Anaheim Ducks News for Monday

Happy New Year!

Here is today's news:

Francois Beuchemin's New Years Resolution Via the 12/20 edition of OC Metro Business

I'd like to be a consistent, productive player on a team committed to defending a Stanley Cup championship.  I'd also like to continue being an active member of this terrific Southern California community.

Ducks year in review via Ducks Blog

January 16
The Ducks play their 1,000th game as a franchise, a milestone that is about as meaningful as they "A Mighty Decade" banner that used to hang from the Honda Center rafters.
February 27
While several Western Conference powers stock up at the trade deadline, the Ducks remain relatively quiet, only acquiring winger Brad May. The move turns out to pay off, as May brings leadership, toughness and forechecking ability to the Ducks down the stretch. More importantly, he stands out as a star of the Ducks championship DVD, as his wireless mic reveals him to be a trash-talking genius. In response to an unidentified Ottawa player telling May to "watch out for the boards" after a hit, May turns to the guy, looks at him for one second and says, "Who the [bleep] are you?"

Read the rest here - Link

The Year in photos on the official site - Link

Eric Duhatschek has a look at the Ducks and Niedermayer

"But it's worked out. I'm pretty fortunate the organization kept the door open and it wasn't easy, all the questions these guys had to answer. I'm sure having that hanging around was an extra distraction. I'm sure it was not the best situation for the team."

Maybe not, but the Ducks understood that they were a better team with Niedermayer than without him — and since there was no magic answer about how to deal with the effects of a Stanley Cup hangover anyway, maybe injecting a player of his caliber into the line-up at mid-season was just the way to go. Now, when the Ducks get to April, Niedermayer will be about 50 games into his season and ready for the playoff push.

Read the rest here - Link

One more thing... the last one tonight!

Here are a few photos I took from the 2nd Wild Wingers Kids Club Party this year. Enjoy!

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 for Friday

Well I still am savoring last nights game.  It was a fun game to watch, and best of all we won.  So here is some coverage of Schneider, a look at the Pacific Division a new Ducks TV and a few other interesting articles. On a side not I will not be able to post tomorrow, so look for all the news and coverage of the Yotes game on Sunday.

A new Ducks TV has been posted - Link

Photos from the Ducks visit to CHOC - Link

The Ducks have posted a new wallpaper here - Link

An article covering the return of Getzlaf, Niedermayer and Schneider.

In Thursday night’s much-needed win over Columbus, the Ducks got the closest they have all season to seeing their full roster on the ice, and it couldn’t come at a better time. The team starts a 10-game stretch against Pacific Division opponents beginning Saturday at Phoenix.

Ryan Getzlaf, Rob Niedermayer and Mathieu Schneider all returned to action Thursday night, leaving Todd Bertuzzi (concussion) as the lone Duck out with an injury. Their returns paid immediate dividends, as Niedermayer scored the Ducks’ lone goal in regulation and Schneider netted the only goal in a shootout to defeat the Blue Jackets 2-1.

“I think from a coaching point of view, it’s nice to finally get 90 percent of our lineup back,” Carlyle said after Friday’s practice. “When you have parts of your lineup that come back in and make a contribution in their first game, that’s always encouraging.”

Niedermayer believes the fusion of players back into the lineup can get the team building in a position direction.

“Last night was the building and we’re getting better. We’re getting our game where we want it to get to,” Niedermayer said. “I think we know every game is important right now because we want to get that (winning) feeling back.”

Read the rest here - Link

An article on Schneider's return from the Daily Breeze

Over the stadium loudspeakers, the Honda Center crowd heard "We're going to a shootout!" And like a knee-jerk reaction, most of the 17,174 patrons booed.

Victory had slipped away from the Ducks four days earlier in a shootout loss to Edmonton. But against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, the difference was Mathieu Schneider.

In his season debut, Schneider thought Coach Randy Carlyle was joking when he tapped Schneider to shoot second. But Schneider's attempt on Columbus goalie Fredrik Norrena was the only one of the six shots that trickled through in the shootout, and the Ducks' four-game losing streak came to an end with a dramatic 3-2 victory.

"I would have never imagined that finish," said Schneider, who said he had never attempted a shot in a shootout during his 19-year career.

Read the rest here - Link

An article on Schneider's return from the LA Times

Mathieu Schneider thought Ducks coach Randy Carlyle was kidding.

Schneider, 38, has experienced a lot in 17 NHL seasons, but until Thursday night, other than one brief exhibition appearance, he had never appeared in a game with Carlyle pulling the strings behind his bench.

"I wasn't kidding," Carlyle said.

That would explain Carlyle's unexpected decision to call upon Schneider in a shootout against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Honda Center. All the veteran defenseman did with his first career shootout opportunity, in his season debut no less, was rip a shot between the pads of goaltender Fredrik Norrena to give the Ducks a 2-1 victory that snapped a four-game losing streak.

"I would never have imagined that finish," Schneider said.

After missing the season's opening 13 games because of a broken left ankle suffered in his exhibition debut, Sept. 15 against the Kings at Staples Center, Schneider played 25 minutes, 25 seconds, third most among Ducks skaters, behind only blue-line mates Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin.

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register has a look at the next Pacific Division games

The brutal trip to start the season and the injuries that infected the Ducks over the first month of the season wipes clean with one look at the standings.

Despite a rough start, the Ducks have hardly fallen into a deep hole in the Pacific Division. They entered Friday tied with Dallas and the Kings for second place, one point behind leader San Jose. Now the Ducks have nearly their full lineup available and begin a stretch of 10 consecutive divisional games Saturday at Phoenix.

Players weren't calling it a new start, but it is a reminder that points earned in November are just as valuable as those in April.

"This is a challenge," Brad May said. "There are certain points during the season that are very important. You can see them. You can actually feel them, and this is one of them."

During this stretch the Ducks will play Phoenix and the Kings three times each and Dallas and San Jose twice. San Jose, considered the biggest contender to overtake the Ducks in the Pacific, started 6-5-1 and Dallas was a pedestrian 5-5-1.

Had either gotten off to a hot start, the Ducks might be staring at a big gap after their 4-7-2 start. Coach Randy Carlyle attributes the bunched pack partly to the new NHL that gives teams a point for overtime losses and therefore creates more three-point games.

Last season the Ducks earned points in their first 16 games but won the division by just three points.

Read the rest here - Link

The LA Times has a look at the upcoming Pacific Division games

For all their issues with injuries and inconsistency as they experience life as a defending Stanley Cup champion, the Ducks awoke Friday morning only one point out of the Pacific Division lead.
Despite a 5-7-2 record, the Ducks entered the day one point behind San Jose and tied with Dallas and the Kings. Although all three teams have played fewer games than Anaheim, each has had its own problems coming out of the gate.

The Ducks, feeling comfortable about their position after a 2-1 shootout win Thursday over Columbus, look ahead to 10 consecutive games against division opponents beginning tonight at Phoenix.

Read the rest here - Link

MVN has a look at how the Ducks feel after last nights victory

The Ducks practiced very briefly today after winning last night’s game against Columbus in a shootout. The Ducks have not had much success at all with the shootout since it was implemented two years ago. Defenseman Mathieu Schneider had the game winning goal with the only shot that went into the net for either team. Schneider had never been in a shootout before and thought coach Randy Carlyle was kidding when he told him he was going to be one of the first three shooters. It is likely that we will see him again in that situation when the Ducks go to the shootout in the future.

Read the rest here - Link

Some lucky kid got a ride on the Zamboni and her dad took pictures. See the rest here - Link 

Friday News

Today was a slow news day. Well other than having a new captain and the season opener is tomorrow. Just a few articles on Pronger being made captain, some coverage of the london visit via the official Ducks blog, John Ahlers gives us the last preview of the Ducks I will post (finally) and some pictures from today's practice.

Official Ducks Blog coverage of the London Visit

The Ducks had a busy afternoon, even after practice ended. Chris Pronger was named team captain and sat for the media for a bit. We have that story right here.

Then the Ducks attended a VIP reception held for the fans who came to London via the NHL Premiere package. That was held in one of several restaurants in the expansive main entrance area at O2 Arena. It's a part of the place that really doesn't make it feel like a sports/event arena. It's a huge, wide open section with restaurants and shops. And sprinkled throughout the area are these attractive helper girls, all of whom inexplicably wear angels wings on their backs. I can't believe we don't have a photo of that, but we don't. You'll get a better look at all of this when Ducks TV does a tour of the arena, which we'll post later tonight.

Anyway, here are photos from the afternoon.

Read the rest here - Link

Here are some pictures from the last practice.

Official Ducks Gallery - Link

Coverage of the naming of Pronger as captain via the LA Times

LONDON -- Defenseman Chris Pronger, a Norris Trophy finalist and perpetrator of two nasty hits that earned him two league-imposed suspensions in the playoffs last spring, was appointed the Ducks' captain.
He will become the seventh Ducks player to wear the "C," an honor valued more highly in hockey than other sports. Coach Randy Carlyle said Friday that Pronger would retain the captaincy if Scott Niedermayer, who held the position on last season's Stanley Cup championship team, returned from his apparent retirement.
Carlyle said the Ducks, though reliant on many players for leadership, needed to designate a permanent captain to be a leader in team decisions. He said Niedermayer had been told he would not regain the captaincy if he returned.
"It's not that we forgot Scott Niedermayer is still out there. It's just the hand that we've been dealt here in allowing him the time he needs," Carlyle said.
"Our lives go on. So does his. But it's going on in a different manner."
The alternates, also appointed by the coaches, will be Chris Kunitz and Rob Niedermayer. The alternate to the alternates will be Todd Marchant.

Read the rest here - Link

CBC has their coverage

Scott Niedermayer hasn't yet decided if he's ready to move on, but the Anaheim Ducks have.

With the star defenceman sidelined for at least the start of the season as he mulls retirement, the Ducks handed his captaincy to fellow blueliner Chris Pronger on Friday."I'm following a tremendous leader in Scotty," Pronger told a news conference at O2 Arena in London, England, where Anaheim is preparing for its season opener against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday (CBC, 12 p.m. ET).

While Niedermayer may still return, the Ducks, who are also waiting to hear from star forward Teemu Selanne about his possible retirement plans, decided they'd be better off transferring the C to someone who will be on the ice from the start.

"It's of vast importance to us to move forward," said Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle, who made the decision. "We're about living the now — we can't live in the past. That's how we've tried to deal with it. We've made the statement that, yeah, we'd love to have Scott Niedermayer back, we'd love to have Teemu Selanne back, but that's not reality.

"This is our group and we're preparing for our first game.

Read the rest here - Link

John Ahlers has a look at the Ducks

DUCKS DEALT DIFFICULT HAND
By John Ahlers
Repeating as Stanley Cup Champions has proven to be a difficult task as no team in the NHL has pulled off the feat in the last decade. However, in the salary cap era that emerged from the lockout of 2004-2005, the task of putting back-to-back titles on ice has become more daunting.
Enter the Anaheim Ducks of 2007-2008. Like the Carolina Hurricanes before them, Randy Carlyle’s team has a different look from that of the group that skated around Honda Center on June 6, hoisting Lord Stanley’s gift to North American ice hockey. Unlike the Canes though, the Ducks challenge entering the season does not stop there. Among the list of obstacles in Anaheim’s way is a shorter offseason than even those who accompanied them late into last spring’s Playoff tournament, but also key chemistry hurdles, a very early scheduling test and the ever-present target that appears on the defending champions’ back.
The roster changes that Anaheim has undertaken are not the type any team would brush off, let alone the top team from the previous year. Gone from the Ducks are the top two goal producers from last season in Teemu Selanne (contemplating retirement) and Dustin Penner (free agent signing with Edmonton). Not only are their 77 goals looking to be replaced, but their collective absence affects both of the proposed top two lines coming into the season. That, coupled with Captain Scott Niedermayer’s continued retirement contemplation leaves the offense in need for more than one individual to step up. The veteran defenseman not only led all blueliners in the NHL in point production,, but leaves an on-ice leadership void as well.

Read the rest here - Link

Wednesday News - Part 2 London and the Stanley Cup

Well the Ducks had a fun day with the Stanley Cup in London today. They finally go to see their names on the Cup. They took a tour and got to see a football (soccer) game. So all in all a great day. Here is the coverage of the game.

Their Names.........Finally

Pictures from today

Their first practice - Link

Their day in London - Link

Various image wires had pictures. AnaheimDuckFan has them nicely linked here - Link

Here are my favorites

The OC Register covers the fact that they got their names on the Cup

Like any other tourist, Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere stood with a camera at the ready Wednesday as he and his teammates prepared to board a sightseeing bus for an afternoon tour of Great Britian's signature city.

Giguere captured his most prized photograph, however, before he ever ascended the stairs to the second level of the old, double-decker coach that marked a page out of the past.

Giguere knelt in front of a small table in a parking lot outside the glistening new O2 Arena, where the Ducks and Kings will open the NHL regular season with games Saturday and Sunday, and snapped a photo of a special portion of the Stanley Cup. For the first time Wednesday, Ducks players saw the latest addition to the revered trophy – the inscription of their names, commemorating last season's Stanley Cup championship.

"Now it's official. Nobody can deny it," Giguere said. "It just makes it even that much more special. There are so many great names on the cup. To be one of the guys who have won the Cup, it's a special feeling. Everybody is like a little kid right now."

Read the rest here - Link

The official Ducks Blog has coverage of their day

Alright, let's get back to it. I have always believed that life is all about having good stories. This would certainly qualify for that.
The Ducks and assorted Ducks staffers decided to go to the Fulham-Bolton match, since if you're in London, you have to try and make it to a football match. The Ducks had arranged to do some kind of jersey exchange with Fulham after the game. So, about a dozen Ducks players and a half dozen staffers headed to the train station to make our way to the stadium.
Somehow, half the group got separated from the other half of the group, and the only guy who knew which trains to take was in the group separated from ours. So, our group that included three other staffers, two team doctors, the team photographer, radio analyst Brent Severyn, Travis Moen, Rob Niedermayer, Sean O'Donnell, Joe DiPenta tried to figure out which trains to take and where those trains actually were. Suffice to say, two 20-minute train rides and a 5-minute cab ride took us all of 2 1/2 hours. Most of that was spent looking at signs, standing in line for tickets and looking at each other and wondering if this was all worth it. Not to mention, it was about 45 degrees outside.
Finally, we arrive at our last stop and find out that it's too long a walk to the stadium, that we have to split into cabs. A few of the guys considered bagging the whole thing, but we stayed with it, using the "we've come this far..." methodology like we're Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings.
We asked a local guy for directions and he gave them to us, but not without asking "why the bloody hell" we would want to go to a Fulham game. We didn't have an answer for him. He also advised us not to eat the stadium food, "unless you want to get sick."

Read the rest here - Link

LA Times has coverage of their visit

The Ducks arrived at O2 Arena Wednesday for practice, trying to get ready for the two games this weekend against the Kings that open the NHL regular season.
Although veteran goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere appeared in a colossal bandage atop his right leg, he pronounced himself "not very far" from recovery from his hernia surgery. "If not this weekend. . . hopefully one of those games" in Detroit, Columbus or Pittsburgh, he said, referring to the team's schedule next week beginning on Opening Night No. 2 on Oct. 3, when the rest of the league begins play.

As to why he didn't just wait over there, he said, "There's many reasons why it's good for me to be here. As well as starting the season, I think it's going to be a team-building week," a chance to foment "some team spirit."
For about 12 of the team members, fomenting today will entail golf.

Read the rest here - Link

Canadian Press has coverage

LONDON, England — A group of Ducks and a shiny trophy turned heads near Tower Bridge on Wednesday.

The puck is about to drop in England. But not everyone knew exactly what was going on.

So one confused local approached Anaheim Ducks forward Todd Marchant and asked: "What are you fellows doing?"

"We're in town to the play the Los Angeles Kings this weekend," replied Marchant.

"And who might 'we' be?," said the still puzzled man.

They would be the Ducks, the Stanley Cup champions trying to take London by storm this week. They hit the ice at the new 02 Arena on Wednesday in preparation for the NHL's regular-season curtain raiser Saturday and Sunday. The Kings don't arrive from Austria until Thursday night.

An 18-hour trek from Southern California to London on Tuesday was a little hard to take — even by charter — but the Ducks were in great spirits as they hit a few tourist spots on a privately rented double-decker bus and later took in an English Premier League soccer game.

"I think originally not too many guys were excited about coming," said star defenceman Chris Pronger. "It's a long way to go for a couple of games. But as we got to training camp and we got close to the actual date, I think the guys that were initially skeptical are excited now.

"We've never been here before, most of us. We want to make the best of it."

Goalie J.S. Giguere went one step further.

"It's not every day that you get to come and play in London and represent the NHL," said Giguere. "I think it's an honour to be able to do that."

The players also got a thrill before boarding the bus — the Stanley Cup was awaiting them with their freshly inscribed names on it. It was done earlier this week in Montreal before hopping a plane for London. One by one the players filtered around the Cup, making sure their name wasn't forgotten. It was like children trying to spot gifts with their names on it under the Christmas tree.

But not all the Ducks hovered around the Cup. The newcomers to the team this year kept a safe distance. Hockey superstition No. 1 — don't touch the Cup until you've won it.

"That's not for me," said newly acquired winger Todd Bertuzzi. "That's for these guys, they're the ones who went to war for it and rightfully deserve it. It's their moment with it.

"They can enjoy their time with it. I'll just wait until it's mine."

Read the rest here - Link

USA Today has coverage of their visit

The Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks have brought the oldest team trophy in North American sports back home to England.

The Ducks, who practiced at the O2 Arena for the first time Wednesday, will open the NHL season in the British capital on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings - a game far away from home and one which Ducks coach Randy Carlyle could have done without.

"It's the hand we've been dealt," Carlyle said. "We're never happy with the scheduling."

The trip may not fit in with Anaheim's plans for a repeat championship, but they are perfect for the NHL, which is trying to further break into the European market.

"There is a hockey tradition here that goes back to Lord Stanley," said Ken Yaffe, a senior vice president for NHL International. "We've got a big British fan base. We've got a big ex-pat fan base."

Lord Frederick Stanley, a Governor General of Canada in the 19th century, bought the cup from a London silversmith and donated it to Canada's top amateur team in 1892. In 1910, it was given to the champion of a professional competition and remained that way until it became the property of the NHL in 1917.

Read the rest here - Link

Fox Sports has coverage

LONDON - Welcome to a new National Hockey League season.

Sure, training camps have been going for a while, but it's only now that the Anaheim Ducks have arrived in London for their opener against the Los Angeles Kings that it gets serious and the recognition sinks in that the start is only days away.

Even though the Ducks travelled in luxurious fashion, it wasn't an easy trip. First they went coast to coast from Long Beach, Calif., to New York, then after a refuelling, across the Atlantic to London.

They landed at Stansted, one of London's more remote airports, and by the time they got to their hotel — a Marriott, of course — the trip was well past the 12-hour mark.

Add to that the fact they they had crossed eight time zones and it was no wonder that they were a little disoriented when coach Randy Carlyle put them through a two-session practice yesterday.

But if you're going to have to make that kind of trip, it's best to do it the way the Ducks did.

They had a charter flight, which means they avoided the usual troglodytes who run the airport-security lanes that you and I have to use. And their plane had none of those five-seat rows that we seem to get stuck in when we fly.

Instead, it had 48 private compartments with seats that fold down into flat beds so that even someone as tall as Chris Pronger could get some comfortable sleep.

Read the rest here - Link

Mark Mowers is in London too

While most members of the Ducks began at least thinking about this week's visit to London midway through last season, when players voted on whether to accept the NHL's invitation to be part of the league's latest overseas venture, newly acquired center Mark Mowers had about four hours to prepare.

Acquired in a Monday afternoon trade with the Boston Bruins, Mowers quickly threw together a few things, spent as much time as possible with a family that includes two young daughters, and made his way to New York to join the Ducks' charter flight that had made a refueling stop before its overnight trek across the Atlantic.

"It's kind of a shocker, at first to switch teams, and then come to the realization that you're not just going out to California, but you're going overseas," Mowers said. "It was a crazy 24 hours, but I feel like I'm settling in, getting to know the guys. The excitement is definitely starting to hit me now."

Mowers, 33, is a veteran of 261 games with three NHL teams and is coming off a career-best five-goal, 17-point season in 78 games with Boston. He practiced with the Ducks for the first time Wednesday and likely will be in the lineup for Saturday's regular-season opener against the Kings at the O2 Arena.

Read the rest here - Link

CanWest has coverage of the visit to Europe as well

The Anaheim Ducks proudly toted the Stanley Cup they won last spring to various tourist sites on a double-decker bus here Wednesday to promote this weekend’s National Hockey League season curtain raiser.

But few Londoners seemed aware of who they were, or what they were carrying, as the team braved a chilly autumn wind that swept across the Thames River.

Steve Campbell, a sports fan from northern England, looked baffled as he watched playoff star Ryan Getzlaf lug the Cup across a busy street to pose with his teammates in front of Big Ben.

“I don’t really know why they’re here, though I do know the NFL is due here next month,” he said, referring to a heavily promoted National Football_League game between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 28.

“Maybe it’s a bit of a promotion due to that, possibly?”

Campbell isn’t the only one in the dark, as shown in the blank stares and dearth of NHL coverage in the vast sports sections of London’s daily papers

Read the rest here - Link

Post Game News

Here is more news and analysis from last nights game.

MVN Analysis of the Game

After a much needed day of rest, the Ducks resumed the pre-season routine with a game against their Pacific Division rivals, the San Jose Sharks. With a roster pared down to 31 players from 49, the Ducks were able to dress the majority of players who will be in the line up at the start of the season.

Jonas Hiller started in goal for the Ducks, with Thomas Greiss in goal for the Sharks. Both goalies stayed in net for the entire game and the Swiss goalie and the German goalie both did well, although they did not see too many shots in the first two periods. Todd Bertuzzi and Drew Miller alternated between the top two lines and split playing time between Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry or Andy McDonald and Chris Kunitz. The Ducks are still looking for someone on the top line to fill in the hole that Teemu Selanne’s unofficial retirement has left. Getzlaf and Perry also have a hole in their line as linemate Dustin Penner went to the Edmonton Oilers in August. Bertuzzi is comfortable playing on either line and fits well on both.

In spite of a combined total of 7 shots on goal in the first period, there were also plenty of missed shots. Most notably was a gaping wide net right in front of Todd Marchant who whiffed on the puck not once but twice and the scoring opportunity was gone. In the second period, the shot total did not improve dramatically and the majority of the period saw 5 on 5 hockey, a rare thing indeed for the Ducks of late. Kent Huskins took two successive penalties with less than 5:00 minutes to play in the period.

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register has their take on the game and a look at Petteri Wirtanen

ANAHEIM - As competition for the few available Ducks roster spots entered the final stretch of three exhibition games, one candidate who didn't necessarily figure to still be in the mix is Finnish-born center Petteri Wirtanen.

And yet, there was Wirtanen on the ice Wednesday night when the Ducks (2-2-1) dropped a 1-0 decision to the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center.

Dennis Packard scored for San Jose (1-0-1). Despite playing with something close to their season-opening lineup, the Ducks managed only 19 shots against Sharks rookie goaltender Thomas Greiss.

With exhibitions remaining Friday at San Jose and Sunday at home against the Vancouver Canucks before the Ducks leave for London and their Sept. 29-30 NHL regular season-opening, two-game set against the Kings, Wirtanen is among six forwards vying for three or four jobs.

Wirtanen, 21, didn't hurt his cause in Monday's 3-2, overtime victory at Vancouver, scoring two goals, including the winner, and adding an assist while skating between veteran winger Brad May and rugged George Parros. That same trio got another look against the Sharks.

"That's all part of the process, to find the individuals that we feel are going to give us the best chance for success when we open in London," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.

A 6-foot-1 195-pounder, Wirtanen envisions himself as the same type of player as Ducks center Samuel Pahlsson, a finalist for last season's Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward and deserving of front-runner status for the award this season after his Stanley Cup playoff heroics.

Read the rest here - Link

Dan Wood of the OC Register has something to say about the Ducks recent performance

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle spoke Wednesday morning about what he wanted to see from his team in its final three exhibition games, beginning with Wednesday night’s matchup against the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center. “Passion, grit and more overall responsibility” headed the list. So what did Carlyle get in a 1-0 defeat, a game in which the Ducks skated pretty much the lineup they will go with in their regular-season opener Sept. 29 against the Kings in London, and the Sharks iced a mish-mash of veterans and rookies? “I wouldn’t say I would be totally impressed with the passion that was displayed,” Carlyle said. Talk about an understatement “We tried at times, but we complicated things,” Carlyle said. The Ducks generated only 19 shots against San Jose rookie goaltender Thomas Greiss, including just seven in the opening 40 minutes.

Read the rest here - Link

The AP report

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Dennis Packard scored on a rebound with 4:52 left in the third period and Thomas Greiss made 19 saves, leading the San Jose Sharks to a 1-0 pre-season victory over the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night.

Patrick Rissmiller carried the puck into the right circle and took a wrist shot that bounced off goalie Jonas Hiller, but Anaheim defenceman Todd Bertuzzi checked Packard into the crease area and the puck slid across the goal line.

The Ducks had four power plays, but two ended shortly after they began. In the first period, Bertuzzi received a hooking penalty just eight seconds after San Jose's Doug Murray was sent off for hooking. In the third period, Maxim Kondratriev was whistled for hooking 10 seconds after a hooking penalty to Sharks wing Mike Iggulden.

Two penalties were called in the second period, both against Anaheim defenceman Kent Huskins about four minutes apart. But the Sharks came up empty on both power plays and were 0-for-5 overall with the man advantage.

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The San Jose Mercury News also has coverage

ANAHEIM - The phrase "Stanley Cup Champion Ducks" is still hard to swallow for many in the Bay Area. It was a bitter sight for the Sharks and their fans watching San Jose's fiercest rival hoist hockey's Holy Grail around the ice last June.

But now that Anaheim's summer Cup party is over, the question is whether the Ducks will experience any sort of hangover. And not that anyone in Northern California is shedding tears, there has been no lack of drama in Duck-land.

The Anaheim team that the Sharks defeated Wednesday night 1-0 in an exhibition game is considerably different from the one that beat Ottawa in the finals a few months ago.

Captain Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, who scored 48 goals last season, haven't been in training camp as they continue to contemplate retirement. The Ducks lost top young wing Dustin Penner when they didn't match a surprising, $21.25 million offer sheet from Edmonton. Veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider, signed as insurance if Niedermayer doesn't come back, broke his left ankle and is out at least four weeks. Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere is recovering from sports hernia surgery.

And just to make things interesting, Anaheim opens the regular season with the ultimate trip - two games in London.

"It's plain hard to win the Cup once, let alone twice," Sharks Coach Ron Wilson said. "And the hardest thing in the new NHL is keeping a successful team together. But they won the Stanley Cup. That's permanent. If they finish last in the league this year, it still doesn't diminish what they did."

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BACL of flickr has posted some pictures from last nights game. See them here - Link

Ducks lose 1 - 0

The Ducks lost at home again. That makes three losses in a row at home. I get to go to the Vancouver game on Sunday and I hope I get to see a win. For game posts I am just going to post the official Ducks link at night and the next morning post a roundup of what everybody else has reported. So with out further ado......

Score Sheet | Super Stats
Game Photos

By Adam Brady
AnaheimDucks.com

Sharks goalie Thomas Greiss had 19 saves, including this one on a shot from the Ducks' Todd Bertuzzi (AP Photo/Henry DiRocco)

For more than 55 minutes, neither the Ducks or Sharks could get much going around the net during their preseason battle at Honda Center. But when one of the teams finally broke through, it wasn’t what the home crowd was hoping for.

The Sharks’ Dennis Packard, who is getting a tryout with the team this preseason, scored with 4:52 left in the third period and San Jose made it hold up for the victory. The goal was set up when Patrick Rissmiller took a shot from the right wing that Ducks rookie Jonas Hiller saved, but the rebound headed in front of the crease. Packard crashed the net with Anaheim’s Todd Bertuzzi and managed to deflect it in while falling to the ice.

The loss dropped the Ducks’ preseason record to 2-2-1, and they have lost all three at Honda Center.

San Jose rookie Thomas Greiss, a 21-year-old from Germany, saved all 19 Anaheim shots.

Neither team could muster many opportunities over the first two periods, as the Ducks only got off seven shots and the Sharks had 10. The Ducks only had one power play opportunity in the first two periods, and they couldn’t convert on three more in the third.

Ducks offseason pickup Todd Bertuzzi had several opportunities over the first couple of periods, but was denied each time by Sharks goalie Thomas Greiss.

The Ducks had 19 shots on goal for the game, compared to the Sharks’ 21.

Read the rest here - Link

Photo of the game

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.

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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

The leftover Canucks vs. Ducks news

TSN Coverage with video link (IE Only)

VANCOUVER (CP) - Petteri Wirtanen has another good memory from GM Place.

He was the captain of the Finnish team that upset the United States for the bronze medal at the world junior championship here in January 2006.

Then on Monday night, he scored the last two Anaheim goals, including the overtime winner, to give the Ducks a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in NHL pre-season play.

Wirtanen ended the game when he finished a three-on-two break with a shot that deflected past Vancouver netminder Drew MacIntyre.

Related Info

• Highlights: ANA 3, VAN 2

"I saw two guys going at the net and I just took a shot and the D-man probably hit it and it just bounced it past him," Wirtanen said. "I'll take it."

The puck hit the stick of Canuck defenceman Luc Bourdon, Vancouver's first-round pick and 10th overall in the 2005 entry draft.

Bourdon, who played nine NHL games last season before he was returned to junior, was on the ice for all three Anaheim goals.

Wirtanen gave the Stanley Cup champions a 2-0 lead in the second period when he found a Brad May rebound lying near the goal line beside Vancouver starting netminder Curtis Sanford.

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MVN has their coverage

The Ducks continued their whirlwind pre-season with a day trip to Vancouver. The team flew up this morning, foregoing a morning skate. This was the first meeting between the teams since the second round of the playoffs and was also the first time that Ryan Shannon was able to face his former team. Shannon was traded for Jason King in June. Shannon earned an assist for Vancouver, had 5 shots on goal and several good opportunities to score against his former team.

Ilya Bryzgalov got the nod in goal and stayed in for the entire game. J-P Levasseur had true back up duties on the bench. Vancouver alternated goalies each period with Drew McIntyre taking the 1st and 3rd periods as well as overtime and Curtis Sanford handled the 2nd period.

The Ducks continue to have difficulties with excessive penalties. This was a problem last year and it seems to be a problem this year. It is one thing to have the rookies and prospects taking penalties, but these are the veterans who should know better. Sami Pahlsson is one of the best penalty killers that the Ducks have, but they will not have his services as he recovers from hernia surgery. Instead of continually playing with fire, the D

Ducks need to develop a bit more discipline and self-control.

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One more fun picture from the game

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Ducks lose 2-1 and other news

So the Ducks lose in a shootout. A hard fought, penalty filled game that I only got to listen to part of (the hard fought second period). But thanks to the Internet, here are links to game coverage, part 2 of the Niedermayer brothers day with the cup and an update on Schneider's status.

Ducks TV has part 2 of the Niedermayer brothers day with the cup. See the video here - Link

Mathieu Schneider will be out for FOUR weeks! -

Ducks defenseman Mathieu Schneider will miss four weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his left ankle, the Ducks announced.
Schneider left Saturday night's 3-2 preseason victory over the Kings at Staples Center in the second period and did not return.
The 38-year-old Schneider was signed by the Ducks last July 1.

See the original article here - Link

Bertuzzi not going to Vancouver via The Province

Todd Bertuzzi will not make his return to GM Place on Monday.

The Anaheim Ducks announced Saturday that the winger won't play in a preseason game with the Vancouver Canucks. He was scheduled to play Saturday in Los Angeles.

The Ducks are in Vancouver for regular-season meetings on Nov. 27 and Dec. 30 and host the Canucks on Sept. 23 [preseason] and again on Dec. 12 and March 12.

Bertuzzi, who battled a bad back and other playoff ailments last season with Florida and Detroit, signed a two-year, $8 million US free-agent contract with the Ducks in July.

Scrimmage tickets $130 a pair

It looked like a typo.

The Internet advertisement on craigslist stated that two tickets for today's sold-out Vancouver Canucks intra-squad game here could be had for $130. They went on sale for just $10 apiece. Apparently, we are all Canucks.

Canucks director of media relations T.C. Carling is occasionally approached to help with ticket requests. You'd think a pair for today's tilt wouldn't be that difficult. After all, we're talking intra-squad game.

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Photo of the game

Official Game Coverage from the Anaheim Ducks

ANAHEIM – Never their strength in the more than two years of its existence, the Ducks fell in a shootout to Phoenix, losing 2-1 in their preseason game at Honda Center.

Game Photos

Super Stats

Official Score Sheets

The Ducks’ Todd Bertuzzi scored the first goal of the shootout, but the Ducks would be denied on their other two attempts. Meanwhile, Phoenix’s Peter Mueller and Radim Vrbata both converted on Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller. Vrbata also got the tying goal on a power play in the second period.

While it was the third exhibition game in four nights for the Ducks, it was the preseason opener for the Coyotes, which opened camp Thursday.

Like in last night’s 3-2 victory over the Kings at Staples Center, the Ducks struck early. Chris Kunitz lit the lamp just 2:55 into the first period, scoring on a breakaway. Streaking toward the net, Kunitz made a nice shot fake on Phoenix goalie David Aebischer and then wristed it past him.

That made it 1-0 Ducks, and it would remain that way until 6:24 into the second period, when Vrbata scored a power play goal with Ducks rookie Mike Hoffman in the box for a roughing penalty. Phoenix’s Brendan Bell made a gorgeous pass from the right circle to a waiting Vrbata, who easily one-timed it in the net.

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MVN has analysis of the game

Another day, another Ducks game. If this is Sunday, it must be the Phoenix Coyotes. With a large training camp roster available, there are plenty of players available to rotate playing duties. Tonight’s game gave us another look at Todd Bertuzzi, although last night’s linemates, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, got to sit this one out. Maxim Kondratiev continues to log minutes in his third consecutive game, which means the Ducks are giving him close scrutiny. Other veterans on the roster tonight include Chris Kunitz, Andy McDonald, Sean O’Donnell, Rob Niedermayer, Joe DiPenta, Dan LaCouture and Shane Hnidy. Camp stand outs, Jason King and Brandon Segal, were able to sit this one out, as did veteran Chris Pronger.

In the first period, Jonas Hiller started out manning the nets, but Gerald Coleman took over soon thereafter. Hiller’s absence was for equipment problems as he played in the second half of the game. Veteran David Aebischer was in net for the Coyotes. The energy got going quickly as Mike Hoffman took on Josh Gratton. Hoffman won the fight easily. Shortly thereafter, Chris Kunitz got the Ducks on the board at 2:55. The Coyotes had several good scoring opportunities, but Coleman made all the necessary saves. The penalty box remained empty until late in the first when hooking occurred more frequently than shooting the puck. The last seven minutes were spent 5 on 4, 4 on 4, 4 on 3 and 5 on 3. No more goals were scored, however.

The second period began with more 4 on 4 action. When Mike Hoffman went to the box for roughing, the Radim Vrbata was able to tie things up by finishing off the shot by Brendan Bell on the power play. A minute later it looked like fight night instead of a hockey game. The first bout was between Sean O’Donnell and Gratton. O’Donnell, who was already sporting a black eye and stitches from last night’s bout with Dustin Brown, had the upper hand and a nice upper cut, handily winning that battle. :02 seconds later Dan LaCouture faced off with Craig Weller. Bill Thomas received a double minor for high sticking and when Niko Kapanen joined him in the box the Ducks had a 5 on 3 opportunity for :43 seconds. The Ducks looked close to pulling ahead when the red light came on during one furious tangle at the net, but per the announcer the light was “inadvertantly illuminated.” Hoffman went to the box again and then Brett Skinner followed him as soon as Hoffman’s penalty expired. The Coyotes had their own opportunities to go ahead, but again, no goal as Jonas Hiller, who came in late in the second period, scrambled.

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Post Game Roundup - Part 2

So, now that it's the next day all of the newspapers and such have had time to update their sites, so here is the latest from last nights game.

The LA Times has coverage on Schneider's ankle injury and an interesting look at the players trying to make the team this year.

Ryan Getzlaf's power-play goal with 5:32 left Saturday gave the Ducks a 3-2 exhibition victory over the Kings in front of 11,107 at Staples Center but the win may have been costly.
Defenseman Mathieu Schneider, who was making his Anaheim debut, suffered a sprained ankle in the second period and will undergo an MRI exam today to determine the severity of the injury, Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said.

"I don't know what to tell you right now," Schneider said. "It didn't feel like much on the ice. It kind of stiffened up on me. I really can't tell right now."
Forward Todd Bertuzzi also made his debut for the Ducks but didn't factor in the scoring. Drew Miller and Jason King also scored for Anaheim, and Tom Preissing scored in his first game as a King and Michael Cammalleri had a goal.
Ducks defenseman Sean O'Donnell,a former King, took four stitches below his right eye after getting into a fight with Kings forward Dustin Brown, moments after Brown leveled Ducks center Andy McDonald with a clean open-ice hit.
Lost in the signings of Schneider and Bertuzzi this summer to make up for the absences of Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne were the Ducks' moves to improve their depth on defense.

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The OC Register has their update

LOS ANGELES The Ducks gained their first victory of the NHL exhibition campaign Saturday night when Ryan Getzlaf’s tiebreaking, power-play goal at 14:28 of the third period produced a 3-2 triumph over the Kings at Staples Center.
Only time will tell whether the Ducks incurred a much more significant loss.
Veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider, signed as a free agent July 1 as insurance against the possible retirement of captain Scott Niedermayer, left the game midway through the second period because of an ankle injury. Schneider is scheduled to undergo an MRI today.
“I really don’t know what to tell you,” Schneider said. “It didn’t feel like much on the ice, but it stiffened up on me. My skate just kind of stuck on the ice.”
The Ducks played the final 15-plus minutes with only four defensemen after veteran Sean O’Donnell picked up a minor penalty, a major and a 10-minute misconduct for instigating a fight with Kings winger Dustin Brown. O’Donnell also needed four stitches to close a cut below his right eye, but suffered no lasting damage, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.
Corey Perry and defenseman Kent Huskins set up Getzlaf’s decisive goal, after the Ducks had spent much of the game skating short-handed. Michael Cammalleri, on the power play, and defenseman Tom Preissing scored goals for the Kings.
“We have lots of work ahead of us,” Carlyle said. “Some of the staples of our game, we showed. We’re quite capable of playing that way, but we turned the puck over a few too many times, and penalties again were a problem for us.”

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Anaheim Duck Fan has her coverage of the game

The Ducks took on the Kings in their second Pre-Season game, and win 3-2. Same as last year, each team wins when they are away. Weird...huh? Moving on...
Ducks Lineup
Jonas Hiller, Gerald Coleman, Todd Bertuzzi, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Chris Pronger, Sean O’Donnell, Mathieu Schneider, George Parros, Drew Miller, Maxim Kondratiev, Brad May, Joe DiPenta, Brendon Segal, Kent Huskins, Jason King, Ryan Carter, Tyler Bouck, Maxime Macenauer.
Game Recap
One minute into the first Drew Miller scored to give the Ducks the first goal. Assists went to Andy McDonald & Jason King. Maxime Macenauer took two penalties (hooking & holding) in the first part of the period. Lazy penalties, not good to take when you’re trying to make the team. New addition Todd Bertuzzi went to the box for tripping, and while the Kings were on the PP Michael Cammalleri scored to even it up.

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The Press-Enterprise has a nice article on Mathieu Schneider

LOS ANGELES - Ducks defenseman Mathieu Schneider is quite happy to be back in Southern California, but his return to the local hockey stage suffered a temporary setback Saturday.

Schneider suffered a right ankle sprain in the second period of the Ducks' 3-2 exhibition victory over the Kings at Staples Center. He will be reevaluated today.

When the Ducks learned that star defenseman Scott Niedermayer was considering retirement, they signed Schneider to a two-year, $11 million deal within hours of the start of the free agency period July 1.

After three-plus seasons in Detroit, the former Kings defenseman didn't need a lot of persuasion to head west when the Ducks made him an offer. While most players scatter to distant parts of the hockey universe in the offseason, Schneider and his family have routinely returned to Manhattan Beach for several years.

"We just love it out here. It's a great place to raise kids," said Schneider. "We are back here pretty much as soon as the season is over. This has been our home base for the last seven or eight years."

Southern California has also been very good for Schneider's career. He and several other NHL players have found hockey's version of the fountain of youth, participating in a demanding summer workout program with trainer T. R. Goodman.

Schneider credits the summer training with Goodman over the past 12 years as the key to his longevity in the NHL.

"He has been tremendous for me. He's the reason I've been able to play and excel going into my 20th NHL season," said Schneider, who generated 157 points ( 46 goals, 111 assists) during his past three seasons in Detroit. "It's been amazing for me. The game has just gotten more and more fun for me."

mark6mauno has posted great photos from the last 2 games in his flickr stream

See the rest here - Link

Tuesday News - Part 2, Lord Stanley and Scott Niedermayer

So Scott was officially suspended today by the Anaheim Ducks.  Also, the Stanley Cup paid a visit to Anaheim City hall.  The Hockey Hall of Fame has also updated the Stanley Cup Journal with Scott and Rob's day with the cup.

Ducks Suspend Scott Niedermayer

Defenceman Scott Niedermayer was suspended Tuesday by the Anaheim Ducks, a mere formality confirming that he didn't report to training camp. 

"Obviously, he knew it was coming," Ducks general manager Brian Burke said. "It wasn't a fun phone call, but he expected it — he is a professional."

Niedermayer, 34, is still mulling over whether to play or retire, a decision he has grappled with since Anaheim won its first Stanley Cup on June 6.

"That is his decision and I cannot predict anything," said Ducks forward Rob Niedermayer, his younger brother. "He's going to make that decision when he feels comfortable and everyone in this dressing room is comfortable with that.

"I'm sure I will be one of the first ones to know. But his family is something that's come first for him."

Suspending Niedermayer until he decides simply means Anaheim won't have to count his $6.75-million US salary against the cap, which is $50.3 million US this season.

The Ducks reportedly sit around $49 million US.

"I want our fans to understand that we didn't have a choice but to suspend Scotty," Burke said. "That might seem like a harsh step and it's not — that's what we have to do."

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Earl Sleek from BOC has his take on the Scott Niedermayer retirement watch

Dear Scott: I for one would like to say that I completely support your inability to make up your mind. Sure, retirement would have meant you could relax away from hockey, but not deciding, now there's a stroke of brilliance!
Not only do you avoid pesky hockey duties like training camp and flying to London and back, but you also get to steer clear of any PTAs or HOAs or any other serious household responsibilities. After all, how could you commit to anything long-term? You've still gotta remain available for hockey, just in case you stumble on some motivation or conscience, right?
One lazy guy to another, I salute you, soldier. You've played enough games hurt that I can allow some missed games healthy. Enjoy your break.

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The Stanley Cup Visited Anaheim City Hall

My Photos via Flickr - See all of them here - Link

Melissa Robin got to visit it as well and posted some pictures. See all of them here - Link

 

AndyMacAttack has coverage from the Stanley's visit to city hall

So I barely made my way down to City Hall to see the Cup. I went to work early so I could get off early (3:30), but didn't end up getting out of there till 4. I then drove as quickly as I could down to City Hall, and made it with 10 minutes to spare. As I walked into City Hall there was the Stanley Cup in all of its beauty. There was barely a line so quickly I got to go up and finally take my picture with it. After that I headed over to the Council meeting because I knew they were going to have a special thing for the Cup. As I was sitting there waiting a few executives walked in (like Tim Ryan) and then the Sammy walked in. I was stoked because everyone knows how much he means to this team. They then did a ceremony for the cup and showed a sign that said Stanley Cup Way, which it sounded like will be a new name of a street somewhere around Honda Center. I then walked out because I really didn't care about anything else, and who was standing there in the hallway but Sammy. I went over and got my picture with him, and told him he was one of the hardest working players out there. I then shook his hand and headed back home with so much excitement I couldn't contain myself.

Read the other comments here - Link

Stanley Cup Journal Update

There was absolutely no doubt that the Stanley Cup would spend part of its summer in Cranbrook, British Columbia, a place with which it has become quite familiar. The Cup visited the city of 20,000 in 1995 when Scott celebrated the first of his Stanley Cup victories as part of the New Jersey Devils' squad. In 1996, Jon Klemm of the Colorado Avalanche took the Stanley Cup home to Cranbrook. In 1997 and 1998, Cranbrook-born Steve Yzerman captained the Detroit Red Wings to Stanley Cup victories. Brad Lukowich of the Dallas Stars took the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Cranbrook in 1999. In 2000, Scott Niedermayer returned home with the Stanley Cup for a second time. Jon Klemm of the Avalanche returned to Cranbrook with the Stanley Cup for a second time in 2001. Cranbrook's Steve Yzerman won the Stanley Cup for a third time with the Red Wings in 2002. In 2003, Scott Niedermayer arrived in Cranbrook after winning the Stanley Cup for a third time with the Devils. Brad Lukowich returned to Cranbrook with the Stanley Cup again in 2004, this time as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It's curious, but no matter how many times a town hosts a Stanley Cup celebration, the feeling never gets tired.

The plane carrying the Stanley Cup touched down in Cranbrook at 7:30 on the evening of Sunday, August 26. Greeting hockey's historic trophy were newlyweds Rob and Jessica Niedermayer, who earlier this summer had married and spent their honeymoon in Fiji. Jessica is the daughter of Barney Bentall, leader of the Legendary Hearts, who enjoyed musical success with songs like 'Something to Live For' back in 1987.

Rob Niedermayer hangs out with Stanley at his brother's ranch in Cranbrook, British Columbia.
(Mike Bolt/HHOF)

Rob took the Stanley Cup to his ranch, situated in an extraordinary location near Norbury Lake at the base of a nearby mountain range known as The Steeples. After visiting his friend Albert Comfort at a neighbouring ranch, the Cup was taken to the lake for photographs. Deer, usually timid at the sight of humans, grazed casually nearby, unaware of the significance of the big silver thing being carried about.

One of the principal goals of the visit to Cranbrook for Rob was to get photographs with the Stanley Cup at the top of Bull Mountain, which can be seen from his home. Scott had done similar shots on an earlier visit and they are among the most spectacular shots ever taken with the Lord Stanley's legacy.

That evening, Rob and Jessica invited a third party into their bedroom for a special night. They slept with the Stanley Cup.

* * *

After being dropped off via helicopter near the peak of Bull Mountain, brothers Rob (left) and Scott (right) Niedermayer prepare for their dream photo with the Stanley Cup atop a glacier.
(Mike Bolt/HHOF)

The sun rose on Cranbrook Monday, August 27 with a full itinerary planned for the Stanley Cup. To begin the day, one of Rob's horses dined on oats eaten out of the Stanley Cup. Then, more pictures were taken with the Cup around the Niedermayer ranch.

The tour began with a Monday morning visit to the office of Dr. Robert Niedermayer, father to the two Stanley Cup champions. Scott met his Dad and brother there, joining the activities for the day.

After a stop at the local police station, the boys dropped into Stefan's Hair Studio, where their mother, Carol, gets her hair done. Rob and Scott's Mom had heard that Stefan Zhukrovsky was not going to be able to attend the reception for the boys that day, so they surprised him and his 12-year-old son Conner by bringing the Stanley Cup to them. It was a day for streaks and shrieks at Stefan's that morning!

At noon, the Niedermayers arrived at the Cranbrook RecPlex. They made their entrance on a truck that circled the perimeter of the rink. With well over a thousand people looking on, Mayor Ross Priest declared August 27 Rob and Scott Niedermayer Day in Cranbrook.

The boys were greeted by a non-stop phalanx of light as fans took pictures of the local boys with the Stanley Cup. The media attended in abundance, firstly to celebrate a momentous occasion and secondly, hoping to discover whether Scott intended to play hockey in 2007-08. Scott did offer a clue: "I'm not tired of the question; I just wish someone would give me the answer!" Rob laughed, adding, "I've still got a couple of weeks left to try to talk him out of retirement." A later press conference confirmed that although Scott had not yet decided whether to retire, he would not be attending Anaheim's training camp.

The boys answered a number of questions about the significance of returning home with the Stanley Cup. "We heard from a lot of people that they really enjoyed watching this Stanley Cup final with Rob and I playing," Scott mentioned. Rob smiled and punctuated his elation in winning the Cup with his brother. "I don't think anything in my career will ever top Scott passing me the Stanley Cup!"

Read the rest here - Link

 The Cup Keepers photoblog has been updated as well, here are a few choice selections. 

 

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Tuesday News - Training Camp Portion

Today was a busy day with the first day of training camp and the Stanley cup visiting Anaheim City Hall.  I was first in line at city hall was able to touch it and get a picture with it.  So if you did not get to go, make sure you go to the Newport Sports Musuem this Friday and check it out!

Training Camp News, videos and Photos

Here are a couple of my videos from Training Camp.. 

 

Official Ducks Coverage

The Ducks open training camp with a different look than the team that capture its first Stanley Cup title three months ago. Missing from camp are captain Scott Niedermayer and leading goal-scorer Teemu Selanne, both of whom are still contemplating retirement.

But the Ducks still come to camp with veterans Chris Pronger, Andy McDonald, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, third-year stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, newcomers Mathieu Schneider and Todd Bertuzzi and a hungry group of rookies looking to make the roster of the defending champions. Everyone will be preparing for the earliest start to the season the Ducks have ever had, as they open in London against the Kings on Sept. 29 and 30.  

Starting today, AnaheimDucks.com is with the Ducks throughout training camp, offering features, photos, audio clips and more.

Ducks Training Camp Guide

9/11/07

The Ducks opened camp with a scrimmage this morning at Anaheim ICE, in which a couple hundred fans showed up to take a look. Absent from the scrimmage, aside from Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, were J.S. Giguere and Samuel Pahlsson, both recovering from abdominal surgeries.

Photos from the Scrimmage

Audio from the first day of camp

 

Randy Carlye Part 1 Randy Carlyle Part 2
Chris Pronger
Mathieu Schneider
Todd Bertuzzi
Video of all four interviews

 

LA Times has a look at the Ducks training camp

Scott Niedermayer, who is contemplating retirement, is officially suspended without pay in a move expected because of salary cap issues. Teemu Selanne also remains noncommittal about his future.

8:55 PM PDT, September 11, 2007

Training camp officially opened for the Ducks on Tuesday and, as expected, there were two notable no-shows as Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne continue to contemplate retirement.
And, as expected, Niedermayer was officially suspended without pay on Tuesday in what is basically a move that will give the Ducks some salary cap relief if he stays on the sideline into the regular season.
The 34-year-old captain's $6.75-million salary would come off the Ducks' current $49-million cap figure.
"It wasn't a fun phone call," General Manager Brian Burke said. "But he was expecting it. He's a professional."
Also on Tuesday, Burke met with Selanne but divulged little over what they spoke about, other than to say the unrestricted star forward remains noncommittal about his future.
There had been indications that Selanne was waiting to see what Niedermayer would do.
"There's no change," Burke said. "We talked about a few other things but I'll keep that between us."

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The Globe and Mail has their take

Training camp has opened early for the Stanley Cup champions, minus a few familiar faces.

The Anaheim Ducks began practising in California without future Hall of Fame players Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, who are both undecided about continuing their splendid NHL careers.

Anaheim general manager Brian Burke met yesterday with Selanne, an unrestricted free agent who scored 48 goals last season, but was unable to get a firm answer about the 37-year-old right winger's possible return.

Meanwhile, the club suspended Niedermayer, 34, meaning his salary won't count against its total while he continues to mull over his playing future.

Niedermayer is under contract for another two years, with $13.4-million (U.S.) still on the table for the smooth-skating defenceman who may have tired of the rigours of more than 14 professional seasons.

Adding to the problems of Burke and Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle is opening the regular season on the road — overseas in London on Sept. 29 against the Los Angeles Kings.

"It's an honour to go," Burke said with bravado during an NHL telephone conference call. "When the league asks you to go, you go. We're extending our brand overseas. It's a chance to market our game internationally."

Burke conceded it's not the ideal way to begin a new season so soon after a championship — the first for the Ducks — because their training camp started a few days ahead of those of the other teams. As do their exhibition schedule and then the first games of the regular season on consecutive nights in faraway London.

With off-season player shuffles and Selanne's indecision, the Ducks were forced to make changes to their first three lines, which played the majority of minutes in the 2006-07 regular season and playoffs.

Newcomer Todd Bertuzzi likely will replace Selanne on the top line alongside Andy McDonald and Chris Kunitz.

Bertuzzi, 32, played sparingly with the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings last season before using free agency to sign with the Ducks. He must prove he still has the skating speed after back surgery to keep up with new linemates.

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The Daily Breeze has their coverage

Training camp opens today for the Ducks, who seek to defend their Stanley Cup title. Roll call?

Scott Niedermayer, one of the NHL's top defensemen, might be driving his kids to school. Teemu Selanne, one of the Ducks' most dynamic forwards, probably will be racing his Ferrari somewhere.

The Ducks will attempt to become the NHL's first repeat champions since Detroit 10 years ago, but they won't get a true sense of their team until Niedermayer and Selanne, both of whom remain undecided about playing this season, announce their intentions. And neither player has set a timetable for that.

So the Ducks will press forward. Niedermayer, at age 34, has two years left on his contract. Selanne, 37, is a free agent but won't play anywhere but Anaheim. No matter what they do, the Ducks are stacked.

Not certain of his veterans' plans, and not wanting to be left shorthanded, Ducks general manager Brian Burke turned pro-active and signed defenseman Mathieu Schneider and forward Todd Bertuzzi.

If Niedermayer and Selanne decide to play at some point this season, the Ducks will be ridiculously talented. But if both decide to hang up their skates, the Ducks won't suffer much of a drop-off this season.

It all starts in goal, where Jean-Sebastien Giguere, in the prime of his career at age 30, signed a four-year, $24 million contract this summer to stay with the Ducks. Things are so good for the Ducks that their backup goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, could be a solid starter for any number of teams.

On defense, Chris Pronger remains one of the NHL's elite defensemen and would help make a formidable No. 1 defensive pairing with either Schneider or Francois Beauchemin.

The Ducks are even deeper at forward. Losing Selanne, and his team-high 48 goals and 94 points, would be a major blow, but wingers such as Ryan Getzlaf (25 goals, 33 assists last season) and Chris Kunitz (25 goals, 35 assists last season) seem well prepared to step up and play first-line minutes.

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CBC/Canadian Press has their analysis

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - The shortest summer in Anaheim Ducks history ended Tuesday when the defending Stanley Cup champions opened training camp without captain Scott Niedermayer and unrestricted free agent Teemu Selanne.

Ducks general manager Brian Burke had no other recourse but to suspend Niedermayer, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs and has been contemplating retirement.

The 34-year-old defenceman hasn't decided whether to return for a 14th NHL season. The 2004 Norris Trophy winner had a career-high 69 points last season en route to his fourth Stanley Cup title.

"I spoke to him, and obviously he knew it was coming," Burke said of the suspension. "It wasn't a fun phone call, but he expected it. He's a professional.

"The only option the club has is to wait. I mean, this is a player who's earned the right to make this call."

Selanne, the franchise's career leading goal scorer, also is considering retirement. Last season, his 13th in the league, he accomplished his goal of winning an NHL championship.

He wasn't suspended because he's a free agent. Niedermayer has two years and US$13.5 million left on a four-year contract. As of now, the team's facilities are off limits to him.

"I want our fans to understand that we didn't have a choice but to suspend Scotty," Burke said. "I think for some of our fans, that might seem like a harsh step. And it's not. That's what we have to do.

"There also seems to be a notion on the websites in Canada that these players are inconveniencing us in some way, or that this is working to the detriment of the hockey club. And nothing could be further from the truth."

Selanne, 37, was third in the league with 48 goals last season, becoming the first NHL player with consecutive 40-goal seasons after age 35.

"I met with Teemu this morning and there's no change. He's not prepared to come in," Burke said. "We talked about a few other things, but I'll keep that between us. He's unrestricted, so he didn't even have to come in and talk to me if he didn't want to.

"But we feel that we've plugged in a couple of players who should replace the two players who might not be back and we'll go from there."

Ducks forward Rob Niedermayer doesn't have any more insight into his brother's plans than the front office.

"That's his decision, and I can't predict anything," the younger Niedermayer said. "He's going to make that decision when he feels comfortable, and everyone in this dressing room is comfortable with that. I'm sure I'll be one of the first ones to know, but his family is something that's come first for him."

The Ducks, who begin defence of their title with two regular-season games in London against the rival Los Angeles Kings, leave for England on Sept. 24. Before that, they will play seven pre-season games in 11 days, starting with a matchup with the Kings on Thursday night.

"You can only start with the people that are here," said coach Randy Carlyle, rewarded with a one-year contract extension during the off-season. "As a coach, you live in the real world. Our training started here this morning, and we're going forward with this group. If the others at some point decide they want to join us, we will welcome it."

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The Orange County register offers up their take

The Ducks arrived at training camp a year ago among an elite group of top-flight Stanley Cup contenders and fulfilled that immense promise nearly nine months later, capping a magical season by winning the first championship in franchise history.

They will show up at Anaheim Ice today to begin defense of that title in a decidedly different state, burdened by a host of potentially debilitating circumstances, some painfully familiar to past champions and others perhaps unprecedented in NHL history.

It is a testament to the club's immense talent base that the Ducks still appear formidable despite the absence of last season's leading scorer, right wing Teemu Selanne, and top-scoring defenseman, team captain Scott Niedermayer. The short off-season was not lengthy enough for either seemingly certain Hall of Famer to reach a decision on possible retirement. Neither will be in training camp, at least at the outset, leaving two huge voids — and more than a bit of room for potential distraction.

"Our preparation has to be that we take the worst-case scenario — that they both won't be back," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "There are lots of distractions that will be taking place here in the next month and a half. We have to be as focused as possible, and eliminate potential excuses. Accepting the responsibility is probably the No. 1 thing we have to grasp as a group."

Carlyle spoke to players at the club's customary training-camp dinner Monday night, but the theme won't stop there.

"It's not something you just show up one day and produce that message," he said. "You have to constantly remind, refresh, talk about it. We're selling a program. We're expecting our hockey club to play to a high level. We're expecting that when they drop the puck in London."

London?

As if it weren't challenge enough to play into June and rebound in October, everything has been moved up a few days for the Ducks, who will open the regular season Sept. 29-30 with a two-game set against the Kings in Jolly Old England as part of NHL Premiere, the league's latest overseas venture to "grow the game."

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MVN has their analysis

The Anaheim Ducks opened their on-ice portion of training camp today at Anaheim Ice. Yesterday was spent doing evaluations and team physicals and miscellaneous paperwork. As expected, Scott Niedermayer did not show up to report to camp. Since Niedermayer is still under contract until he makes a retirement decision, GM Brian Burke had no choice but to suspend him. The suspension means that the Ducks budget can breathe a little for now.

Other players missing in action are Teemu Selanne, who is also pondering retirement but does not have a contract with the Ducks or any other team, and Sami Pahlsson who is still recovering from last week’s hernia surgery. Jean-Sebastian Giguere, who also underwent hernia surgery in August, skated on his own without any gear prior to practice. Giguere is expected to join the team in workouts by next week.

The players are split into two groups, A & B, with one team on each of the rinks at the same time. Group A practiced on the NHL rink and consisted of goalies Jonas Hiller and Gerald Coleman; defensemen Clay Wilson, Brett Skinner, Joe Callahan, Brian Salcido, Brett Festerling, Shane Hnidy, Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin; forwards Andy MacDonald, Corey Perry, Bobby Bolt, Matt Beleskey, Todd Bertuzzi, Todd Marchant, Andrew Ebbett, Travis Moen, Mike Hoffman, Petteri Wirtanen, Matt Keith, Brad May, and Dan LaCouture.

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