The Ducks started their off season on April 12th after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.  For a team used to playing in the springtime, it was a long off season.

Despite the long lay off, the players assembled for the first day of training camp had not forgotten the missed post-season.  Even if they had, Coach Randy Carlyle would not let them forget that fact in the team meeting prior to getting on the ice for their first practice.

"It affects everybody," Carlyle said at the end of practice.  "An event that you want to make sure doesn't happen again.  We're going to try to put everything we possibly can into this training camp to get this hockey club as ready as it's ever been."

47 players were split into two groups, one on each of the surfaces at Anaheim Ice, and were put through the paces before their first intra-squad scrimmage.  The two teams, group A in Black and group B in White, were tied, 3-3, when the buzzer sounded.  Conditioning and stretching concluded the morning.

Those 47 players will need to be winnowed down to a maximum roster of 23.   Needless to say, there will be competition for any open spots.

One of those players hoping to earn a spot is defenseman Cam Fowler, who was the Ducks' first round draft pick in June. The talented 18 year-old plans on giving it his best shot to make the team and appears to have a good chance at doing so.  A strong skater and agile with the puck, Fowler plans on giving it his best shot.

"The team’s not happy with what happened last year. They are going to do everything they can to get the right guys in here and I’m just going to do everything I can to try to make the line-up."

Tomorrow, the Ducks repeat the process all over again, in the hopes of getting things right and ready to go on day one of the regular season.  Anything less than success will be unacceptable and after last year, success cannot be taken for granted.

Rumored for a while, but finally confirmed - the Ducks have added defenseman Paul Mara.  Mara signed a one year contract worth $750,000 yesterday.  Mara, 31, last played with the Montreal Canadiens, but ended his season early with a shoulder injury in January.  He has since fully recovered and will make his debut at training camp this weekend.

The Ducks, who believe you never can have too many defensemen, were fortunate in adding another veteran after receiving news that Toni Lydman has been having double vision.  Lydman, who was signed in July as a free agent, experienced vision troubles after a pre-training camp workout.  Many possible causes have already been ruled out, but Lydman is still experiencing  residual symptoms.

As a result, Lydman will be sitting out the beginning of training camp and will continue to go through medical testing to determine what is happening.  He has had a history with migraines and this current issue could be related to that.  Or it could be something completely different.  Either way, Ducks fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Lydman on the ice and Joffrey Lupul will have someone to talk to while watching the activities from the sidelines.

File this under "it's about time!"  The Anaheim Ducks and restricted free agent Bobby Ryan have finally come to an agreement on a new contract.  The contract is reportedly worth $25.5 million over the next five years.  The contract still needs to be signed and filed, but the biggest hurdle to overcome was agreeing to terms.

Both Ryan and the Ducks had been dithering back and forth, off and on, for far longer than anyone was comfortable.  Training camp officially opens this weekend and fans were getting nervous (and ugly) about not having Ryan locked into a deal.  All parties involved now can breathe huge sighs of relief.

The biggest point of contention seemed to be the length of the contract.  Ryan did not want to be locked up for as long as GM Bob Murray wanted him to be.  Murray had some valid reasons for not wanting a shorter contract.  First and foremost was the fact that Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have contracts that expire in 2013.  Negotiating two new contracts with those players would be plenty of work for the GM. Adding a third major contract to expire in three years of a top six player would merely add to that burden. 

Ryan, being a restricted agent, was not handed any offer sheets over the summer, so his options were limited.  He had no choice but to negotiate if he wanted to play this season.   

The Ducks have enough questions to be answered this year - how will the defense stand up?  Will Joffrey Lupul play?  Will the Ducks have enough offense to overcome any defensive issues?  Will the team be good enough and consistent enough to make the playoffs next spring after missing them for the first time in five years?  The Ducks did not need to add will he or won't he sign and play drama to the mix. 

So at least this question has been answered.  If only the other ones could be answered as easily.

Although the Ducks sent a squad of decent and promising young men to British Columbia for a five-team round robin rookie tournament, they do not have much to show for their efforts.   Two games in (halfway there) and the Ducks have lost both of them.

The first game against the San Jose rookies on Sunday evening was a 4-1 loss.  Nick Bonino scored the only Ducks goal and that was late in the third period when all was lost.  As it was in the regular season with the main NHL teams, the Sharks dominated the Ducks, outshooting and outplaying them. 

The Ducks appeared to gain some momentum in the third period of the first game, and they took that into their second game on Monday night.  This one was against the Calgary Flames, who were playing their first game of the tournament.  The Ducks got more offense and seemed to find their game in the beginning.  Midway through the second period, the game was relatively even in shots and in the score, 3-3.  Then the Flames broke away and scored five unanswered goals.   One final goal by the Ducks in the waning minutes of the third period made it 8-4, but by then the game had been long over.  Like the day before, the Ducks were outshot again. 

On Tuesday the team gets a day off from official game play, although they will practice and hopefully work out some of the problems that have emerged.  With two games left to play against the Oilers and Canucks rookie squads, the Ducks need to regroup, refocus and try to work as a cohesive unit.

Not only is pride at stake, but an invitation to the Ducks main camp which opens this weekend.  Cam Fowler, who was chosen in the first round of the entry draft this past June, has shown much promise and talent in this tournament.  There is a good chance that Fowler could make the team, despite being just 18. 

Emerson Etem continues to show off his skating abilities.  Devante Smith-Pelly remains a physical presence, something that was also noticed in July at the Ducks conditioning camp. 

The future certainly shows promise, but it would look even more promising if the youngsters could pull out at least one win in the tournament.  They have two more chances to do so on Wednesday and Thursday. 

In a sign that hockey season is getting closer, this week NHL teams are starting things off with their rookies. The Anaheim Ducks have sent a group of prospects to Penticton, British Columbia, to participate in a five-team rookie tournament.

Teams also participating include the host Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks.  The format of the tournament is an 8 game round-robin.  The Ducks games will be streamed live on the the Anaheim Ducks main website (www.anaheimducks.com), including Sunday, September 12 vs. San Jose, September 13 vs. Calgary and September 15 vs. Vancouver.

The Ducks have sent a broad roster of players, including five first-round draft picks and three picks from the most recent draft held in June.   Cam Fowler, Emerson Etem, Devante Smith-Pelly will all play in their first rookie tournament. Peter Holland, Kyle Palmieri, Mark Mitera and Nick Bonino will also be playing.

Players participating will be hoping to extend their camp experience and earn an invitation to the main Ducks training camp that is set to open on September 18 at Anaheim Ice. 

The Anaheim Ducks have announced the dates for two of their annual fan events.  The first is Thursday, September 30 for season ticket holders, the annual "Face-Off Fest."

Season ticket holders can meet the players, get autographs, eat a little food, talk with Ducks staff, and play some fun games.  Price of admission?  A season ticket, which is currently $562.50 for the cheapest seat in the house.   Tickets to the Face-Off Fest (formerly known as Break the Ice), come with the season ticket package, one per seat.

Theoretically, there will only be as many attendees as there are tickets.  In prior years, tickets were not required, but there were a lot of non-season ticket holders just showing up to the event and the Ducks management got smart.  Now tickets are required for admission.

For those interested in going who are not season ticket holders, you have a couple options.  One, check Ebay or other sources like that for tickets that are being sold.   The other option is save your pennies (nickels and dimes, too) for the other annual fan event, Meet the Team.

Meet the Team will be held on Tuesday, October 5, at the Bluewater Grill in the District shopping center in Irvine.  This year's theme is "Tuesday Fight Night" and you will be able to play Wii Boxing with the players.  It might be your best opportunity to fight George Parros without danger of physical injury.

Cost of the event is not significantly cheaper for those who cannot afford to be season ticket holders.  Individual tickets are $225, $325 if you want to go 30 minutes earlier.  Proceeds from the event goes to the Anaheim Ducks Foundation and OC Register charities.  You must be 21 years old to attend Meet the Team, as alcohol will be served.  There is no age requirement for Face-Off Fest.

For those of you who cannot afford either event, you can save up your money for the annual Casino Night, usually held in January.  Tickets have been $100 for non-VIP status.  Gambling money is additional, but all proceeds go to charity.   Casino Night is also an over-21 affair.

In just three short weeks the Anaheim Ducks will be heading to training camp, and there are still questions unanswered, such as will Bobby Ryan be signed to a new contract in time?  At least one question has been answered though - Paul Kariya will NOT be a Duck this season, reuniting with long-time friend and linemate, Teemu Selanne

Kariya's agent issued a statement on Friday stating that Kariya will not play at all during the 2010-2011 season due to post-concussion syndrome.  That decision was made after Kariya consulted with a concussion specialist.

The head can only take so much bumping and banging, and Kariya has had more than his fair share during his career.  He missed a few games in 1996, courtesy of Mathieu Schneider.  His worst came in 1998 thanks to Gary Suter and took Kariya out of the Olympics as well as the final 28 games of the regular season.  He was clearly knocked out in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals by Scott Stevens of the New Jersey Devils in 2003.  Kariya recovered quickly and came back on the ice to score one of the goals that took the Ducks to a game 7 before losing to the Devils.

The most recent was in December 2009 while playing for the St. Louis Blues.  Patrick Kaleta of the Buffalo Sabres gave Kariya the chance to sit out for six more games.

With concussions being cumulative, this may very well signal the end of Kariya's 15 NHL season career, during which he averaged a point per game in 989 regular season games.  At the very least, this should end the speculation of whether or not Kariya will rejoin the Ducks this season.

While some Ducks fans had a particular anathema to Kariya after he left in 2003, like him or not, you can only wish him the best of health and a full recovery.

The Orange County Register reported that Ducks winger, Joffrey Lupul, has experienced yet another setback in his recovery from December 2009 back surgery.  The latest involves a recurrance of an infection that will require Lupul to have daily antibiotics for the next four weeks.  In that time, Lupul will not be able to work out or do anything else to prepare for the upcoming hockey season.

The Register reports that Lupul is to be re-evaluated on September 20 - a few days after training camp is scheduled to begin for the Ducks.  Considering that Lupul has not played since last December and has had minimal ice time due to a slow recovery from surgery, it is safe to say that he is unlikely to show up on the opening day roster.

Frustrating would be an understatement for both Lupul and fans, who were hoping that he would eventually make a contribution to the team.  Lupul was part of the Chris Pronger trade and thus far, Philadelphia has been the winner in that deal.

Further frustrating things for Ducks fans is the fact that restricted free agent, Bobby Ryan, is yet to be signed to a new contract.  Contract negotiations remain seemingly non-existent.  Then again, the Ducks hold most of the cards in this situation.

Ryan has not received any offer sheets from other teams and he is the property of the Ducks.  Ryan is not eligible for arbitration.  Ryan can say yes or no to a contract offer, and that is about all the power that he yields at this point.

GM Bob Murray has desired to sign Ryan to a longer contract, but Ryan reportedly wants a shorter contract for an equivalent amount of money per year as the longer contract would offer.  Neither side is budging, but Murray seems to hold all the cards.  Have they heard of the word, "compromise?"

If Ryan wants to be on the ice for training camp with a contract in hand, he is going to have to compromise.  So is Murray.  Regardless, something has to give.  With Lupul clearly out for longer than anyone ever suspected, the Ducks need their young, talented winger.

Which leads to Paul Kariya, another guy who has also worn #9 in a Ducks uniform and who happens to be good buddies with some Finnish old guy named Teemu Selanne.  Will Kariya be signed by the Ducks?  With potentially both Lupul and Ryan as unknowns, it might not be such a bad idea to bring Selanne's other winger back to the fold.

Many have expressed thoughts that a Kariya signing hinges on a contract agreement with Ryan.  Depending on how long that goes, the Ducks may not have the luxury of waiting for all their ducks to be in a row, so to speak. They may have to leap and make an offer to the aging Kariya and hope that the magic he and Selanne had at their peak is still there on the ice.

For now, Ducks fans continue to have many unknowns heading into a new season where most are predicting a so-so year.  There is no resolution in sight for the answers to most of their questions.

Turns out the Finnish media were correct last week when they reported that future hall-of-famer, Teemu Selanne, had decided to play one more year.  The Anaheim Ducks signed the prolific scoring winger to a one-year contract worth $3.25 million plus bonuses.

Selanne, who has suffered a few fluke injuries the past couple of seasons, still has plenty of goal scoring left in him.  Despite playing only 54 games, he scored 27 goals, including #600 of his career.  There is no reason why he cannot continue on that pace, continuing to move up the all-time scorers list.

Selanne released a statement this morning (in English, not Finnish).

"After thinking about it for the last few months, I've decided to return to play for the Ducks. I’m excited about the summer additions the team has made. I know this team can win."

Normally a 40-year-old player would not be worth $3.25 million, but much younger players would be happy to produce half of what Selanne has done in his career.

Ducks GM, Bob Murray, echoed what fans are thinking.

"We are thrilled to have Teemu back for his 19th NHL season and 12th in an Anaheim Ducks uniform.  His commitment to the game is unparalleled, both on and off the ice. We look forward to another strong year for Teemu in 2010-11.”

While it is unknown exactly how much gas is left in Selanne's tank, it would not be unreasonable to assume that this season could be his last.  He has already won the Stanley Cup.  He has reached the 600 goal mark and bypassed friend, idol and former teammate, Jari Kurri.  He is the most prolific scorer in Olympic history.

One thing is sure, playing in the post-season is still Selanne's goal.  That is something the Ducks did not accomplish last season and Selanne will certainly do his best to change that next spring.

"Watching the playoffs from your couch at home is tough," Selanne commented in his conference call.  "Hopefully we remember that feeling and find a way to get back to the playoffs. The way we were playing at the end was so solid. We ran out of time and everybody else was playing so well. That start to the season really killed us. We can’t have another start like that this season."

Without a doubt, fans will still be chanting "one more year" at the end of next season.  If Chris Chelios can wait until 47 to finally retire, Selanne just might have a few more years to go.  For now, we'll take one more.

Even before the regular season ended there was speculation about whether or not Anaheim Ducks winger, Teemu Selanne, was going to retire.  After the season ended (early for the Ducks, as they did not make the playoffs), speculation continued.

Plenty of questions and hypotheses were raised by fans and experts alike.  Would Selanne, who turned 40 in July, still want to play?  Would the injuries that have kept him from playing a full 82 games the past two seasons factor into his decision?  Was Selanne waiting to see what GM Bob Murray would do with the team before making a decision?  Was Selanne only interested in playing if the Ducks were going to be competitive?  Would he retire if the team appeared to be rebuilding?  Would he only play if fellow unrestricted free agent and former linemate, Paul Kariya, were signed as well?

So much speculation, so little real information.

The most recent "possible" news comes from the Finnish source, The Sports Journal.  Selanne is reported as saying in an interview that he has finally made a decision to continue his career and that "negotiations are now ready to begin.”

When the Ducks organization was contacted by the Orange County Register, Finnish sources looked less concrete.  A spokesman stated that a decision was close from Selanne, but had not yet been made.

Further muddying the waters is that The Sports Journal also stated Selanne had spoken to Kariya, who was allegedly waiting on Selanne's decision.

Many Ducks fans are torn - their love and adoration for Selanne, who has to be the most amiable and fan-friendly athlete ever, is bar none.  However, if Selanne comes as a package deal with Kariya, that love and loyalty might be tested.  Many hardcore fans still harbor great resentment over how Kariya left the Ducks organization in 2003, after going to game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals and promising the Ducks would be back there next year, only with different results.  Fans took it quite personally at the time and the idea of Kariya returning to a Ducks uniform leaves many with a case of indigestion.

For other fans, who are either less attached to their team or have figured out how to separate business from personal, there is some anticipation of the undeniable chemistry that Kariya and Selanne had when they played together for five years.  If that chemistry is still there, they could produce some of the offense that the team was missing last season.

For now, fans have to wait until things are concrete.   Until then, cautious optimism at Selanne's return is called for.