September 2009 Archives
First, the Ducks' good news: Both Joffrey Lupul and Petteri Nokelainen returned to practice on Wednesday.
The bad news? Nokelainen, who strained his groin on Sunday, had to leave midway through practice and was to be evaluated by team trainers.
Meanwhile Lupul, who's had a recurrence of back spasms, made it through practice. But head coach Randy Carlyle said there's always a level of caution with back injuries.
"I think anytime you have a muscle that goes into - I don't know if you'd call a cramp - or whatever you want to call it, in the back area, there's always concern," Carlyle said. "Usually though if you get a couple good days, then you strtengthen other areas around it - that's what therapy does - it corrects itself and you can move on."
The status of both players for Saturday's regular-season opener against San Jose is yet to be determined.
For a coach who can be comically redundant about taking one game at a time, Randy Carlyle took a huge look forward Wednesday when asked about keeping 19-year-old Luca Sbisa in the NHL this season.
"He's not afraid to do things with (the puck)," Carlyle said of Sbisa. "The one thing you notice about the best defensemen who play the game ... when they have the puck, they're never under pressure. They can be very calm when they have the puck, and they want it more, and they do usually have it a lot in the game.
"Those are the types of players who seem to have the ability to extend their careers a long time, and play huge minutes and make contributions."
Continue reading How the Ducks decided their 'D.'.
Ending weeks of suspense, the Ducks announced their final training camp cuts Wednesday: Defenseman Brendan Mikkelson is headed to the AHL's Toronto Marlies [corrects from San Antonio] while forward Logan MacMillan has been assigned to ECHL Bakersfield.
That spares defenseman Luca Sbisa another year of juniors, cements Sheldon Brookbank as the team's seventh defenseman, and leaves forwards Andrew Ebbett and Erik Christensen as the offensive weapons in reserve.
The Ducks have 25 players still left on their training camp roster, and can only have 23 by noon. Randy Carlyle has said (nearly outright) that left wing Logan MacMillan will be one of the cuts. But who will be the other?
Most likely the Ducks will keep the other 14 forwards and 7 of the 8 defensemen currently on the roster. However, Carlyle acknowledged Tuesday that keeping all 8 defensemen and 13 forwards was also a possibility.
"I would say in the league, if you asked any coach or general manager that you can never have enough of, which position do you think 90 percent of them would say?" the coach asked rhetorically.
Both 14 and 7, or 13 and 8, are viable options because cap space is not an issue this season, unlike each of the past two training camps. Here's a shakedown of the players on the bubble:
Continue reading Vote: Who should the Ducks cut?.
Andrew Ebbett is a quiet and unassuming man at 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds, the type of professional athlete who, if he introduces himself as a professional athlete, makes you do a double-take. He's easy to overlook.
Coming off his first NHL season, nobody bothered to ask Ebbett what he thought the Ducks needed to do in the off-season. If they had, he probably wouldn't have suggested bringing in another second-line center, the job he held throughout last season's playoff run.
Of course, the Ducks promptly signed Saku Koivu to take Ebbett's place. His reaction?
Continue reading Is Ebbett's time up in Anaheim?.
No cuts in practice today, only two notable absences.
Joffrey Lupul, who missed two preseason games with a bad back before returning to play in Sunday's finale against the Kings, did not participate in practice.
"He's had some tightness in his lower back area," head coach Randy Carlyle said, "and we seem to be able to loosen it up, and then he goes out and does anything, it seems to cramp back up. We're more precautionary. He did skate the other day, was fit enough to play but yesterday after treatment it persisted, so we felt it was best interests for him not to skate today."
Carlyle said that Petteri Nokelainen strained his groin muscle against San Jose on Friday toward the end of the second period. The center skated prior to practice Tuesday but didn't participate in drills.
Logan MacMillan "has had some issues," Carlyle said, and was in the trainer's room too. The 20-year-old has played in just one preseason game.
"What we're trying to do is educate him in some of the training issues and whatnot; we're keeping the player around," Carlyle said. "We feel he's got a lot to learn in a short period of time around our group. He's got a short period of time right now for him to be with us. But obviously tomorrow has to change."
Brendan Mikkelson wasn't exactly expected to be in Anaheim still. Certainly not considering defensemen Steve McCarthy, Jassen Cullimore, Brian Salcido and Brett Festerling were all cut from the Ducks' training camp first.
Which is what made Sunday's game against the Kings, the Ducks' final action of the preseason, so important for the 22-year-old.
Continue reading Mikkelson makes his case..
After the Ducks' on-the-fly rebuild over the summer, it led many to believe that the low-scoring victories that marked the team's 2007 Stanley Cup run were a thing of the past. Certainly losing marquee defensemen Chris Pronger and François Beauchemin, and adding Joffrey Lupul and Saku Koivu, would tilt the team's balance in favor of the offense.
Sunday's 5-4 win over the Kings in the Ducks' preseason finale only reinforced that hypothesis.
Continue reading Ducks' first order of business? Defense..
Bobby Ryan notched two goals and an assist, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry each had one goal and one assist, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 31 of 35 shots as the Ducks ended their preseason with a 5-4 win over the Kings.
Getzlaf and Perry were on the ice for all but the last of the five goals. That goal -- the eventual game-winner -- came from Joffrey Lupul at the tail end of a 3-on-1 rush with Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne with 2:35 left in the third period.
With the Kings holding a 6-on-5 advantage, Anze Kopitar stuffed in a goal on Giguere from the doorstep with 1:13 left, making it 5-4.
James Wisniewski had a pair of assists and Koivu, Selanne and Scott Niedermayer had one assist apiece. The Ducks conclude the preseason with a 5-3 record and won't play again until the season opener against San Jose, at Honda Center on Saturday.
Troy Bodie has been assigned to San Antonio of the AHL, giving the Ducks 15 forwards as the preseason concludes.
Figure that center Andrew Ebbett and left wing Logan MacMillan are in the running for the final forward spot. Both players, along with center Petteri Nokelainen, were healthy lineup scratches Sunday night against the Kings.
A 6-foot-4, 214-pound right wing, Bodie projected as a big body on the energy line. By going with either the 5-9 Ebbett or the 6-1 MacMillan, the Ducks will enter the season with a smaller lineup -- certainly, a smaller energy line -- than in recent years.
Bodie made his NHL debut last year in Anaheim and appeared in four regular-season games, recording four penalty minutes without a point. In four preseason games, Bodie had no points, 10 penalty minutes and a minus-2 rating.
Left wing Kyle Calder and defensemen Jassen Cullimore were released from their Pro Tryout Contracts by the Ducks on Saturday, giving the team's younger talent room to breathe and further clarifying the picture on defense.
Also Saturday, goaltender Justin Pogge and forward Ryan Donally were both sent to San Antonio of the AHL.
Continue reading Calder, Cullimore, Pogge, Donally cut..
Justin Pogge's slim-to-nonexistent chances of making the Ducks' opening-day roster vaporized in a 6-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Friday. The two teams will square off in the Ducks' regular-season opener in seven days.
Pogge was not helped by a defense that allowed 36 shots by the Sharks to the Ducks' 15, all of which were stopped by Evgeni Nabokov. Ryan Whitney, Nick Boynton, Luca Sbisa, Sheldon Brookbank and Brendan Mikkelson comprised the blue line missing two of its regular-season minutes-eaters: Scott Niedermayer and James Wisniewski.
Low scoring (zero goals in 2008-09) defenseman Douglas Murray had a hat trick at HP Pavilion.
Nothing to do with the Ducks, but an interesting story nonetheless. Ex-Ducks general manager Brian Burke, when he was still GM of the Vancouver Canucks in 2005, offered a two-way contact to Steve Moore. Moore is the player who has sued Todd Bertuzzi over a 2004 hit that has left him unable to play since -- which makes the offer of a contract one year later intriguing.
Rob Niedermayer is headed to the team that made his brother, Scott, famous: The New Jersey Devils.
The free-agent forward, whom the Ducks chose not to re-sign in the offseason and was reportedly considering offers from the KHL, heads to New Jersey on a one-year contract.
Continue reading Devils sign Rob Niedermayer..
Mark Mitera was assigned to San Antonio of the AHL today, further clearing the Ducks' defensive logjam. That leaves nine defensemen still in training camp: Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Whitney, James Wisniewski, Nick Boynton, Steve Eminger, Luca Sbisa, Jassen Cullimore, Sheldon Brookbank and Brendan Mikkelson.
The 21-year-old Mitera was the Ducks' first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2006 entry draft. He finished last season with the Ducks' former AHL affiliate in Iowa, notching two assists in five games. Mitera's final season at the University of Michigan was cut short by an ACL tear in October 2008, and remaining in the Ducks' camp so late into the preseason was the surest sign of his recovery.
Mitera appeared in one preseason game, Sept. 17 against the Vancouver Canucks, and finished minus-2 in just over 14 minutes of ice time.
Ducks owner Henry Samueli's latest appeal to avoid prison time was turned down Thursday in federal court.
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday said it could not reinstate a proposed plea bargain that called for Samueli to serve five years of probation, pay a $250,000 fine and pay $12 million to the U.S. Treasury Department, according to a Reuters report.
Samueli has been prohibited by the NHL from being involved in the Ducks' day-to-day business since he was indicted in a stock backdating scheme.
U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney in Santa Ana has not set a sentencing date.
Teemu Selanne scored on a sharp-angled shot past Andrew Raycroft 3:49 into the extra period, bailing the Ducks out in a game they lead 2-0. Corey Perry and Ryan Whitney also scored goals, and Jonas Hiller stopped 23 of 25 shots.
Brendan Mikkelson made a strong case to make the opening day roster, picking up an assist on Perry's goal and getting robbed of a potential goal by Raycroft in the first period. Saku Koivu (who passed to Selanne for the OT goal) had two assists, and Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf (in his preseason debut) and Scott Niedermayer had one helper apiece.
Continue reading Ducks 3, Canucks 2, OT..
Phoenix forward Francis Lessard has been suspended five games for his hit on the Ducks' Ryan Donally last Friday. The suspension spans the Coyotes' final two regular-season games, as well as the first three games of the regular season.
Continue reading Coyotes' player suspended for hit on Donally.
The Ducks announced today that the club will host its "Meet the Team" event on Wednesday at [seven degrees] art studio in Laguna Beach. Beginning at 7 p.m., fans will have the opportunity to participate in a special wine tasting event, which will benefit both the Anaheim Ducks Foundation and Register Charities.
The entire Ducks roster, coaches and management will attend. Click here for the full release.
The entire Ducks roster, coaches and management will attend. Click here for the full release.
The Ducks are reporting on their team Web site that Ryan Getzlaf may make his preseason debut tonight. The report lists Getzlaf in his usual spot between Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry; Andrew Ebbett shifting to the wing on a second line with Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne; and Joffrey Lupul (stiff back) and Erik Christensen (shoulder) out of the lineup.
Steve McCarthy, a veteran defenseman who spent last season in the KHL, was traded to Atlanta for future considerations a day after clearing waivers.
The 28-year-old appeared in two preseason games as a Duck, collecting one assist and seven penalty minutes. His trade leaves the team with five defensemen (Brendan Mikkelson, Jassen Cullimore, Sheldon Brookbank, Mark Mitera, Luca Sbisa) in the running for two roster spots.
Continue reading McCarthy traded to Atlanta.
Randy Carlyle on Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne, who finally connected in the third period Monday when Koivu assisted Selanne's power-play goal:
They were better tonight. They didn't turn the puck over nearly as many times. They simplified it. That's the key, especially now for this group, to simplify and get the staples of our structure down pat. And the expectations, what you do in this situation, what you do in that situation, and learn those things. We've got a fairly large group of people that are new to us. It's not like we're the same team we were last year. It's probably 7 or 8 new faces, that's almost 50 percent of the team.
The Ducks have sent forward Matt McCue to Manitoba of the AHL, trimming its training camp roster to 32: 18 forwards, 11 defensemen and three goaltenders.
The 6-5 converted defenseman left a mark with his fists, pummeling the Vancouver Canucks' Alexandre Bolduc in one of two fights last Thursday at Honda Center, and was held scoreless in two preseason games. McCue (career stats) went undrafted in June out of the Western Hockey League.
Some writers have suggested that, when general manager Bob Murray revamped the Ducks' roster this past summer, he was abandoning the penchant for pugilism that Brian Burke brought to Anaheim in 2005.
Anyone who saw Monday's game at Honda Center saw that little has changed.
Continue reading It's only September, but Bobby Ryan is fighting..
Even when Jonas Hiller was starting the final seven games of the 2008-09 regular season, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere wasn't, Randy Carlyle called his goaltenders "1-A and 1-B" and left you, the fan, to decide your preferred alphabetical order. Not until playoff time was there a distinct number 1 (Hiller) and number 2 (Giguere).
Asking the Ducks' coach to nail down a starter at this point in the preseason, then, might be as appealing as pulling teeth - something hockey coaches are historically familiar with. Especially when Giguere stopped 23 of 25 shots in a 3-2 Ducks' win Monday, bringing his two-game total to 37 stops on 41 shots. Meanwhile, Hiller has stopped 40 of 44 in his two appearances.
With three preseason games left to decide the team's most prominent position battle, there doesn't seem to be a clear favorite.
Continue reading Hiller vs. Giguere: Taking stock..
Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne and James Wisniewski scored goals, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere looked solid again in a 23-save effort as the Ducks beat the Sharks, 3-2.
Selanne's one-timer on a power-play rush broke a 1-1 tie at 5:41 of the third period. The shot beat Evgeni Nabokov top-shelf and provided the first unofficial NHL assist from linemate Saku Koivu, who made the initial pass in the defensive zone.
Wisniewski scored a short-handed goal just over four minutes later, putting another one-timer past Nabokov. But Perry had the prettiest goal of the three, single-handedly spinning Nicholas Petrecki around in his tracks behind the net, then flipping the puck up at the last second to beat Nabokov. That goal tied the game at 1 with 2:45 left in the second period.
The Ducks were 2 seconds away from going into the locker room when Benn Ferreiro received a pinpoint backhand from Joe Thornton and beat Giguere for a power-play goal to make it 1-0 late in the first period.
Considering that Brett Festerling and Brian Salcido were among the last defensemen assigned to the American Hockey League in training camp a year ago, it's worth noting they were among the first on Saturday.
Salcido, who had to pass through waivers first, will start the season in Winnipeg with the AHL's Manitoba Moose. Festerling will join the San Antonio Rampage.
"We felt people here had outplayed the players we decided to reassign," a diplomatic Randy Carlyle said Monday. "We're going to put the best players on the ice ... we felt the other players were ahead of them."
Continue reading Mikkelson, Mitera survive first cuts..
Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf, progressing in his recovery from off-season sports hernia surgery, was scheduled to take part in light contact drills for the first time Monday.
Getzlaf has been skating with teammates since the beginning of training camp, but hasn't appeared in a preseason game or scrimmage. The center, who was due to skate after the players in tonight's lineup, said he would also do "some pushing and pulling stuff" as a strength test.
"Things are moving the right way," Getzlaf said. "It's still looking good for one of the last two preseason games."
We have a lineup, but no official line combos, for tonight's game against the San Jose Sharks.
(Just to repeat: We know who's skating at forward, defense, and goaltender, but I'm using my imagination on the linemates. Feel free to use yours ...)
Lupul-Koivu-Selanne
Ryan-Ebbett-Perry
Calder-Carter-Brown
Artyukhin-Nokelainen-Parros
Niedermayer-Wisniewski
Sbisa-Boynton
Whitney-Mikkelson
Giguere
Pogge
LW Matthew Beleskey, G Timo Pielmeier and RW Dan Sexton are headed to San Antonio of the AHL in the latest round of training camp cuts, announced Sunday. Anaheim now has 33 players remaining on its 2009 Training Camp Roster - 19 forwards, 11 defensemen and three goaltenders.
Sexton, 22, may have had the most eye-popping camp of the three, registering a goal and two assists in two preseason games. The 5-10, 170-pound right wing was an undrafted free-agent signee out of Bowling Green. His speed and dangerous wrist shot made him an offensive threat in both games.
Pielmeier, 20, also had a pair of standout efforts. In the Ducks' preseason opener last Wednesday, Pielmeier stopped 27 of 28 against the Phoenix Coyotes at Honda Center. He was also the unfortunate goalie Friday when the Phoenix Coyotes took 30 shots in the first period to the Ducks' 2. Pielmeier saved 28 of the 30, then stopped the final five shots he faced in the game, before giving way to J.P. Levasseur.
Pielmeier was a third-round draft pick of the Sharks in 2007 and came to Anaheim in the Travis Moen/Kent Huskins trade.
Beleskey, 21, was held scoreless in two appearances. The 2006 fourth-round draft pick didn't show the same scoring touch that allowed him to register 11 goals and 35 points in 58 games for Iowa (AHL) last season.
Saku Koivu scored his first goal as a Duck, Jonas Hiller stopped 22 of 25 shots, and the Ducks settled for a split in their fourth preseason game in as many days.
In what may be a preview of the Ducks' second line, Koivu anchored a second line between Joffrey Lupul and Teemu Selanne. His goal came on a power play at 19:28 of the second period.
Assigned to San Antonio (AHL):
Shawn Weller - Left Wing
Brett Festerling - Defenseman
MacGregor Sharp - Center
Maxime Macenauer - Center
J.P. Levasseur - Goaltender
Assigned to Manitoba (AHL):
Brian Salcido - Defenseman
Assigned to Juniors (Kelowna):
Brandon McMillan - Center
Anaheim now has 36 players remaining on its 2009 Training Camp Roster - 21 forwards, 11 defensemen and four goaltenders.
After an up and down season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Justin Pogge came to Anaheim with his role clearly defined as the organization's number three goaltender.
Being anything more seems impossible, barring injuries to Jonas Hiller or Jean-Sebastien Giguere, but that hasn't stopped Pogge from setting his training camp goals high.
"I'd love to make the team," he said. "I'm doing everything they tell me to try and stick around."
Continue reading Pogge on his first game..
Luca Sbisa scored the game-winning goal during a Ducks power play in overtime, completing a comeback in a game the Ducks trailed 3-0 in the third period.
Joffrey Lupul scored twice, and Dan Sexton once, as the Ducks (2-1) scored all four goals on the power play. Jean-Phillippe Levasseur (10 saves on 11 shots) and Timo Pielmeier (33-35) split the goaltending duties.
Sbisa finished with a goal and an assist, Lupul added an assist, and Maxime Macenauer had two assists for the Ducks.
It was news to Erik Christensen when Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said Wednesday that the forward, who is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, is unlikely to play in any preseason games.
On Friday, Christensen said there has been no setback in his injury. Just frustration that he hasn't been cleared for contact yet.
"I want to be back as soon as possible, or considered being put into a lineup as soon as possible," he said. "I don't know what that's going to take. I hoped to part of the last two or three exhibition games. If they have something dfferent in mind, I guess that's something I have to live with."
Christensen played through the injury last season after he was acquired from the Atlanta Thrashers in February. He had the surgery in June and has participated in all of the drills, but none of the full-contact scrimmages, during training camp.
"I want to be back soon, but it's not something you want to rush into," he said. "It would be really disappointing if I tweak it or did something that would set me back another week or two, where I'd have to see another doctor again, or another MRI. It's precautionary. We're being very careful with it. That's all you can do."
The only difference between Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu skating on the same line Thursday night, and the two skating together for the Finnish national team, was ... well ... everything.
"It's our first preseason game, and the Olympics or the Worlds are in between the season or at the end of the season," he said. "The preseason is time to get into game shape, get the conditioning where it is. The closer you get to the season, the better you want to play."
"Right now, we just have to be patient and keep working at it."
Continue reading Saku Koivu on his first game..
Here's how the Ducks will skate against the Kings on Saturday at Staples Center:
Beleskey Koivu Selanne
Calder Ebbett Perry
Donally Nokelainen Weller
Artyukhin Marchant Parros
Mikkelson Brookbank
Whitney Eminger
Festerling McCarthy
Hiller
Pielmeier
Calder Ebbett Perry
Donally Nokelainen Weller
Artyukhin Marchant Parros
Mikkelson Brookbank
Whitney Eminger
Festerling McCarthy
Hiller
Pielmeier
The Ducks announced today the following roster moves:
Assigned to junior team:
Josh Brittain - Left Wing (Barrie/OHL)
Mat Clark - Defenseman (Brampton/OHL)
Marco Cousineau - Goaltender (Drummondville/QMJHL)
Nicolas Deschamps - Center (Chicoutimi/QMJHL)
Peter Holland - Center (Guelph/OHL)
Stefan Warg - Defenseman (Seattle/WHL)
Anaheim now has 43 players remaining on its 2009 Training Camp Roster - 25 forwards, 13 defensemen and five goaltenders.
We're also told that Matt Clark's given first name is Mathew, with one 'T'. So the proper abbreviation is "Mat."
Jean-Sebastien Giguere may have fallen behind Jonas Hiller in the (very) early running for the No. 1 goalie position. He allowed two goals on 16 shots, and Justin Pogge stopped 19 of 20, as the Vancouver Canucks blanked the Ducks 3-0 at Honda Center.
For the second straight night, Ducks players not playing in tonight's preseason game (against the Vancouver Canucks) will help welcome fans by working at various locations at Honda Center. Starting at 6:30 p.m., the following players will work alongside Ducks/Honda Center staff members at the following locations:
• Jonas Hiller and Erik Christensen at Oggi's Pizza (200 level)
• Petteri Nokelainen at the Team Store (200 level)
• Joffrey Lupul at the Box Office
• Jonas Hiller and Erik Christensen at Oggi's Pizza (200 level)
• Petteri Nokelainen at the Team Store (200 level)
• Joffrey Lupul at the Box Office
From TSN.ca:
Sources tell TSN Rob Niedermayer is in negotiations with the KHL's (CSKA) Moscow Red Army and failing an NHL team surfacing with a suitable offer within the next few days, the veteran forward will sign a one-year contract to play in Russia.
Sources say Niedermayer has received some interest from NHL teams, but none of the offers have been considered financially worthy.
Niedermayer won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, but seems to be caught in the salary cap crunch a number of NHL teams are faced with.
Former NHLer Sergei Nemchinov is CSKA's head coach and general manager.
One year ago Bobby Ryan scored twice in the Ducks' preseason opener, a 6-4 win over the San Jose Sharks. Back then, Ryan was merely trying to make the team's opening-day roster as a rookie. He was quiet the rest of the preseason and was forced to begin the regular season not in Anaheim but in Des Moines, Iowa, due in part to salary-cap constraints.
The result was the same, but the circumstances could not have been more different when the Ducks' 2009 preseason began Wednesday.
Ryan, who finished 2008 as a Calder Trophy candidate and the Ducks' second-leading goal scorer, was wearing an alternate captain's "A" against the Phoenix Coyotes. Flanked by rookies Dan Sexton and Peter Holland, Ryan scored both goals in regulation, and another in the shootout, in the Ducks' 3-2 victory.
Continue reading What a difference a year makes for Bobby Ryan..
1. Randy Carlyle chose Joffrey Lupul, Sheldon Brookbank and Bobby Ryan as alternate captains for the game. His reason? "Just some guys that have some experience and whatnot with our group. I don't think it's fair to give it to a first-year member of your organization, and we had lots of them in our lineup."
2. Brookbank proved himself as a reliable sixth/seventh defenseman last season after being acquired from New Jersey, but this year finds himself in a logjam for one of the final roster spots. It won't help that he had one of the worst games of anyone in a Ducks uniform Wednesday, lowlighted by a risky pass in his own end that led to the game-tying goal in the third period by Chad Kolarik. He also carelessly allowed a puck to leave the offensive zone near the blueline in the first period. It will be interesting to see how, or if, he can recover.
3. Carlyle said following the game that Erik Christensen's comeback from off-season shoulder surgery will take longer than expected. "(Because of) the depth of his operation, the timeframe has been extended ... I was anticipating that he would participate in some (preseason) games, and that's unlikely," Carlyle said.
4. The game featured two fights: Troy Bodie was pummeling Daniel Winnik with his left fist when linesman Don Henderson got between the two in the second period. In the third period, Brookbank was knocked to the ice from behind by Ryan Hollweg and took offense, turned, and went after Hollweg while the puck was still live in the defensive zone. Slight edge to Hollweg in that one.
5. In addition to winning his fight, Bodie had a solid offensive game. He nearly scored the game's first goal, on a one-timer that clanged off the goal frame and was waved off at 8:15 of the first period. Then in the second, he made a long precision pass to Evgeny Artyukhin from right to left, but Artyukhin couldn't handle the puck cleanly and missed an open chance on the doorstep.
6. Carlyle on Luca Sbisa's game: "I thought he was erratic in some situations, but he has some skills that are definitely very, very prominent. From a skating standpoint, and he can definitely move the puck out of his zone. I think there's some positional areas he has to correct, and try not to do too much."
7. Carlyle on Brian Salcido: "Brian Salcido is a top offensive defenseman in the American Hockey League, and I guess this is his fourth year pro now, so it's time to test the water a little bit deeper, and a little bit hotter, and see how he plays. We'd like to utilize a player to his strengths, and his strength is moving the puck and playing in offensive situations. I thought he did OK. I thought he did well."
Bobby Ryan repeated his feat of a year ago, scoring twice in the Ducks' first game of the preseason, and tacked on another in the shootout to help beat the Phoenix Coyotes, 3-2 on Wednesday.
Joffrey Lupul also scored in the shootout, where Timo Pielmeier stopped both of the Coyotes' attempts after making 27 saves between regulation and overtime. Jonas Hiller started and stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced.
The Ducks allowed a total of 47 shots, and took just 30, prompting head coach Randy Carlyle after the game to say "our goaltenders kept us in the hockey game and won it in a shootout."
Here is the lineup the Ducks expect to use on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks at Honda Center:
70-Brittain 11-Koivu 10-Perry
32-Calder 48-Ebbett 8-Selanne
52-Donally 22-Marchant 16-Parros
61-McCue 64-McMillan 47-Weller
27-Niedermayer 73-Clark
43-Mitera 34-Wisniewski
19-Whitney 71-Warg
35-Giguere
31-Pogge
The Phoenix Coyotes' training camp media guide features an interesting slogan/logo on its front page: "WE PLAY FOR YOU," with an outline of the state of Arizona in the background. Here's what it looks like: http://coyotes.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?id=45908
The guess here is that the slogan/logo (slogo?) was intended to allay fears that the franchise could move to Canada. But with the battle for ownership (and possible relocation) still in court, the better slogan might be: "WE PLAY FOR WHOEVER THE JUDGE TELLS US TO PLAY FOR."
Defenseman Bret Hedican, who played 51 games for the Ducks in 2008-09 before injuries cut short his season, is retiring from the NHL.
The Minnesota native told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Looking back, I remember Curt Giles saying my first year, 'Bret, enjoy every day because it's going to go by really quick. I remember thinking that's crazy. Now looking back at my 17 years, man, it flew by. I'm really happy at my career and have no regrets."
Continue reading Hedican makes retirement official..
Jassen Cullimore and Kyle Calder each have a lot going for
them in Ducks' training camp.
They are experienced, but not old. In intrasquad scrimmages, both players have shown at least flashes of the skills that have allowed them to play a combined 23 NHL seasons. And for what it's worth, they've been assigned relatively low jersey numbers (32 for Calder and 40 for Cullimore), not the higher ones reserved for minor-league and junior-league players, a superficial suggestion that they're not about to get cut.
Continue reading Cullimore and Calder: Who they are, what they're doing here..
After their third intrasquad scrimmage in three days, Randy Carlyle guaranteed that the Ducks are tired of playing other Ducks. The fans aren't tired of watching it -- there were several hundred in the crowd at Anaheim ICE on Tuesday morning -- but it's clear by now that some players are looking to hit a bit harder than they're able to against their own teammates.
Continue reading Notes from Day 3 of camp..
From the Ducks staff:
Several Ducks veterans who will not dress for the preseason games on Wednesday and Thursday will welcome fans back by working at various Honda Center locations.Starting at 6:30 p.m., players will work alongside Ducks/Honda Center staff members at locations such as the box office, team store, and concession stands. There will be a listing at the Fan Zone (located across from section 210) as to what players are participating and where they are located.
Here's are your forward and defense combinations for tomorrow night against Phoenix, as posted in the locker room this morning:
Bobby Ryan-Peter Holland-Dan Sexton
Nicolas Deschamps-Maxime Macenauer-Joffrey Lupul
Evgeny Artyukhin-Ryan Carter-Troy Bodie
Matt Beleskey-Petteri Nokelainen-Mike Brown
Luca Sbisa-Sheldon Brookbank
Brian Salcido-Nick Boynton
Brendan Mikkelson-Steve Eminger
Jonas Hiller and Timo Pielmeier are listed as the two goaltenders. Even if we knew this before interviewing Randy Carlyle, he probably would not reveal the starter.
Peter Holland already had one microphone in front of his face Sunday when another "reporter" (actually, a young teammate) sidled up for an interview and stuck his own version of a microphone -- a hockey stick -- in plain view of the 18-year-old forward.
Holland barely batted an eye, and certainly didn't miss a word of the interview. Talk about coolness under pressure.
Continue reading Holland, Clark on camp..
[Read more here]:
Travis Moen, Samuel Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer did the Ducks a great service in 2006-07. As a unit, they formed perhaps the NHL's best shut-down checking line, and were an instrumental part of the Stanley Cup championship run.
The trio did something more, setting a template for the Ducks' third line that lasted after Pahlsson and Moen were shipped out of Anaheim at last season's trade deadline.
On Monday, head coach Randy Carlyle hinted that the template could change this season. So good was the defense of Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in the playoffs against San Jose and Detroit, that Carlyle is content to start the season with the three skilled youngsters as his shut-down unit.
"Historically we've played a checking line," the coach said. "With the emergence of Getzlaf, Perry and last year Bobby Ryan, we felt we could play those guys up against anybody's so-called number one line in the league. That's a steppingstone.
"Are they going to be able to do it this year? Well, we're going to wait and see, but we think they're capable of doing that."
Continue reading Ducks may redefine the third line.
Rob Niedermayer is still working out at home in British Columbia, according to brother Scott, hoping for his phone to ring sooner rather than later. Playing in Europe is Plan B, but "he'll wait as long as he can. He'd like to play in North America," Scott Niedermayer said.
Rob, 34, is not alone among veterans with serviceable skills but no contract. Michael Peca, Miroslav Satan, Kyle McLaren, Kevin Weekes and Maxim Afinogenov (to name a few) are no older than 35, but are playing in the wrong era: The salary-cap era.
"The teams that would like to sign a guy like that are right up against the cap," Scott Niedermayer said.
The Ducks will be radio-only for 13 of their 82 regular-season games this season, with the other 69 again being split between Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket (53), and KDOC (16). Brian Hayward and John Ahlers are back in the Ducks' booth, while three of the games on FSN are against the Kings and will be handled by Bob Miller and Jim Fox.
Here's the full list:
Continue reading 2009-10 TV schedule released..
If there was any question how the Ducks plan to employ Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu as NHL teammates, it was answered quickly in the form of side-by-side lockers when the Ducks opened training camp at Anaheim ICE on Sunday.
In other words, it's still early, but it looks like they'll be sticking together.
Continue reading Koivu and Selanne, together at last..
As training camp begins, not only are the Ducks unbothered by the salary cap, or by unsigned or unretired players, they're about as close to full health as a hockey team gets.
Only two players were held out of the Ducks' intrasquad scrimmage at the end of Day 1 -- Ryan Getzlaf, who is recovering from sports hernia surgery in July, and Erik Christensen, who had shoulder surgery in June. Both participated in the drills at the beginning of the day, and expect to be cleared for contact soon.
Continue reading Getzlaf, Christensen on the mend.
All the talk about what the 2009-10 Ducks would look like on paper finally gave way to hockey Sunday morning.
When the players stepped out on to the ice -- including many new names, with the loudest applause reserved for the familiar ones -- a standing-room only crowd of approximately 1,000 at Anaheim ICE seemed overcome with as much relief as appreciation.
As hockey-as-religion metaphors go, this one was appropriate.
Continue reading Training camp, Day 1..
Defenseman Jassen Cullimore, a 15-year veteran who spent last season with the Florida Panthers, has accepted a tryout invitation and will be with the Ducks when training camp begins Sunday at Anaheim ICE. He'll be joined by 16 rookies who took part in the team's recent rookie camp, including 2009 draft picks Peter Holland and Matt Clark.
The complete list of rookie camp invites:
FORWARDS
Matthew Beleskey
Josh Brittain
Nicolas Deschamps
Peter Holland
Maxime Macenauer
Logan MacMillan
Matt McCue
Brandon McMillan
MacGregor Sharp
Dan Sexton
DEFENSEMEN
Matt Clark
Mark Mitera
Luca Sbisa
Stefan Warg
GOALTENDERS
Marco Cousineau
Timo Pielmeier
In a bizarre story that probably hasn't reached its final twist, the Ducks have backed out of the team's contract with Air Canada. The reason: The U.S. Transportation Department has directed the airline to cancel all of its season-long sports charters, causing a potential tremendous loss of business. According to court documents cited by Bloomberg reporter Cary O'Reilly, the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins are also said to be considering alternative transportation.
Air Canada is suing the Obama administration over this directive, which stems from its rule against something called "cabotage": A foreign airline transporting passengers between multiple U.S. cities.
According to the Globe and Mail, airlines had previously been given leniency when transporting sports teams. The current dispute began when the Department of Transprotation audited Air Canada's flight services for the Bruins and the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks during the 2008-09 season, and found evidence of "cabotage."
The San Jose Sharks made it a clean sweep of the Ducks in a three-game battle for bragging rights between the teams' recent draft picks. That was about the only thing the 5-2 final score represented on Wednesday night in San Jose. But, as is the case every year, the impression the Ducklings left on their coaches could well determine their future in the organization -- whether their contributions showed up in the box score or not.
Continue reading Sharks rookies 5, Ducks rookies 2..
The Ducks announced today that individual game tickets for the 2009-10 regular season (41 home games) will go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. Tickets may be purchased online at AnaheimDucks.com, or by phone with Ticketmaster at (714) 703-2545. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Honda Center box office on a first-come, first-served basis. The club will open the 2009-10 regular season schedule at Honda Center on Saturday, Oct. 3 vs. San Jose at 7:05 p.m.
Ticket prices for all home games start at $18.50 and are subject to an arena facility fee, beginning at $1.50.
For more details, check out <a href="http://ducks.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=44139">anaheimducks.com</a>.
If you haven't already, check out what Luca Sbisa and Dave Farrish had to say following the Ducks rookies' 5-0 loss to the Sharks Rookies on Tuesday.
Martin Madden, the Ducks' director of amateur scouting, sat down for a recorded interview on the Ducks' web site following the Ducklings' 2-1 loss to the Sharks' rookies on Monday night.
Your highlights:
- He'll watch approximately 200-230 games this year between the college and junior ranks.
- Madden thinks the 2010 draft "is going to be a good, deep draft. Maybe not as marquee up at the top, but it's going to be a good crop of kids this year."
- His thoughts on Peter Holland, Scott Valentine and Matt Clark which, if you went to the rookies' open practice on Saturday, you can now measure up against your own impressions.
Courtesy of the Ducks ...
In the second game of a three-game Rookie series at Sharks Ice, the Anaheim Ducks dropped a 5-0 decision to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
San Jose jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Dean Strong and Kevin Henderson. Strong's power-play tally at 6:54 of the first snapped Anaheim's streak at eight straight penalty kills.
Continue reading Sharks Rookies 5, Ducks Rookies 0.
The Ducks will open training camp with a total of 33 players -- 18 forwards, 11 defensemen and four goalies -- beginning with an open practice at 9:45 a.m. Sunday at Anaheim ICE. That doesn't include any potential invitees from the team's rookie tournament, which is currently under way in San Jose.
Here's the full list of scheduled participants so far:
Continue reading Training camp schedule, roster released..
The Ducks have signed free agent defenseman Steve Eminger to a two-year, $2.25 million contract.
Continue reading Ducks sign free agent Eminger.
The Ducks have signed unrestricted free agent left wing Kyle Calder signed a pro tryout agreement.
In 74 games last year for the Kings, Calder had 8 goals and 27 points. He has 114 goals and 292 points in a career that began in 1999-2000 with Chicago. He's only four years removed from a 26-goal season with the Blackhawks, but hasn't scored more than 14 in a season since.
Props to LetsGoKings.com for hopping on this about a month ago in Saskatchewan.
Apparently Bob Murray needed a left wing, and Bryan Murray needed a right wing, to play on their respective AHL teams.
Continue reading Ducks swap minor-league wingers with Senators..
Jordan Smith's pro hockey career ended far, far too quickly after he was selected by the Mighty Ducks in the second round of the 2004 draft.
Continue reading Jordan Smith update..
The GM filmed an interview segment for the Ducks' web site that, among other things, reminded me yet again how lucky he got at the entry draft with the Chris Pronger trade. Judging by the look on his face (one advantage to the video interview), having to recall the events reminded Murray how lucky he was, too.
Continue reading Bob Murray on Ducks' offseason..
About J.P.
J.P. Hoornstra has been covering the Anaheim Ducks since 2007. Eight months after the University of Wisconsin won its third NCAA hockey championship, he was born in a frigid Madison winter. He betrayed his blue-blooded beginnings by graduating from UCLA in 2003, and welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
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