete selection of jewelry items with designs featuring great moments from the team’s 2006-07 season at Honda Center.

Read the rest here - Link

OC Register Ducks blog has a few notes on the team

Amazingly enough, the Ducks found their way to Honda Center on Monday. After a grueling two-week road swing that took them to London, Detroit, Columbus and Pittsburgh, everyone still remembered the route.The only player missing was center Andy McDonald, whose wife, Gina, had gone into labor. Saying he had planned the move all along, Coach Randy Carlyle opted against holding practice, having the players go through merely an off-ice workout instead. After all the travel, and four losses, including one in overtime, on the season-opening, five-game trip, the idea was to both clear minds and give bodies a chance to heal in preparation for Wednesday night’s home opener against the Boston Bruins.

Read the rest here - Link

The Pittsburgh Penguins did a nice article on Carlyle including a mullet shot and two rare photos of him actually smiling.

Throughout his hockey career, Randy Carlyle dreamed about winning a Stanley Cup championship.

He just didn’t imagine he’d have to go to California to do it.

Carlyle, an Ontario native, saw his dreams come true last season as the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. He guided the team to its first Stanley Cup championship – 14 years after the franchise was born in the Golden State.

Randy Carlyle won a Stanley Cup championship with Anaheim last year.

“Winning the championship is something we all strive to do. I wasn’t fortunate enough to win it as a player, and I found a way to do it as a coach,” he said. “It’s just a culmination of 31 years from a playing standpoint and from a management standpoint.”

Even though Carlyle broke into the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs over the parts of two seasons (1976-77 and ’77-78), his career took off after he was traded to Pittsburgh.

The 5-foot-10 defenseman racked up 18 points combined in 94 games during his stint with the Leafs. However, he flew past that mark in his first season in Pittsburgh (1978-79) when he produced 47 points (13+34) in only 70 games.

“I was a young player who got traded from Toronto to Pittsburgh and it was probably the greatest thing that could have happened to me, as far as my career is concerned,” he said. “I was a sixth or seventh defenseman in Toronto and I got the opportunity to play in a top-four group in Pittsburgh.”

In 397 games in a Penguins uniform, Carlyle produced 323 points (66+257). He became the only Penguins player to win the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman when he claimed the award in 1981. He delivered the best statistical output of his career that season when he totaled 83 points (16+67) and 136 penalty minutes in 76 games.

“Pittsburgh is a great city. I have a child who was born there and I still have some close friends who reside there,” Carlyle said. “When I was there, we were trying to forge hockey into that community. It was great to see them have success with the Mario Lemieux Era and now they have the Sidney Crosby Era. Those fans deserve that.”

Randy Carlyle captained the Penguins and won a Norris Trophy in Pittsburgh.

Carlyle never had a chance to skate with Lemieux in Pittsburgh as he was traded to Winnipeg late in the 1983-84 season. He played nine more productive NHL seasons and finished his career with 647 points (148+499) in 1,055 games.

Read the rest here - Link

The Pittsburgh Penguins official site also had a nice article on Parros and an interview as well

Interview - Link

This summer, the Stanley Cup took up residence in California.

Yet, the legendary trophy still came to the Pittsburgh area.

Anaheim Ducks winger George Parros brought the Stanley Cup back “home” on Aug. 24 to Scenery Hill in Washington County. That’s where the 6-foot-5, 215-pound winger was born and spent the first three years of his life.

George Parros won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks last season

“I have a lot of family and friends down in Scenery Hill, which is right outside of Washington,” he said. “My uncle’s dairy farm is there and we have a ton of extended family there. My dad grew up here as well as his entire side of the family, too. We always went back and spent summers on the farm and stuff like that. So, I am no stranger to the area and we like it a lot.”

So, a huge throng of family and friends turned out at Chuck Wonsettler’s farm for a celebratory pig roast with the Stanley Cup.

“Yeah it was great. We had everybody out – it was really a good chance to get the whole family together for a big family reunion,” Parros said. “It was just a great time to have everyone there and have a little celebration and a reason to celebrate.”

Following his birth and short stay at Scenery Hill, Parros moved to Columbus, Ohio, and eventually settled in New Jersey. He attended Princeton University and had a solid four-year career with the Tigers’ hockey team.

Read the rest here - Link

Win a Honda Accord from the Ducks  and Honda -  Link

Two More Things......

According to Versus, the Ducks Players will be getting their Stanley Cup rings next Monday.

I also found a great interview of George Parros via Hockey Talk.  The interview is from before training camp when he was just trying to stay in shape and sharpen his skills - 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

Monday Evening News - Part 1 of 3

So, I took another lazy weekend off to help prepare myself for the next 8 months blogging in the regular season and of course are next Stanley Cup victory.  Because of that their is a backlog of news.  I will breakup today's post into three section.  The first section will be Stanley Cup related, the second will be focused on the Rookie camp and the third will focus on general news and the Selanne/Niedermayer retirement watch.  So thanks for checking in and here is the latest news.

Ryan Shannon, George Parros and Mike Hartigan are the subject of the latest Stanley Cup Journal update.

Ryan Shannon

First thing that morning, Ryan and his girlfriend Jessica took the Stanley Cup to the local police station, and then headed over to Body Tuning, the gym at which Ryan works out during the summer.

By 10:30, the Stanley Cup was at the Darien Ice Rink, where Ryan spent more than a few hours through the years honing his on-ice craft. Waiting there were 2,000 fans, waiting excitedly to meet Ryan and make a donation so they could get their picture taken with the Stanley Cup. Monies raised went to the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation, benefiting people in Connecticut living with spinal cord injuries. Harrington-Howes was Ryan's first hockey coach, and was paralyzed in 1997 after a swimming accident at Jones Beach in New York. The morning of autographs and photographs raised almost $6,000 for the foundation. "He (Obie) was my first house league coach," said Shannon. "When something like that happened to him, it was a tragedy, but he's still the same happy guy. He's always smiling and always encouraging people. I want nothing more than to be a role model myself just like that."

By 1:00PM, the Stanley Cup was in the Shannons' backyard, continuing the celebration. Although inclement weather threatened the party, it didn't dampen Shannon's spirit. "Nothing's going to ruin my day today!"

George Parros

With the fun continuing, George and his family took the Stanley Cup by private plane to the family farm in Washington, Pennsylvania, a city just outside Pittsburgh. Several hundred were on hand for a pig roast that featured the presence of the Stanley Cup.

Besides freshly-cooked pork and ribs so good that the juices dripped off your elbows, the feast included beans, coleslaw, cakes and pastries, all watered down with champagne and (gulp) moonshine.

George devised a plan to get the Stanley Cup into the barn so that the celebration could be a little more private. He smuggled the Cup through the house, down into the cellar, through a long, dark tunnel that extended past the back of the house and ended in the barn. Ten people, carefully selected, were waiting for George to arrive so that they could party with the Stanley Cup. The barn was filled with hay and bats, not so carefully selected, that would flutter by occasionally, scaring the cluck out of George and his friends. It wasn't long before most of the people at the pig roast had converged on the barn to see why there were extraneous hoops and hollers emanating from the supposedly empty structure.

At 2:30, a giant bonfire added a golden glint to one side of the Stanley Cup. The Parros party concluded at 4:45.

Mike Hartigan

As if there isn't enough pressure on a young player to be participating in his first-ever Stanley Cup playoffs, Mark Hartigan had the further burden of knowing his mother had suffered a relapse in her battle with cancer. Mark's Mom, Debbie, died during the Ducks' successful path to the Stanley Cup, and Mark flew home to be with his family during the first round of the playoffs. Although he spent only six games with Anaheim during the regular season, and added one more in the playoffs, Hartigan was next to celebrate with the Stanley Cup, taking it to Fort McMurray, Alberta on Saturday, August 25.

 

Mark's brother Colin hosted the Hartigan celebration at his home. After food and drinks, accompanied by many emotional toasts, the gang boarded a bus that embarked on a tour of some of the area's businesses that had meaning to Mark.

First stop was the firehall, followed by a visit to Robert Vargo at Alberta Motors, the area's largest General Motors dealership. Mark visited patients at the hospital, then stopped at the Dugout Coffee House and Youth Centre. Finally, Hartigan carried the Stanley Cup into the Thickwood Arena to show those on hand. A ball hockey tournament was in full swing, so Mark offered a photo of the winning team with the Stanley Cup, which promptly turned up the tempo several additional notches.

To wind down a busy but wonderful day, the bus took the Hartigan party back to Colin's home to settle into an all-night party for family and friends. Although the celebrating was special, the most extraordinary moments may have been a reflective time when Mark and his family took time to study the engraved names on the Stanley Cup — Taylor, Morenz, Broda, Howe, Richard, Mahovlich, Orr, Clarke, Dryden — knowing full well that within weeks, the name 'Hartigan' was going to be added to the Stanley Cup's legacy.

Read the rest of the article at the Stanley Cup Journal - Link

 

The Cup Keepers Photoblog was updated

See the rest here - Link

Colgate University Updated their flickr account with one more Andymac photo

The Stanley Cup showed up at Morton's in Costa Mesa

The Stanley Cup Visits Newport (Beach) Sports Musuem

Thanks to members of the official Ducks message board for this pointer.  Here is the description of the event from their website.

The Newport Sports Museum will be hosting Lord Stanley's Cup on Friday, September 14th from 1-3PM.  This event is open to the general public and free of charge, so bring your friends, family and camera and to see the most prestigious trophy in sports before it officially ends its tour for the year!

Housing over 10,000 authentic pieces of sports memorabilia including a Hockey collection to rival that of the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Newport Sports Museum offers the perfect backdrop for the event. In addition to seeing the Stanley Cup in person, sports fans will also be able to enjoy the Museum’s 15 themed rooms featuring artifacts that span the sports world from a baseball room with team signed balls from every World Series champion to a golf room with golf bags carried by five US Presidents.

Make plans now to come out to the Museum on September 14th from 1-3pm to see the Stanley Cup along side thousands of other unique sports treasures.

Get more info about the museum here - Link

That is it for Stanley Cup News, check back in little bit for part 2 of tonight's posts.

Saturday News

I got to go to the Fedorin cup today and that was a lot of fun.  I will post pictures and vids in another post.  In the mean time I found some video from Parros's day with the cup and a couple of articles about his visit.

Youtube video of George with the cup

A great article from the Observer-Reporter.com

SCENERY HILL - It has been at the bottom of the swimming pools of Mario Lemieux and Patrick Roy.

It has been to the Kentucky Derby, where winner Go for Gin used it as a feedbag.

It has been lost on occasion, once being left along the side of the road while the hockey players in the car stopped to change a flat tire.

It has been present in numerous bars, including a few in Washington, sat quietly in a bedroom with an amorous couple, held peanuts, oysters and clams for a party, been disassembled and reassembled a few times and has been stolen more than once.

On this hot, summer night, the Stanley Cup was on display near a smoldering pig.

The National Hockey League's most precious and unique trophy was one of about 300 guests at Chuck Wonsettler's farm Friday evening, courtesy of nephew George Parros, who is a member of the Anaheim Ducks. The friends, family and well-wishers were on hand for the pig roast and to toast Parros.

Read the rest here - Link

 

The Star-Ledger also has great coverage

The dented blue trunk looked like a relic from freshman move-ins gone by. It was covered with old airline tags and Transportation Security Administration stickers. As it made its way down the cramped hallway beneath Princeton University's Baker Rink, it was almost impossible to comprehend what was inside, hockey's most prized possession -- the Stanley Cup.

And thanks to Princeton's own George Parros, the Cup came to New Jersey yesterday.

"I kind of had this planned from that start," said Parros, who plays right wing for the NHL champion Anaheim Ducks. "Once I knew I had the chance, I knew I wanted to bring it to Delbarton and Princeton, they're both close to my heart."

As has become tradition, each member of the Stanley Cup-winning team gets to have personal possession of the Cup for one day. Parros, who graduated from Princeton in 2003 and lived in Randolph, spent a few hours chauffeuring the Cup around New Jersey.

The first stop was the Delbarton School in Morristown, where Parros played high school hockey. The Cup was on display for just over an hour for faculty, alumni and some students.

Read the rest here - Link

The Daily Record continues with their great photos and article

MORRIS, TWP. -- One of Morris County's most prestigious schools received a visit from a Randolph native and his best friend Friday.

The school: Delbarton.

The man: George Parros, former Delbarton hockey star and current NHL player.

The best friend: Lord Stanley's Cup.

Parros, who won the Stanley Cup this season with the Anaheim Ducks, arrived at 9 a.m. cradling the trophy. For two hours, the self-professed "fighter" acted more like a lover, signing autographs and posing for countless photographs.

Chatham's Mary Chambers and her son, Jack, were just two of the many greeted by Parros. Jack, 8, fully clad in Ducks gear, was "speechless" about the opportunity to meet his hero.

"(Jack) brought his pad, pen, and his hat," Mary said. "He was so excited that he even forgot his jersey and we had to go home and get it."

Delbarton's sophomore goaltender Bobby Kaminski was also excited to meet the Morris County legend, who graduated from the school in 1998. He and his neatly-dressed teammates called winning the Stanley Cup "the ultimate dream."

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News - Friday News

TGIF! Not because of the weekend but because the Stanley Cup Journal is updated with Kent Huskins and Joe DiPenta's day with Cup. George Parros had his day with the Cup today and I've got pics. I also have one more article from Ryan Shannon's day with the cup and the Ducks do good in Oxnard.

Stanley Cup Journal was updated today with Joe and Kent's day with the cup.

Joe DiPenta

The second that Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia is mentioned, hockey fans instaneously think of one person - Joe DiPenta, the first player to take the Stanley Cup there when he arrived with hockey's most cherished prize on Thursday, August 9.

Although born in Barrie, Ontario, DiPenta grew up in Cole Harbour and played his first hockey there. When it came time to make his plans for the Stanley Cup, there was no doubt where Joe was going to take it.

Joe fretted for several days, struggling with sleep as he worried about his day with the Cup. "I just worried that something was going to happen, that the flight was delayed or something and the Cup wouldn't show up on time."

All went as planned. The Stanley Cup arrived in Halifax late on Wednesday, August 8. Halifax International Airport is quite a bit north of the Nova Scotia capital, and it took almost half an hour to drive from the airport.

Kent Huskins

Friday, August 10 belonged to Kent Huskins, the Ducks' young rookie defenseman who hails from Almonte, Ontario, a historic town not far from Ottawa. Almonte is best known as the birthplace of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, but after Kent made his NHL debut with the Ducks this season, Almonte became much more of a hockey town. Kent contributed to Anaheim's Stanley Cup victory over the Senators, much to the dismay of the local fans from Ottawa.

Handed the Stanley Cup at 10:30 that morning, Huskins took the trophy to his parents' home where professional photographs were taken. Kent's mother Bonnie and father Les couldn't have been more excited for their son.

A public celebration was scheduled next, so Kent took Lord Stanley's legacy to an area where a tent had been erected in the field behind Almonte's Civitan Hall. Kent witnessed an incredible turn-out, as he shared the Cup with almost 1,500 fans during the memorable afternoon. While there, Huskins spent time with a local sledge hockey team and a minor hockey team.

Read the rest here - Link

The Cup Keepers photoblog was updated as well. Here is a sample:

See the rest here - Link

George Parros had his day with the Cup today. Here is an article

Former Randolph resident and current NHL defenseman George Parros brought the Stanley Cup to Delbarton this morning, displaying the trophy to old friends, faculty members and current students.

Parros, a former Delbarton hockey star who won the Stanley Cup this past season with the Anaheim Ducks, posed for pictures and signed autographs for two hours at his former alma mater.

Each member of a team that wins a Stanley Cup is given one full day to spend with the trophy and is permitted to with it whatever he wishes. Parros, now 28, made his Delbarton his first stop on a day long journey that includes appearances at Princeton University, from where he graduated in 2003, and in Pennsylvania.

“The best part of this is being able to come back and see people I haven’t seen in a long time,” Parros said. “And to have this with me is something special.”

Read the original here, but I posted it all because it was so short - Link

George Parros Stanley Cup Day pictures via Robr3004 at Flickr.

See the rest here - Link

The Anaheim Ducks do some good:

About a month ago, Oxnard Ice Center President Mike Paikin said the rink was going to close because of financial problems. Paikin of Sherman Oaks suggested then that the clubs could buy the business.

Both groups marshaled forces and surpassed their fundraising goal of $120,000 as of last weekend, Meaney said. Donations came from around the country, including a substantial contribution from the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks.

Read the whole article here - Link

One more Ryan Shannon Article with picture:

DARIEN - Ryan Shannon had a good year.
The 24-year-old Darien native was called up by the NHL's Anaheim Ducks last year after an impressive preseason, and he notched 2 goals and 9 assists during the regular season. But that was just the beginning.

"I went from playing in a minor league team, and then, in October, I found myself playing on an NHL team," Shannon said. "That was a dream come true. Then, to score my first NHL goal, that was unbelievable.

"I never thought it would get any better than that," he said.
But it did - Shannon and the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in June, and, as is tradition with NHL champions, each team member was given 24 hours with the storied trophy. Shannon spent his day with Lord Stanley's Cup yesterday.

Stanley Cup Schedule for 8/19 - 8/25

Well thanks again to the OC Register print edition for this weeks weeks schedule for the Stanley Cup. I can not link directly to the page so I will give them a plug. You can subscribe to the electronic version of their paper here - Link

1. Dave Farrish, asst. coach, today - Lucknow, Ontario

2. Ryan Shannon, Thursday - Darien, Connecticu

3. George Parros, Friday Princeton, New Jersey

4. Mark Hartigan, Saturday Edmonton, Alberta

According to the same article "There still are two weeks left in the trek, and seven members of the organization are awaiting their 24 hours (or more) with the Cup."

I will post links to articles covering their respective days with the cup as I find them.