May 2010 Archives

The Ducks have sent goaltender Mattias Modig, a 2007 fourth-round draft pick, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the upcoming entry draft. The Penguins had originally acquired the pick from the Montreal Canadiens, so this will be the 27th pick of the sixth round and the 177th pick overall.

Modig, 23, has spent his entire career with Lulea of the Swedish Elite League. In 34 games, he posted a 2.49 goals-against average and .899 save percentage for Lulea in 2009-10. Modig has already signed a two-year entry-level contract with Pittsburgh.

The Ducks have several goaltenders already in the system, which likely made Modig expendable. Marco Cousineau and Timo Pielmeier are already signed, and soon-to-be free agents Jean-Phillippe Levasseur and Joey MacDonald could be brought back. Russian prospect Igor Bobkov was a fairly high draft pick (third round, 76th overall) in last year's draft.

A third-round draft pick in 2008, McMillan broke out in 2009-10. In the midst of a 25-goal, 67-point season (both career highs) for the WHL's Kelowna Rockets, he appeared for Team Canada at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring four goals and eight points in six contests en route to the silver medal.

The 5-11, 185-pound winger also led the Rockets in postseason scoring, collecting five goals and 15 points in 12 games. McMillan had 56 goals and 169 points in 251 career WHL games.

McMillan will make $575,000 the first year, $575,000 the second and $645,000 in the third year if he makes the NHL roster.

Considering that 84 players were drafted before him in his class, McMillan is looks like a steal in Anaheim's 2008 draft class, which included Jake Gardiner (first round, 17th overall), Nicolas Deschamps (second round, 35th overall), Eric O'Dell (second round, 39th overall), Justin Schultz (second round, 43rd overall), Josh Brittain (third round, 71st overall) and Marco Cousineau (third round, 83rd overall) all going before him.

Courtesy of Bodog.com, here is a mountain of Stanley Cup Finals odds ...

Looking ahead to the NHL draft, where the Ducks pick twice in the first round, the Mackenzie Liddell of the Sports Network speculates that Long Beach native Emerson Etem might be on the radar.

The allure of drafting a homegrown athlete is often too tempting to pass up, especially if that talent is a hockey player from the sunny state of California. That is the position the Anaheim Ducks find themselves in heading into the draft.

Long Beach native Emerson Etem of the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Medicine Hat Tigers is likely on the radar of the Ducks, who own the 12th and 16th picks of Philadelphia Flyers' pick in the first round.

Aside from his California roots, Etem's ability to play right wing or center will be an attractive ingredient for the Ducks who will need to replenish an aging crop of secondary scorers, with Jason Blake (36), Teemu Selanne (39) and Saku Koivu (35) all in the twilight of their careers.

NHL Central Scouting currently ranks Etem eighth among North American skaters, while various mock drafts have him going anywhere from eighth to 18th.

At 6'0", 194 pounds, Etem is an explosive skater who handles the puck well at full speed. In his first WHL season, Etem compiled 37 goals and 65 points in 72 games while also chipping in another seven goals in 12 playoff games.

Prior to his WHL debut, Etem honed his skills in the U.S. Under-17 National Team Development Program (USNTDP) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he racked up 45 (23-22) points in 50 games.

Confirming earlier reports, the Ducks officially named Mark Holick head coach of the Syracuse Crunch, their AHL affiliate for the upcoming season. The contract is a multi-year deal; financial terms were not disclosed.

Holick said that Ducks general manager Bob Murray first encouraged him to apply for the job at the West Coast prospects camp in April.

"I was flattered," said Holick, who had never interviewed for a professional coaching position before. He formally accepted the position Sunday.

"Being with pro athletes is a bit of a step, but at the same time, hockey's hockey," Holick said.

The 41-year-old has an extensive coaching resume.

He spent three seasons as head coach for the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 2007-10, compiling a 120-75-21 record for 261 points and three consecutive trips to the WHL playoffs. Last season Holick guided the Ice to a 43-25-5 record (91 points) for a second-place finish in the Central Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Holick also served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship in Fargo, North Dakota.

The Saskatoon native served 13 seasons as a head coach and assistant in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) from 1994-07. Holick began his professional coaching career as an assistant with Penticton (1994-95), Langley (1995-96) and South Surrey (1996-97) of the BCHL before becoming head coach of South Surrey in 1997-98. He also coached in St. Albert and Spruce Grove of the AJHL from 2003-06 prior to returning for his final BCHL season with Vernon in 2006-07.

Murray said in a statement that "With 16 years of coaching experience, Mark Holick has the proven track record we were looking for. He had three great seasons in the WHL, including earning Coach of the Year honors in 2009-10, and is certainly qualified to take the next step."

Holick said he's already spoken with Randy Carlyle and will try to install a similar system in Syracuse.

Aside from Brian Lebler, he doesn't know who his personnel will consist of, but his mission is pretty straightforward: "Our job is to get them ready for the National Hockey League."

Corey Perry and Team Canada were eliminated from the World Championships in Cologne, Germany with a 5-2 quarterfinal loss to Russia on Thursday.

Late third-period goals by John Tavares and Matt Duchene were the only highlights for a frustrated Team Canada, which drew almost 50 penalty minutes. Perry, the Ducks' lone representative on the team, was held scoreless and collected four penalty minutes.

Russia will play Germany, while the Czech Republic will play Sweden, in the two semifinal games.

Sami Vatnanen, the Ducks' fourth-round draft pick in 2009, has been enjoying a 5-1 run through the IIHF World Championships for Team Finland. The soon-to-be 19-year-old has been scoring some highlight-reel goals for the Suomi, and was profiled today on the IIHF Web site:

"Everybody understands that he's not as strong as the more experienced and older players, but he's just 18, that will come. All in all, he's a fantastic player, and probably won't stay in Finland very long," [former Team Finland and NHL defenseman Reijo Ruotsalainen] adds.

Fortunately for the Finnish fans, Vatanen recently signed a contract extension that will keep him in Jyväskylä for another two years.

"I'm not listening to any other offers, I signed with JYP, and that's where I'll play," says the Anaheim Ducks' fourth-round pick, 106th over all, in 2009.

"I don't plan my career too much, I just try to enjoy playing, and take it one season at a time. I had a big role in Jyväskylä last year, so why not next year, as well. All I want to do now is to keep on developing as a player," he adds.

According to a report in the Kamloops (B.C.) Daily News, Mark Holick is set to be named head coach of the Syracuse Crunch, Anahiem's primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League next season.

The report cited "sources" at the Memorial Cup in Brandon, Manitoba; Holick is head coach of the Western Hockey League's Kootenay Ice, which missed the tournament and finished fourth in the 12-team Eastern Conference. Writes Daily News sports editor Gregg Drinnan:

When contacted by The Daily News, Holick chose not to comment. Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice's owner and general manager, said he would prefer that an announcement come from Anaheim general manager Bob Murray.

Holick told Chynoweth of the move on Sunday.

The 41-year-old Holick has been Kootenay's head coach since 2007. In the 72-game WHL season, the Ice won 42, 35 and 43 games in Holick's three seasons as head coach - never missing the playoffs but never advancing past the conference semifinal round.

A veteran of three minor-league seasons, Holick also has experience coaching Canada's Under-18 National Team in the summer of 2009.

Team USA won its final game at the IIHF World Championships Tuesday, 3-2 in overtime against Italy. It wasn't the finish that was expected for the reigning Olympic silver medalist country, but the victory allows the U.S. to compete in next year's tournament.

Ducks forward Ryan Carter was held scoreless in just under 10 minutes of ice time, and finished the sixth-game tournament with a goal and an assist.

Meanwhile, Team Canada and Corey Perry finished round-robin play with a second straight loss, 3-2 to the Czech Republic. The loss means Canada will either face Russia or Finland in its  quarterfinal game Thursday. Ray Whitney and Matt Duchene scored for Canada, while Perry was held scoreless.

Update, 2:15 p.m.: Russia has handed Finland its first loss of the tournament, a 5-0 shutout, and will play Canada in the quarterfinals.

Nick Foligno scored twice, and Brandon Dubinsky and T.J. Oshie scored once, as Team USA beat France 4-0 in the relegation bracket at the IIHF World Championships in Cologne, Germany. Ducks forward Ryan Carter did not score in the win.

Corey Perry and Team Canada, meanwhile, dropped a 3-1 decision to Sweden in the qualification bracket. Canada will need to beat the Czech Republic on Tuesday to avoid a quarterfinal matchup against Alex Ovechkin and Team Russia, which has won 23 straight games at the tournament. Perry did not score in the loss.

The Boston Bruins have completed the rare Double 4-3 Choke Job.

They led the Phildelphia Flyers 3 games to 0 in the series, but lost three straight to force a Game 7 Friday night in Boston. Leading 3-0 in the game, Philadelphia scored the next four goals to win the game -- and the series -- 4-3.

It's just the third time that an NHL team has lost the first three games of the series and still won.

It's bad news for the Ducks, who are in line to receive Philadelphia's first-round draft pick in June. By virtue of the Flyers' win, that pick cannot be higher than 27th. The Ducks already own the 12th selection in the draft.

Corey Perry had a goal and an assist as Team Canada dominated Norway in its qualification-round opener at the IIHF World Championships, winning 12-1.

Canada plays Sweden on Sunday and the Czech Republic on Tuesday before traveling to Cologne for the playoff round.

Ryan Carter, writing his second blog from the IIHF World Championships on the Ducks' Web site, offers a few insights into why the U.S. is facing relegation after losing all three of its pool-play games.

Turns out they're allowed to smoke inside the arena, which, if you've ever been to Europe, shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Carter and his teammates might just want to burn the place down after this tournament.

Some odds on the Western Conference Final series, which begins Sunday, courtesy of Bodog.com:

NHL CONFERENCE FINALS SERIES PRICES

Chicago Blackhawks                  Even
San Jose Sharks                       -130

2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Exact Series Result

San Jose Sharks 4-0                  12/1
San Jose Sharks 4-1                  11/2
San Jose Sharks 4-2                  5/1
San Jose Sharks 4-3                  4/1
Chicago Blackhawks 4-0            11/1
Chicago Blackhawks 4-1            6/1
Chicago Blackhawks 4-2            4/1
Chicago Blackhawks 4-3            5/1

 

Total Game in Series

Over      5.5                                 -205
Under    5.5                                +165

Exact Number of Games in Series

4                                              6/1
5                                              11/4
6                                              9/5
7                                              9/5

Where will the Series be Decided

HP Pavilion, San Jose                -150
United Center, Chicago               +120

Series Game Spread

San Jose Sharks           -1.5      +185
Chicago Blackhawks      +1.5      -225

Joe Thornton 3rd Round Points vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Over / Under                  6.5

Patrick Marleau 3rd Round Points vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Over / Under                  5.5

Dany Heatley 3rd Round Points vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Over / Under                  5.5

Patrick Kane 3rd Round Points vs. San Jose Sharks
Over / Under                  6.5

Jonathan Toews 3rd Round Points vs. San Jose Sharks
Over / Under                  6

Marian Hossa 3rd Round Points vs. San Jose Sharks
Over / Under                  5

If you're following my Twitter feed (shameless self-promotion), you would know that the final game at Mellon Arena is a game I would have loved to witness in person.

It featured a stunning, decisive 5-2 win by the Montreal Canadiens, this killer short-handed goal by former Duck Travis Moen. Enjoy:

Wednesday was not a good day for the Olympic gold and silver-medal winning nations at the IIHF World Championships.

Playing with first place in Group B on the line, Canada lost 4-1 to Switzerland in Mannheim, Germany. The result bucked a fairly longstanding historical trend ...

Before tonight the teams had played 24 times in the World Championships, Canada winning 22 to go with two ties. The aggregate score was 143-29. Never has Switzerland scored as many as four goals against Canada at the Worlds or Olympics in 90 years of senior international hockey. In 16 of those 24 games Switzerland was held to one goal or was shut out altogether.

Ducks right wing Corey Perry was held without a point for the first time in pool play, leaving him with four points (goal, three assists) through three games.

Meanwhile, Team USA was bounced from the tournament after losing 3-2 to Finland. Goaltender Scott Clemmensen stopped 40 of 43 shots, and was outdueled by Petri Vehanen, who allowed goals to T.J. Oshie and David Moss in the victory.

Ducks center Ryan Carter was held without a point in 17:54 time on ice. After finishing last in group D, the U.S. (0-3) heads to the relegation round for the first time since 2003. The two lowest-finishing teams in the relegation round will not be eligible to compete in the 2011 tournament.

The Moncton Wildcats will compete for the Memorial Cup after clinching the QMJHL title Monday, but will do so without Ducks prospect Nicolas Deschamps.

Deschamps, a second-round draft pick in 2008, has just begun to walk without crutches in his recovery from a leg injury April 23. Wildcats head coach Danny Flynn told the Moncton (New Brunswick) Times and Transcript that Deschamps is "participating in off-ice workouts and steadily improving, but he's not at the point where he can play yet."

The Ducks signed Deschamps to a three-year, entry level contract last summer.

Corey Perry had three assists in Team Canada's 6-1 win over Latvia at the IIHF World Championships in Manheim, Germany on Monday.

At 2-0, Canada is tied with Switzerland atop the Group B standings; the two teams play each other on Wednesday. Latvia and Italy are both 0-2 in Group B.

Earlier Monday, Team USA lost in an upset, 2-1 to Denmark, its second straight overtime loss to start the tournament. Stefan Lassen scored 2:04 into the extra period past Scott Clemmensen to drop the U.S. to 0-2 in a World Championship for the first time since 2003.

Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle scored the lone goal for Team USA. Ducks forward Ryan Carter was held without a point in just over nine minutes of ice time.

The U.S. is tied with Germany - which has lost once in overtime and also in regulation - with two points in the Group D standings. Denmark is leading the group with five points and Finland is second with three points.

Corey Perry opened a five-goal deluge for Team Canada in their opener at the IIHF World Championships on Saturday, a 5-1 win over Italy.

The Ducks forward scored his first goal of the tournament, after scoring twice in an exhibition game Tuesday, as five different players scored for Canada. Matt Duchene, a forward for the Colorado Avalanche and nephew of Ducks assistant coach Newell Brown, had a goal and an assist.

Canada's next game is Monday night against Latvia.

Ducks forward Ryan Carter scored, but that was it for Team USA in a tournament-opening, 2-1 overtime loss to Germany at the IIHF World Championships on Friday.

Before an announced crowd of 77,823 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany - a world record, according to the IIHF Web site - Felix Schutz scored past Scott Clemmensen 21 seconds into overtime to lift the host team to victory.

At 8:28 of the third period, writes Alan Adams on iihf.com,

Carter banged at a loose puck in the crease and it came to a stop across the goal line after the puck deflected off the goalie's right pad.

 

Click here for video of the goal, with Ducks play-by-play man John Ahlers (along with Kings analyst Jim Fox) on the call.

The tournament format is similar to the 2010 Winter Olympics in that the top three teams in each of four groups advance out of round-robin play, and remain eligible for the championship. However, the second round (the "Qualification Round") is also a round-robin format, while the fourth-place team in each group continues play in a Relegation Round.

Finland, Germany and Denmark are in Group D along with the United States.

Also Friday, Ducks forward Corey Perry was named one of four alternate captains at the tournament for Team Canada. Former Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin, and forwards Ray Whitney and Steven Stamkos, will be the other alternates behind captain Ryan Smyth.

Team Canada plays Italy in its first tournament game Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 7:15 a.m. Pacific.

The Ducks have signed 2008 third-round draft pick Josh Brittain to a three-year, entry-level contract. The 20-year-old left wing split his fourth Ontario Hockey League season between the Barrie Colts and Plymouth Whalers, scored 15 goals and 32 points in 68 games.

Playing alongside potential No. 1 draft pick Tyler Seguin in Plymouth, Brittain had 24 points in 56 games with the Whalers. The 6-foot-5, 217-pound Brittain also had a goal and no assists in nine playoff games for Plymouth.

Here is the review of his season, posted last week on HockeysFuture.com:

In the season when he needed to prove he was worth an NHL contract, Brittain took a step backwards in his development. He was traded early on in the season from Barrie to Plymouth, and was immediately placed on the wing of top 2010 prospect Tyler Seguin. His size and puck control ability could have led to a big offensive season, but Brittain put up just 24 games in 56 with Plymouth -- his least productive season in his OHL career.

A few trades that saw Plymouth add Phil McRae (STL) and James Livingston (STL) limited Brittain's ice time down the stretch. Brittain also has a reputation for poorly-timed offensive zone penalties, but is sometimes the victim of calls only because he's much bigger than his opponents. His only chance at earning an NHL contract is if Anaheim really likes the rare size and skill package that he does possess.

Selected by Anaheim in the third round (71st overall) of the 2008 Entry Draft, Brittain played for both Kingston and Barrie in 2008-09, setting career highs in goals (32) and points (52).

Update: Brittain will make the NHL minimum the duration of his contract ($500,000 each of the first two years, $525,000 the third year), plus a $180,000 signing bonus. The two-way deal will pay $55,000 in the minors.

Ducks winger Corey Perry had two goals as Team Canada dispatched Germany 4-1 in its only exhibition game Tuesday at the IIHF World Championships in Hamburg.

Playing on a line with Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos and the Calgary Flames' Rene Borque, Perry had two goals and an assist as the line accounted for all four goals. One came on the power play.

Canada begins tournament play Saturday against Italy.

In Amiens, France, Team USA defeated the host nation 3-1 on Tuesday in its lone exhibition match. Ryan Carter, the only Duck on the U.S. roster, was held without a point.

The U.S. begins tournament play Friday against Germany.

Reviews of ten Ducks prospects who just finished their North American junior seasons have been posted on Hockey's Future: Peter Holland, Mat Clark, Josh Brittain Scott Valentine, Luca Sbisa, Brandon McMillan, Stefan Warg, Nicolas Deschamps, Marco Cousineau and Radoslav Illo.

Also, George Parros will be on a special all-Hockey episode of "Sports Soup" tonight on Versus (8:30 p.m.).  A disclaimer: Watched the show once to find Sen Dog of Cypress Hill talking about the Lakers. If this brand of talk show is your idea of entertainment ... don't miss it.

According to a report in the Des Moines Register, the Ducks will receive nearly $700,000 from the owners of the Iowa Chops, their former American Hockey League affiliate, if a sale of the franchise to the owner of the Dallas Stars is approved.

The Register reports that a partnership led by Tom Hicks is bidding for the defunct franchise, which served as the Ducks' AHL affiliate during the 2008-09 season. The Ducks severed ties after the Chops failed to make scheduled payments as part of the affiliation agreement.

If approved, the proposal from Schlegel Sports to Polk (Iowa) County would include "payment of $613,884 to the Anaheim Ducks in money owed from a previous affiliation agreement."