December 2008 Archives

Or is it "ballot e-stuffing"? The phrase hasn't quite been coined yet. I'm going with "e-stuffing."

Anyway, someone was apparently stuffing the NHL All-Star ballot with votes from one cell phone number, and thousands of votes were recently deducted from the totals of Chris Pronger, Ryan Getzlaf, J-S Giguere and Scott Niedermayer. Check out Adam Brady's post on the team's Web site from Dec. 23.

Sorry I'm late on this ... just getting over the turkey.

Sure, the Ducks looked pretty bad last night in a 4-3 loss to Calgary, one that exposed just how bad this team might be with Teemu Selanne (and Francois Beauchemin, lest we forget) out of the lineup. 

David LeNeveu was returned to Iowa on Sunday, meaning neither rain, sleet, hail, snow or gloom of night will keep Jean-Sebastien Giguere from returning to the Ducks in time for Monday's game in Vancouver. LeNeveu served as the backup to Jonas Hiller Friday in Edmonton while Giguere attended his father's funeral in Montreal.

Teemu Selanne underwent an MRI this evening that revealed a cut in his left quadriceps muscle, an injury sustained Friday night at Edmonton. It did not damage any tendons or other connective tissue, and no surgery will be required. He is expected to return to the Ducks' lineup in 4-6 weeks.

The Ducks brought up center Andrew Ebbett from Iowa today after Teemu Selanne left with a lacerated thigh in the first period of Friday's 3-2 shootout win at Edmonton. The Ducks had a roster spot to burn since they traded Brian Sutherby, so it's no indication of whether or not Selanne will be placed on IR. He's flying to Anaheim to get his MRI at 4:15 p.m. today.

Color commentator Brian Hayward just announced during the telecast of the Ducks-Oilers game that Teemu Selanne will need an MRI on his right leg after he lacerated the area just above his knee (with his own skate, no less) during the first period. Not only is Selanne out for the game, the injury is apparently so serious that he's leaving the team midway through the first game of a five-game trip to get an MRI in Anaheim.

Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere's father died yesterday in Montreal. Claude Giguere was 63.

ESPN.com is reporting that Mats Sundin has narrowed his choices to the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, leaving the Ducks out of the derby for the Swedish winger.

This should come as little surprise; Sundin wasn't expected to play for less than $1.1 million in Anaheim when he could have 10 times as much with the first-place Canucks. If anything, Ducks fans should wonder who in the Rangers' front office has blackmail material on Sundin's agent.

The second trade of the Bob Murray era is complete, and it's slightly bigger than the first (which sent Joakim Lindstrom to the Phoenix Coyotes): Brian Sutherby is going to Dallas in exchange for a college player and a future draft pick.

...but the Stars haven't figured out where he will go. Check it out.

Tonight's 7 p.m. game against the St. Louis Blues is hat giveaway night at Honda Center. Tickets still remain and can be purchased by visiting AnaheimDucks.com, by calling 714-703-2545 or in person at the Honda Center box office.

The Anaheim Ducks signed left wing Eric Tangradi to a three-year entry-level contract Tuesday. The contract is believed to be closer to the league minimum ($475,000) than the Logan MacMillan/Bobby Ryan $1 million-plus range.

From Sporting News Today:

If you're anywhere near Battleship Park in Mobile, Alabama today at noon, check out the 53-foot trailer truck that will be leaving -- with a fair amount of fanfare, no doubt -- for Chicago's Wrigley Field. Inside this truck is the NHL's first traveling refrigeration system, and its deparure signals the beginning of what is billed by the Blackhawks as the "Road to Wrigley" tour. According to NHL.com, the truck houses the compressors, condensing tower, chillers, pumps -- everything you would find in an engine room at an NHL rink, and everything the league will need to produce ice for the third new Year's Day Winter Classic, which will pit the Blackhawks and defending champion Red Wings in this year's version at Wrigley Field. The truck's machinery, built by Cimco Refrigeration in Mobile, is scheduled to arrive in Chicago on Dec. 15. The 240 panels of aluminum flooring needed to build the main rink is being manufactured just outside Anaheim and will be delivered to Chicago by Dec. 12. 

Ducks GM Bob Murray today confirmed this report from TSN that Dave Nonis has been offered a front-office position by Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke. As of this moment, however, Nonis hasn't decided whether or not he'll take it.

Teemu Selanne's last 13 goals have all come on the power play. That is the second-longest such streak in NHL history.  Camille Henry had a record 17-straight power play goals for the Rangers from January to October 1954, and defenseman Andy Delmore had 13 in a row for Nashville from March 2002 to January 2003.

With the Ducks back in Orange County, presumably re-adjusting to Pacific Time after suddenly dropping out of Central Time in the third period of Wednesday's 4-2 loss in Chicago, an interesting story came across the team Web page today comparing the progress of Jake Gardiner and Colin Wilson.

And it's a little one, sending Joakim Lindstrom to the Phoenix Coyotes for defenseman Logan Stephenson. As trades involving two AHL players go, this is notable if only for the fact that Lindstrom was the Iowa Chops' leading scorer (7 goals, 21 points in 21 games). Stephenson is a defensive-minded former second-round draft pick, and he might not have been targeted were it not for Francois Beauchemin's injury that forced Brett Festerling up the ladder into the NHL.

The Carolina Hurricanes fired coach Peter Laviolette on Wednesday, meaning the two winningest American-born NHL coaches are without jobs. (Tampa Bay fired John Tortorella after he took the record last year; Laviolette passed Tortorella last month). The 'Canes won the Cup under Laviolette in 2006. The story, from sports.yahoo.com:

See if you can figure out what sort of a joke Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery is trying to say here. I'm still scratching my head and laughing over this one.

But who will start tonight in Detroit?? (4:30 p.m., FSN Prime Ticket)