When I woke up this morning, there was a sound of thunder in the not too far off distance and a cool breeze made me want an extra cover.  A far cry from the nearly 100 degree weather earlier in the week.  Now it feels like a touch of autumn and that means hockey is just around the corner.  In fact, just seven days until the Ducks take to the ice and begin preparing for the season to come. 

Much will be happening between now and then, some of it for the public, some of it not.

SUSHI AND PAINT

Monday, September 12, things kick off with the third annual "Get Your Anaheim Ducks in a Roll."  The annual sushi-rolling competition at RA Sushi in Tustin will see Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Andrew Cogliano competing to get their roll on the menu during the regular season.  $2.00 from each winning roll  sold from October 11, 2011 through April 12, 2012 will go to the Anaheim Ducks Foundation.

Fans are invited to attend this one, which will be from 7:30pm - 9:30pm.  Send an RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (space is limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis). To bid in an online auction to become the lucky fan to roll sushi alongside Getzlaf and Cogliano, you can visit AnaheimDucks.com. RA Sushi is located at The District in Tustin.

Earlier in the day, CHOC patients and randomly selected season seat holders will be at the Honda Center to begin painting the ice at 3:45pm.   Francois Beauchemin will be on hand to welcome guests, who will assist in painting the ice, including faceoff circles, blue lines and the red line.  This event is not open to the general public, but Adam Brady and other media will happily provide photos.

THE ROOKIES ARE COMING, THE ROOKIES ARE COMING!

Monday morning through Friday morning, the Ducks rookies will be participating in a rookie camp for conditioning and skating drills at Anaheim Ice.    This event is closed to the public, but media will be covering the event, as will Adam Brady. 

As it was last year, this will be a shortened training camp before pre-season begins.  Five days to evaluate rookies will help pare down regular training camp rosters and chances are good that by the time the main camp opens on Saturday, September 17, many of the young prospects will already be heading home.

GOLF TOURNAMENT

On Wednesday, September 14, the 17th annual Golf Classic will be at Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine.  One hopes the weather will not decide to unleash thunder, lightning and hail on them, as it is doing this morning.   All Ducks players on the roster will be the fifth player of each foursome.  A handful of spaces remain for the tournament if you are one of those golf nuts.

BACK TO BUSINESS

On Friday, the off season is officially over.  The Ducks will report to the Honda Center for physicals and fitness testing and photo day.  On Saturday, training camp begins in earnest at Anaheim Ice at 9:15am.  Expect a full crowd for the first day of camp.

On day two of camp, the Ducks will host children from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County to enjoy practice and then have a pizza party in Club 32 at 1:00pm with all the players. 

9/11 REMEMBRANCE

Ten years ago tomorrow, we woke up to a world that was vastly different.  While it was a lot of unknowns and chaos in New York, training camp was scheduled to begin for the Ducks that morning.  Going to that training camp was a surreal experience.  During all the breaks, everyone went around the television sets to get the latest updates.  There was a real sense of hockey being put into perspective. 

As serious and passionate that fans and players are about the game, in the end it is the people that matter.  And how fragile life is.  And how quickly everything can change.  That was never more evident in the reminder this week when the plane carrying the entire Yaroslavl Lokomotiv team crashed in Russia, killing all but two on board.  Among those killed was Ruslan Salei. 

10 years ago, he was part of the September 11 training camp.  May he and his teammates all rest in peace, and may we all remember that in the end, it is just a game. 
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What an absolutely hideous off-season it has been for the NHL.  Enough already with players passing away. 

Derek Boogaard has an accidental overdose in May.  Rick Rypien commits suicide in August.  Wade Belak also commits suicide two weeks after Rypien.   Three horrible tragedies and losses highlighting the need for better substance abuse programs and mental health programs in the NHL. 

And now a fatal, fiery plane crash in Russia killing all but two on board.  The entire Lokomotiv team from the KHL hockey league, as well as four of their youth players, in addition to coaching staff and plane crew.  The entire team.

Among the deaths were Ruslan Salei, who was drafted by the Ducks in 1996 and played in Anaheim for nearly 10 years. He was one of the crucial parts of the Ducks during their unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2003.  Salei scored the overtime game winner in game three that put the Ducks right back in the series.  Salei also was instrumental in helping the Belarussian Olympic team defeat the Swedish team in 2002 in the quarterfinals.  It was a true David and Goliath moment for the Belarussian team. 

Salei admitted he had learned English when playing for a minor league team in Las Vegas.  He spent plenty of time at his hotel watching American soap operas. 

The Ducks issued an official statement this afternoon:

“The Anaheim Ducks organization is shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Ruslan Salei. ‘Rusty’ was a fan favorite and dedicated member of the Orange County community since being drafted by Anaheim in 1996. Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife and three children, along with all of the other members of the hockey community affected by this horrible tragedy.”

Other NHL players in the crash were Pavol Demitra, a former Los Angeles King, Karlis Skrastins, Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek, Jan Marek, Alexander Vasyunov and goaltender Stefan Liv.   Coach Brad McCrimmon, who was an assistant to the Detroit Red Wings last season, also perished. 

The team was on its way to Minsk for a game and the plane crashed almost immediately after takeoff.  The only two survivors were one player, Alexander Galisov, and a crew member.  Both suffered severe burns and are in very critical condition.

"Though it occurred thousands of miles away from our home arenas, this tragedy represents a catastrophic loss to the hockey world — including the NHL family, which lost so many fathers, sons, teammates and friends," was the statement that came from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. 

In a hockey world that has already lost too many this year, to lose so many more at one time is beyond devastating.  Prayers go out to all the families and loved ones involved. 

May there be no further tragedies to read about and report upon. 
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Maybe there is a glimmer of hope that hockey is around the corner.   There are two events this week, where Ducks fans can get a little taste of the Ducks.  And pizza.

On Thursday, August 25, George Parros will make a special appearance at the Huntington Beach Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Company to celebrate the restaurant's 20th anniversary and raise money for the Anaheim Ducks Foundation.   Festivities will be from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

There will be a serving competition between the Huntington Beach Fire Department and the Anaheim Fire Department, with Parros lending a hand to the wait staff.  The group to generate the most points through the sale of appetizers, entrees and desserts (ordered by patrons from 12:30-1:30 p.m.) will win tickets to an upcoming Ducks game for a charity of choice.   The charity will receive 50 tickets.

Oggi’s Pizza will also generously donate 15% of food/beverage sales to the Anaheim Ducks Foundation throughout the entire event, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Fans can also enter in a pizza-eating contest at 2:00pm, hosted by the Anaheim Ducks Street Team.  The winning contestant will receive four tickets to the Ducks’ home opener vs. San Jose on Friday, October 14 as well as an Oggi’s Pizza prize pack.

Oggi’s Huntington Beach is located on 19461 Main Street.

If a little time with Parros and pizza is not enough for you, Saturday, August 27 is the 11th annual Fedorin Cup at Anaheim Ice. 

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 11-17.  Kids under 11 are free.  Warm ups begin at 3:45pm, with the game commencing at 4:15pm, but be there early for a good seat.  The place is wall to wall hockey fans. 

There is a silent auction during the game, and afterwards, a casino night and dinner at the 195 Downtown Grill, walking distance from Anaheim Ice.  Tickets for the Casino Night and dinner start at $125 for adults and $60 for kids (game included in those prices). 

The Fedorin Cup was established in 1998 in honor of Eric Fedorin, who was diagnosed with brain cancer.  It continues in honor of Eric's memory and supports Hockey Fights Cancer as well as grants to athletes in need. 

Always a good game, with plenty of entertainment and Ducks past and present on the ice, this is a great way to cool off from the summer heat and start salivating for training camp, which begins in three weeks after event.   Parros will be at this one, too, and has been the star of the game in the past with a hat trick plus. 

Go to www.asfamerica.com for tickets and more information.

When you start getting really excited about a research and development camp, you know you need some hockey.  Soon.  The good news is that the training camp for the Ducks will begin on Saturday, September 17. 

As it was last year, camp will be intense and short before the first pre-season game, which happens on September 20 against the Phoenix Coyotes.  Cuts will happen rapidly and decisions will have to be made about prospects, including Emerson Etem, Devante Smith-Pelly and Peter Holland, not to mention numerous AHL/NHL borderline players signed by the Ducks in the off-season.

The Ducks will have to get their act together quickly, because they will be taking the show on the road to start the season in Helsinki, Finland.  I will also be joining them and I am looking forward to seeing how Europe agrees with them.  When they went to London, England, in 2007, it had been a very short off season and the season began poorly.  Hopefully this go round will fare much better.

For those who cannot make the trip (an expensive endeavor indeed) Versus and TSN will be covering the Ducks games in Helsinki and Stockholm, Sweden.  It will not be their only nationally televised appearance this season, for a change.

In addition to the Europe games, Versus will also air the 11/1 game against the Washington Capitals, the 12/19 game in Dallas, the Valentine's Day game in Minnesota, the 2/26 game against Chicago and the 3/12 game against Colorado.  Only the Chicago game will be home in Anaheim. 

The NHL Network will air the 11/3 game against the NY Rangers, a second viewing for a national audience for the Ducks and Rangers (whom they play in Stockholm).  They will also air the 2/10 game against hated rival Detroit Red Wings.  Again, both of these games are away games for the Ducks.

Will we be watching games with a green verification line, shallower net, and hybrid icing?  These are all possible changes to the game that are being tested at the research and development camp, using potential top draft picks for 2012.  So far, the verification line would be the least controversial and falls under the "why didn't they think of that sooner?" line of thinking. 

The line is placed 3" behind the goal line.  If the puck is touching the green line, there is no question that it crossed the goal line.  Currently, when plays are reviewed, the angles can be in question and it is not always clear if the puck did or did not cross the line.  Having a "verification" line will certainly eliminate the borderline calls of did it or didn't it? 

For now, it is just a pleasant thought to consider that hockey is on its way after being gone for what seems an eternity.  Get those guys on the ice and let's get going!

It is August.  The doldrums have hit.  No arbitration hearings to discuss.  You can hear the crickets chirping in the free agency market.   Next thing you know, it's been two weeks since you had anything to write about, and you don't anticipate anything else coming up for another two weeks, or more.

So news that the Ducks coach, Randy Carlyle, was extended for three years, provided local hockey writers something to talk about rather than have to dig at the bottom of the barrel for ideas.

Carlyle is entering his 7th year with the Anaheim Ducks and he has three more to look forward to as well.  As long as GM Bob Murray is in the drivers seat, Carlyle will be behind the bench. 

“Randy has been invaluable to this club over the last six years,” Murray praised. “He has been a true leader through thick and thin, and we are very pleased to be able to reward him with this well-deserved contract.”

Carlyle is coach #7 for the Ducks franchise, and has brought the Ducks to the playoffs in five of the past six seasons, and leading them to their first (and so far only) Stanley Cup Championship in 2007.  Carlyle has the most wins and highest winning percentage in Ducks history, compiling a 266-169-57 record in 492 regular season contests (.599 winning percentage).

“I’m very grateful to be able to continue coaching the Ducks into the future,” said Carlyle. "The Samuelis have laid a great foundation for success in Southern California both on and off the ice, and my family and I are happy to be a part of it."

Carlyle has been the first to admit his job is not a secure one when the Ducks have gone through some of their rockier moments during a season.  However, Murray has insisted on steady as she goes and gone against the grain in the NHL that removes coaches from their positions on a regular basis.   As it has been said, when things are going south, it is easier to fire one guy than fire the whole team, even if the team is the one screwing up and not doing their job. 

Coaching is a thankless position, but Carlyle certainly has to feel appreciated.  He is often crusty and short tempered and does not hesitate to tell his players exactly what he thinks, but he also has a lighter side that fans rarely get to see.

Carlyle has only missed one game behind the bench, when he was severely ill.  Assistant coach Dave Farrish took over for one night and after the win, claimed a "perfect" winning record as head coach. 

For now, things look pretty secure for Carlyle, who will head into yet another training camp next month. 

Will he head there with Teemu Selanne as one of his players on the ice?  That is still unknown.  Selanne is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery and recently told a Finnish newspaper he is not going to make a decision about playing until September at the earliest. 

Murray is not overly concerned about Selanne.

“I think he was getting depressed with the whole thing and then I think he had a few days where it wasn’t bugging him,” Murray stated. “I think he intends to go pretty hard this week with the bigger boys that are there in Helsinki. We are scheduled to speak after this week is over.   I want him to be healthy.

Murray says he has a plan B in case Selanne decides to retire after all, something he has been dabbling with since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007.  Eventually, that day will come, whether now or later.  But replacing the Finnish Flash, who had 31 goals and 80 points last season at age 40, will be exceptionally difficult, whenever that occurs.

The Ducks continue their minor league signing mode by adding center Mark Bell to the fold.  Bell has played the past two seasons in Switzerland.  The 30 year old has also played for Chicago, San Jose and Toronto for a total of 445 games. 

Bell signed a two way contract for $575,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the AHL. 

The Syracuse Crunch continues to improve with each successive signing and it is likely that many of the players recently signed will make an appearance in Anaheim.  Who knows?  A couple of them might even stick out of training camp in September.

The Ducks are entering into their second season with the Crunch as their AHL affiliate.

Last week, Anaheim also named Brad Lauer and Marty Wilford assistant coaches of the Syracuse Crunch.  They will serve under Crunch head coach Mark Holick, who is entering his second season with the club.

Lauer, 44, served as an assistant coach with the Ottawa Senators from 2009-11, a team he had played on earlier in his career.

Wilford, 34, will begin his coaching career with the Crunch.  He played professionally in Europe and the AHL.

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The Anaheim Ducks acquired Andrew Cogliano from the Edmonton Oilers last week.  Cogliano, a restricted free agent, was scheduled to go to arbitration on Friday, July 21.  Both sides avoided that by agreeing to a three year contract.

The contract is $7.17 million over three years, averaging $2.39 million per year.  While it might seem a lot for a third line center, who needs work in the face off circle, it could be worse.  Will he be worth it?  That all depends on whether or not he ends up producing offense for the Ducks, and contributes successfully in other areas as well. 

The Ducks, who seem in a signing mood of late, also inked defenseman Mathieu Carle to a one year contract that was his qualifying offer by Montreal. 

Left winger Patrick Maroon, who was acquired from Philadelphia last season, also got a one year contract.

Both Maroon and Carle have two way contracts that will pay differently between the AHL and the NHL.

As for signing that Finnish guy, still no word.


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Anaheim is still puttering along in the off season, making a tweak here and a tweak there.

In their latest moves, the Ducks added defenseman Matt Smaby to the roster.  He was signed to a one year two way contract.  The 26 year old played in 32 games for Tampa Bay last season.  He was selected by the Lightning in the second round of the 2003 entry draft.

The Ducks also made a trade with Montreal, handing off Mark Mitera for Mathieu Carle.  Mitera was taken 19th overall in the 2006 entry draft by the Ducks, but has not lived up to his potential.  Mitera played four years of hockey with the University of Michigan and never seemed to develop or impress.  He spent last season in Syracuse with the Ducks AHL affiliate.

Carle, another defenseman from the 2006 draft, has spent the majority of time with the Canadiens AHL affiliate in Hamilton, but does have three NHL games under his belt.   This Carle, 23, is not to be confused with Matt Carle, 27, another NHL defenseman who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers.

“Carle is a skilled, offensive-minded defenseman that brings us some depth in that area,” commented Duck GM Bob Murray. “Mark is a guy that in our opinion needed a change of scenery, and we wish him the best of luck in Montreal.”

With Mitera now gone, only Matt Beleskey is left in the Ducks organization from the 2006 draft and the only one who has seen any significant NHL time.

Finally, Nick Bonino accepted his qualifying offer and was signed to a one year contract. 

Overall, the Ducks seem to have made great strides in improving their AHL affiliate.  The main team?  I guess we are still waiting to hear whether a certain ageless Finn wants to play one more year.

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The Anaheim Ducks continued their love affair with Edmonton Oilers players by trading for center Andrew Cogliano.  They also signed Oilers back up goaltender, Jeff Deslauriers, to a two year contract.

Deslauriers' signing was announced by the Edmonton Journal last week, but no official announcement came from the team until yesterday.  The 27 year old spent all of last season with the Oilers AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City, sharing duties with former Ducks goaltender, Martin Gerber.  Deslauriers has 58 NHL games under his belt, including 48 with the Oilers in the 2009-2010 season. 

Deslauriers' contract is similar in structure to the contract recently signed with Dan Sexton.  The first year is a two way contract, paying $600,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the AHL.  The second year of the deal is a one way contract, paying $625,000.

The Ducks also picked up young, speedy Cogliano in exchange for a third round draft pick in 2013.  Cogliano, 24, is a restricted free agent and is scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 21.  Both the Ducks and Cogliano are hopeful that a contract can be agreed upon prior to arbitration. 

Cogliano has played four seasons with the Oilers and has not missed a single game during those four seasons.   He was a standout at the University of Michigan and will likely center the Ducks third line.  Anaheim is in desperate need of a solid, dependable third line, and Cogliano is a good start.

With the drafting of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in June, Cogliano became expendable to Edmonton and the Ducks happily picked him up.   Cogliano will likely help out on the penalty kill and will be a formidable opponent in fastest skater competitions.  Cogliano won the fastest skater competition at the All Star game in 2009.

“He’s a very good kid,” said GM Bob Murray. ”Unfortunately for him, he was in Edmonton at a time when they were at the bottom trying to work back up and it was a bit of a rough go. He’s got a fresh start here. The biggest thing for us is speed. We’ve tried to increase our team speed the last couple of years and really haven’t accomplish that. He definitely can skate.”

If you are a Ducks fan and have been sleeping the past 10 days, you have not missed much.  Free agency appears to be something the other teams are working on. 

Anaheim has not been completely quiet, however.  Today the Ducks announced that they had come to an agreement with Dan Sexton for a two year contract.

Sexton had been made a qualifying offer in June, but he elected to go to arbitration instead of taking the basic offer.  Arbitration never ends pretty, for either side.  Management - you are a lousy player and not worth the money we pay you.  Player - I am God's gift to hockey at my position and you are lucky to have me on your team.  It always leaves a sour taste in everyone's mouth.

Sexton gets to avoid all that unpleasantness now. 

The 24 year old right wing agreed to a two year deal that is a two-way contract in year one and one way contract in year two.  Year one and two both pay $550,000 per year, but if he is in the AHL in year one, he will make $105,000. 

Sexton earned a lot of frequent flyer miles last season going between Anaheim and the Ducks AHL affiliate in Syracuse.  He ended up playing 47 games with the big club, scoring 4 goals and 13 points.

Last week, the Ducks also signed right wing Brian McGrattan to a one-year contract.  The 29 year old was acqured from Boston last season and spent the entire time in Syracuse.