July 2009 Archives

The Ducks have extended center Petteri Nokelaninen's contract one season, through 2011.

The 23-year-old split his third NHL season with Anaheim and Boston in 2008-09, combining for 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) with a +2 rating and 16 penalty minutes in 50 games. Overall, Nokelainen won 53.4% of his faceoffs (156-for-292) while averaging 11:15 time on ice (TOI) and 15.5 shifts per game. Nokelainen was acquired from Boston in exchange for defenseman Steve Montador on Mar. 4 and went on to appear in nine of Anaheim's 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games, missing four contests with an abdominal strain. He also missed three weeks at midseason with an eye injury sustained as a member of the Bruins.

Originally selected by the New York Islanders in the first round (16th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Nokelainen has appeared in 122 career NHL games with the Islanders, Bruins and Ducks, collecting 21 points (12 goals, 9 assists) with 39 PIM.

Ryan Getzlaf underwent successful sports hernia surgery today, the team announced. The injury was aggravated during summer workouts and did not improve over time, therefore surgery was recommended by the Ducks medical staff. The surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia.

Getzlaf is expected to be ready for training camp, though recent history suggests that might be an early projection.

On August 6, 2007, Jean-Sebastien Giguere had sports hernia surgery and was forced to miss the first two weeks of that season, returning Oct. 14. Then-Ducks center Samuel Pahlsson missed five games to start the 2007 season after undergoing the same surgery on Sept. 21.

All three were treated by the same doctor.

Pete Peeters, who was let go as the Edmonton Oilers' goaltenders coach earlier this month, will assume a similar position as the Ducks' goaltending consultant.

A quick e-mail from a Ducks spokesperson today revealed the digts we've all been waiting for...

Saku Koivu will wear #11
Joffrey Lupul will wear #14
Nick Boynton will wear #4

Koivu gets to keep the number he wore with the Canadiens, a natural choice since 11 wasn't already taken. Lupul, who wore #15 as a Mighty Duck and Philadelphia Flyer, apparently couldn't convince Ryan Getzlaf to cede his current number.

Mike Griffith of the Bakersfield Californian is reporting that the Ducks are likely to renew their ECHL affiliation with the Bakersfield Condors:

"There are pluses and minuses with everything and there were more pluses than minuses last year," said [Condors president Matthew] Riley, who met recently with the Ducks hierarchy in Anaheim. "People focus on the negative, but there was good in (the affiliation) last year."

And with one year of getting-to-know-you already in the books, Riley said said trying to work out the kinks could be better than starting all over.

The Ducks will travel 1,158 more miles this year than last, according to an exhaustive spreadsheet compiled by Dirk Hoag. On his blog, Mr. Hoag presents a table comparing the distances every NHL team will travel this season; the Ducks' total of 49,068 miles ranks fifth in the league, behind Calgary, Dallas, Phoenix and Edmonton -- which isn't too surprising considering how far each of those teams plays from their nearest rival.

The Ducks have signed Nicolas Deschamps, their second-round pick in 2008 (35th overall), to a three-year entry level contract worth a reported $2,212,500 ($737,500 a year).

The 19-year-old center appeared in 65 games with Chicoutimi of the QMJHL in 2008-09, scoring 65 points (25 goals, 41 assists) with 40 penalty minutes. He ranked third among the Sagueneens in scoring and second in assists. Deschamps also appeared in four QMJHL Playoff contests, notching three goals and four points. He made his professional debut with Iowa in the spring, notching one assist in two games for the Chops.

For what it's worth, Hockey's Future ranks the 6-1, 185-pound center 10th among Ducks Prospects. (Though it should be noted that Drew Miller ranks 17th on the same list, and Luca Sbisa is among "others receiving votes"). He is not to be confused with the classical French author of the same name.

The Ducks' former AHL affiliate, the Iowa Chops, have drawn interest from a pair of businessmen looking to buy the troubled franchise.

From the Des Moines Register:

Clark C. Griffith, a former executive with the Minnesota Twins and now a Minneapolis lawyer specializing in sports law, and Joe Kosich, managing member for Dornoch Capital Advisors of Pinehurst, N.C., confirmed Monday that they have been asked to gather information to determine whether its feasible to buy the hockey franchise from Dallas businessmen Bob and Kirby Schlegel.

"I have a person who has interest in the team," said Griffith, who is also commissioner of the six-team independent Northern League of Professional Baseball. "That means he is intrigued and wants to look at all of the documents he can. That doesn't mean someone is writing a check yet."

Nor does it mean the Ducks are closer to regaining an AHL affiliate. The Chops have been suspended involuntarily by the AHL's board of governors for the 2009-10 season for violating league rules. That's unlikely to change, especially with the league expected to announce schedules for its member teams in "early August," according to an AHL spokesperson.

Meanwhile, for the Ducks, the search for an AHL affiliate continues.

The Ducks avoided arbitration with James Wisniewski today by signing the defenseman to a 1-year contract worth $2.75 million.

"James Wisniewski was a big part of our team's turnaround last season," general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. "Being only 25 years old, we expect him to continue improving and make a large impact on our team going forward."

Wisniewski joined the Ducks in a midseason trade and established himself as a fixture in a talented defensive rotation. Paired with Scott Niedermayer, Wisniewski provided a suitable complement to the smooth-skating captain with his physical play and shot-blocking ability.

On a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon, Wisniewski said he was hoping to avoid arbitration all along, but also desired something longer than a one-year contract before he eventually came around.

Here it is:

Wednesday, 9/16: vs. Phoenix Coyotes, Honda Center, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday, 9/17: vs. Vancouver Canucks, Honda Center, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, 9/18: at Phoenix Coyotes, Jobing.com Arena, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, 9/19: at L.A. Kings, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, 9/21: vs. San Jose Sharks, Honda Center, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday, 9/24: at Vancouver Canucks, GM Place, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, 9/25: at San Jose Sharks, HP Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, 9/27: vs. L.A. Kings, Honda Center, 5:05 p.m.

Tickets will go on sale Saturday, Aug. 22 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased online at AnaheimDucks.com. Tickets will also be available by calling Ticketmaster at (714) 703-2545, or in person at the Honda Center box office on a first come, first served basis.

The complete NHL regular season schedule is expected to be released later this week.

1. Travis Moen has signed a three-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

Defenseman Steve McCarthy has signed a one-year contract with the Ducks. The 28-year-old defenseman has appeared in 302 career NHL games but played last season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), going scoreless with 16 PIM in 18 games with Ufa Salavat Yulayev.

He has modest career totals of 17 goals and 55 points in an NHL career that includes stints with the Blackhawks, Canucks and Thrashers during an eight-year NHL career. McCarthy last appeared in the NHL with Atlanta in 2007-08, collecting a goal and seven points with 48 PIM in 55 games. In 2006-07, he matched a personal best in points (16) while setting a career high in assists with the Thrashers.

Originally selected by Chicago in the first round (23rd overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, McCarthy spent his first four NHL seasons with Chicago before being acquired by Vancouver in exchange for a third-round selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft on Aug. 22, 2005. During his first season with the Canucks in 2005-06, he was acquired by Atlanta in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft on Mar. 9, 2006.

The Ducks' search for a veteran defenseman appears to be complete with the signing of Nick Boynton early Thursday to a one-year contract. He will earn $1.5 million after making $2.95 million with the Florida Panthers in 2008-09, the final year of a contract he originally signed with the Phoenix Coyotes.

"Nick is the type of veteran defenseman we were hoping to add to our lineup," general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. "He's played over 500 NHL games and brings a physical presence to our team."

After sharing his thoughts on Saku Koivu this afternoon with reporters, Bob Murray addressed the Ducks' remaining concerns.

The Ducks have signed unrestricted free agent center Saku Koivu to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. After spending all of his 14-year career with the Montreal Canadiens -- the last ten years as captain -- Koivu said he was lured by the chance to play with fellow Finn Teemu Selanne, as well as a more laid-back environment in Southern California.

The Ducks will host the Kings at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27 at the Honda Center. It's the preseason finale for the Kings, who released their schedule today, and might well be the preseason finale for the Ducks too, but they haven't released their schedule yet.

The Ducks have resigned forward Todd Marchant to a two-year contract that will pay the defensive specialist $1 million next year and $1.25 million in 2010-11.

"We're pleased that Todd will remain a Duck for the next two seasons," Ducks general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. "His versatility on the ice and presence in the locker room is something this club has deeply valued over the past four seasons."

Marchant, 35, notched five goals and 18 points in 72 games last season, his fourth in Anaheim. Marchant also appeared in all 14 of Anaheim's Stanley Cup Playoff contests, contributing one assist and one goal -- the triple-overtime winner in Game 2 of the conference semifinals on May 3 at Detroit.

The future of the Iowa Chops franchise grew dimmer today when the American Hockey League placed the franchise under involuntary suspension for violation of league rules. Iowa served as the Ducks' AHL affiliate last season.

Chris Pronger has signed a seven-year, $35 million contract extension to remain in Philadelphia. Pronger's new contract will expire in 2016, when the defenseman will be 41 years old.  

Want to relive the Ducks' best moments from 2008-09? Longing for the days of Chris Pronger in black-and-gold? FSN Prime Ticket is reserving its 7 p.m. time slot beginning tomorrow night for select Ducks reruns from the past season.

The complete schedule ...

Restricted free-agent defenseman Brian Salcido accepted the Ducks' qualifying offer, a one-year, two-way contract that will pay $550,000 if he reaches the NHL and $62,000 in the minors.

The 24-year-old from Hermosa Beach appeared in his first two NHL games last season, notching one assist. For AHL affiliate Iowa, Salcido had 10 goals and 43 points in 76 games and was the leading scorer among Chops defensemen.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Francois Beauchemin away from the Ducks with a three-year contract worth $11.4 million. 

Restricted free-agent defenseman James Wisniewski has elected to go to salary arbitration with the Ducks.

The Ducks are searching for an AHL affiliate, and one person seems to think the answer is even closer than Iowa.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Ron Hahn, who once ran the San Diego Gulls on behalf of the San Diego Sports Arena, is talking to the Ducks about becoming their affiliate in the American Hockey League a year from now. Writes Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton: "As the AHL expands further west, want to bet we have AHL hockey here next winter? My bet is that it would be a hit."

Justin Kemp, who runs the ECHL's Ontario Reign with his father, Barry, also mentioned the possibility of an AHL presence in San Diego recently. If anything, Kemp suggested the 2010-11 season would be too early, but at least there are rumblings. San Antonio, Texas, is host to the nearest AHL team to California. Its territory is decidedly in the American Northeast, though the league has been expanding gradually westward in recent years.

Speaking of the ECHL, a TV report out of Bakersfield tonight suggested that the Ducks might not be partners with the local Condors in 2009-10.

New Ducks defenseman Luca Sbisa gave the standard answer for an 18-year-old acquired by Anaheim: He's looking forward to going to the beach. That, and a few more revealing answers, in this Q&A with The Fourth Period.

Hockey Canada announced today that Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have been invited to participate in Canada's National Men's Hockey orientation camp. The camp, which precedes the selection of Team Canada's 2010 Olympic team, will be held Aug. 24-27 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary. Niedermayer, Getzlaf and Perry were among 46 players invited to the camp.

In a conference call this afternoon, Ducks general manager Bob Murray offered a pessimistic outlook for bringing back checking forwards Todd Marchant and Rob Niedermayer, and defenseman Francois Beauchemin.

Scott Niedermayer re-signed this morning for one year at $6 million, plus bonuses which will not count against the Ducks' cap number.

"Keeping Scott Niedermayer in an Anaheim Ducks jersey was paramount for our club," Ducks general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. "We're extremely pleased he's chosen to remain with us and look forward to another great season from a Hall of Fame-bound player."

The captain was named an all-star in 2008-09, his 17th NHL season. He played in all 82 regular-season games and 13 more in the playoffs, and waited until the hours leading up to the draft last Friday to postpone retirement one more year.

Erik Christensen will return to the Ducks on a 1-year contract worth $750,000, which is what he earned last year.