Dallas Stars Prospects Win Prospect Tournament, Shine Light on Future

*Image Note: notice Stu Barnes in his first gig as an assistant coach on the top right in the suit.*

There is something about the future that excites people. For some it is the prospect of graduation and that budding internship and job with Bleacher Report, for others it is the prospect of next season. Cub’s fans are long notorious for retorts of “I can’t wait till next season…” but in hockey such things are different.

Some hockey fans follow the offseason with a watchful eye, analyzing draft picks and free agency like a general manager in their own home. Others however ignore the season placing full faith in the team’s leadership and await the finished product.

There is no waiting in hockey; hockey is much like a defensive breakout and return to defense, an ever constant transition. This season saw youngsters like Matt Niskanen learn the ropes from veterans like Sergei Zubov, youngsters like Brenden Morrow blossom into the right of veteran and a veteran like Stu Barnes assume his role as a coach and leader behind the bench. Hockey more than any other sport is much like life, there is only death when it is finally seen as the last step.

Late last night another step in that chain became visible, a needed link in the chain to this cycle of hockey life. As teams begin to evaluate young talent acquired over the summer many hold prospect camps, to see who among them is truly the best.

Others take part in prospect tournaments, where the biggest winners are the prospects and the coaching staff now able to accurately evaluate the talent. Question is, if a trophy is played for in said tournament does it matter?

For the Stars their prospect teams 8-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers can only be a sign of good things to come. Likely both teams gained new knowledge on insight into young prospects and their ability’s to play with the parent club.

First, let me say the Thrashers went through some deeply talented prospect teams to play the Stars. The Thrashers beat the Red Wings in a shootout to move on; showing the immense talent this club has in its future. To Thrasher fans the future is bright; there is a light at the end of the tunnel so the future can continue to be dreamt of.

To Stars fans who know the future is now, don’t forget to keep a watchful eye on the future as well. Likely many of the names profiled below will be mentioned in American Airlines Center either this, or in following years.

The Stars Prospects held a 4-0 record, scoring a total of 20 goals. James Neal a player who could easily be seen in Dallas this fall scored nine points, and consistently led the Stars prospect team, while also leading the league in points. Jamie Benn another young-star scored a league high five goals.

"We’ve got a good group of young guys, and we clicked pretty good," said Benn in the Stars press release. "I think that was a big key for us. We knew that if we’d have team success, we’d have individual success, so we concentrated on the team, and that paid off for us."

Stars co-general manager Les Jackson in the press release said the team adopted an aggressive offensive attitude during the tournament.

"We were trying to push it, for sure," Jackson said. "I think we had the talent and the skill, and those were the strengths of our team, so we wanted to play to our strengths."

Dallas phenom Fabian Brunnstrom showed no signs of letting down expectations adjusting well from a disappointing game one and helping lead the Stars come the final game. Brunnstrom scored on a rebound from defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy to ignite the team in the third period of game four.

Drawing more attention than Brunnstrom was the always dangerous Neal, who drew amazing praise from Jackson and the rest of the front office. "Neal was fantastic," Jackson said in the press release. "He’s determined to make our team, and he played like that every shift."

The impact on training camp: A lot of players drew praise from the Stars front office during this tournament, then again can anyone complain by the results of this talented squad? Brunnstrom is expected still to make the big team out of training camp.

As of now he is listed on the big team’s third line and Jackson as well as Hull have agreed expectations are not too high for him. Both have mentioned the Stars will be patient with his adjustment to his placement on the parent squad.

Another potential parent team maker is James Neal. How about this kid? Leading the league in points and he was a constant pulse for the Stars. He will certainly be a name to look for in the training camp news. I won’t set any expectations for him for this season, but he certainly seems capable of being on the big team for October.

Ivan Vishnevskiy according to the press release is also ready for a successful jump, but to the NHL. In recent months I have heard and read nothing but good things about this young defenseman. I give him 2 years and he will likely be a stable blue-liner for the parent club.

Another name to watch for is the captain of the prospect team, Raymond Sawada. He led the team well and received a lot of praise in previous press releases. Other then that, I don’t have enough information on him to input any expectations on where he will end up at the end of camp. Likely camp will hold the answers on his placement for this season.

Another prospect to keep an eye on is Jamie Benn, listed above was the goal scoring leader of the tournament. Other than this information I know very little about him.

*Note: The training camp roster has been listed under the roster at the Stars website, be sure to check it out.*

Links to DallasStars.com review of Prospect Tournament games:

Stars down Minnesota, 3-2; Will Face Atlanta Wednesday In Final
Stars Pull Out Come-From-Behind Win In Second Game
Stars Win Traverse City Debut over St. Louis, 4-3

Original Source and Image: Staff, Dallas Stars. "Dallas Takes Traverse City Title." Dallas Stars Website 17 Sept. 2008 18 Sept. 2008

Teemu Selanne Finnish-ed in Anaheim?

With Selanne now a month late on letting Brian Burke know of his decision, Ducks fans must begin to wonder if the Finnish Flash is finnish-ed in Southern California. Possibly Teemu has been working out to get back into hockey shape and lost his cell phone, or is enjoying his free time in Finland while Brian Burke is busy fretting over Kevin Lowe, but probably not.

The Ducks and Burke have given Teemu the time needed for such a decision and have received nothing, not even a “screw you guys, I’m goin home…” Instead the most beloved hockey player in Anaheim hockey history is choosing much like Brett Favre to taint his legacy.

But there is one major difference, Brett at least made up his mind, and changed it. Teemu can’t seem to do either one. It’s gotten to the point he may not know if he I coming or going. Do I dare say senility may be setting in for the Ducks leader? It could be possible an onslaught of dementia has the 38 year old forgetting to pick up the phone to give a “shout-out” to Brian Burke.

If Teemu is going to return, it’s a month past the “deadline” imposed by Burke. Before people jump me for pointing out he is a free agent, move on, your nagging isn’t needed as I’m the definite source on Bleacher Report who knows that. My point I this “deadline” was less of a deadline and more about manners. The Cap issue lingers in Anaheim because Burke doesn’t know what to do, everything now rides on Teemu.

Furthermore, if Teemu chooses to hang up the skates, the Ducks would be left out to dry in sorts, as the only option would be to trade for a replacement. Luckily they do have the goods on the table to acquire someone worth it, but the loss of Selanne would hurt.

Personally, I love #8, he skates effortlessly, and scores goals at 38 I can’t score at 21. The man has plenty of miles left on the tires and he is still regarded as one of the top scorers in the NHL, regardless of his age. With all this considered, I would ask Brian Burke and the Ducks to move on, make the trades needed, acquire someone talented and get under the cap and prepare for training camp. The insanity of waiting for Teemu has drug on enough.

When school ended in spring, talk of Teemu was in full swing, as I prepare to return he is still the talk of Ducks hockey. Maybe the Ducks can save face, and make a trade for Andy McDonald, that would ease the pain of losing Teemu, for one of joy to have a real franchise player*, who lived for the Ducks back.

Lastly, Burke, put the nails in Teemu’s coffin. It is quite possible the Ducks could be terrible this year without him, but I would rather lose with players devoted to the team than a player who can’t make up his mind. Enough is enough, as is my bantering on this subject.

*Franchise player – someone selfish who sticks by team through thick and thin. Fans know this player would choose the team over selfish idea’s any day.

For definition of selfish please see Teemu Selanne.

Image: Courtesy of The Hockey News

Ken Armer is a Senior Ducks Writer and a Community Leader for the NHL and Anaheim Ducks. You can contact him on his profile or via e-mail at karmer@bleacherreport.com

Brian Burke and Randy Carlyle's Comments on the Contract Extension

*This post is a direct copy from the Ducks press release that was released earlier today. The original can be found on the Ducks website here.*

Ducks Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Burke spoke about Carlyle's extension in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday afternoon. Following is a transcript:

I’m very pleased with today’s announcement that Randy Carlyle has agreed to a contract extension. Randy’s been here three years and his teams have been in the playoffs all three years. They’ve played in eight playoff rounds, which ties Detroit, as far as leading the National Hockey League in the number of playoff rounds in the last three years. He has brought accountability to our organization. We play Ducks hockey, which Randy is the architect of. It is high-octane, up-tempo, physical, old school hockey. Most importantly for me, he pours a lot of energy into the bench and into the game. He brings energy to the game, which I think has really benefitted our players. In my mind, it is a very important announcement for our franchise and I would like to congratulate Randy on this. He’s earned it.

On Carlyle’s ability to coach young players,
I think he’s a good teacher. I think great coaches have to be good teachers. You don’t have a choice in pro sports. Several players are replaced on your roster every year, whether you’re successful or not. If you cannot develop young talent, you’re not going to last very long. I think he’s done a fine job bringing our young players along. I’m not worried at all about plugging in more young players.

On getting the extension done,
This is a statement to our whole team that Randy’s going to be in charge. I think he’s earned it. I told him early on, right after the New Year, that we would sit down as soon as the season was over, regardless of how the playoffs went. Obviously, none of us were happy with the way our playoffs went. Right after the season we talked about an extension and agreed to terms. It was something that we had approached long ago.

I think he’s pretty happy. Coaching is a very difficult trade. It’s been mastered by very few people. It’s a trade that has a short shelf life. When you fail and are fired, it’s very public. For a coach to get a pat on the back and a contract extension, that’s a big day. We’re happy here too.
On Carlyle’s performance thus far with the Ducks,
The way I run my teams, being the head coach is probably the easiest job in the NHL in terms of interference. I don’t offer a lot of input into who is on the power play or what the line combinations are. I believe you hire a strong coach and leave him alone. What I’ve seen is the first year was a transitional year for all of us. We didn’t know our team. They didn’t know us. We made some changes. The second year was magical. It’s ironic we consider this past year disappointing, we had 102 points. We were in the playoffs our third straight year. That’s equal to what the franchise had prior to Randy’s arrival. He’s done a good job. It’s our style, our vision, the way we want the game played. We want a certain style of hockey here in Orange County. We want to be physical and a puck-pressure team that is fun to watch. Randy’s job interview was real short. That’s the guy Bob Murray and I both wanted badly as our coach.

Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle also addressed reporters on Wednesday afternoon via conference call from his summer cottage in Ontario, Canada. Following is a transcript:

On the extension getting done,
I’m very happy and feel honored to be coaching an NHL hockey club, specifically the hockey club that Brian Burke has put together working with the Samueli family, Henry and Susan, and Michael Schulman. We’ve had some success. It’s been a working environment that’s been very easy for me and my family to join. I think that’s the most important thing, that there’s a huge comfort zone with the job that I have in Anaheim. I’ve been very fortunate to work for the Samuelis, Brian Burke, Bob Murray and David McNab. It takes a total team effort with the coaching staff, Dave Farrish, Newell Brown and Joe Trotta. We’ve been able to develop that in there and that’s what so comfortable about it. This extension means a lot to me and my family that we have three more years to get the job done here.

What I did in this situation is I made a decision that I felt was best for my family. I feel very comfortable with this decision. We like it in Orange County. We like the situation that we’ve been presented with. We like our hockey club. There’s a lot to like about my job. The one thing that makes your job easier when you’re in pro sports is you have to win. We fell short of our goal last year. We’re going to try and push ourselves back to the ultimate goal again.
On contract negotiations,
We talked previously. This negotiation took place right after the season. It took all of probably about three or four days going back and forth. It wasn’t anything that got long and drawn out. Basically Burkie and I, we haven’t had one of those negotiations where it takes too long to get something done. We both had a vision of where we wanted to be. I represented myself and Brian represented the organization. It really came together quite quickly. It was something that we had talked about as early as January. We said that we’d put it off until after the season and we did. We weren’t very happy with the way the season ended for us. This was something that we felt we had taken a couple of steps at earlier in the season. It didn’t take very long at all.
On job security among coaches,
I don’t think as a coach that you can really sit back and focus on your job. Your job is to go out and prepare the hockey club to play to the best of their capabilities. I leave the other things up to other people to decide, if you’re doing a good job or you’re not doing a good job. You have peaks and valleys that you go through with your group. You’re part of a hockey club and a team. It’s not about you at all. It’s about what’s going to be best for the team. That’s what we’ve always tried to put forth. We have to work extremely hard, harder than any other coaching staff in the league in my mind because that’s the way we’re brought up. That’s the values that we learned through our upbringing. We feel that we have to do the little things that our necessary to give our players the best chance for success. We feel very fortunate from a coaching staff point of view to be able to have the level of players that we’ve had at Anaheim. That’s first and foremost. There’s an old saying ‘Coaches are hired to be fired’, but to me that’s only because you haven’t worked hard enough or people stop listening to you. If people stop listening to you as a coach, they become tired of you and then changes usually happen. You have to sell your program in different ways to different people. You have to get to know your personnel in a short period of time and what makes them tick and which buttons you have to push.
On the approach he will take to start 2008-09,
Our message was that we were totally dissatisfied with the way the season ended for us. We felt that we had lots of ups and downs through the course of last season, but we felt that we did not play to the level which was required. That’s the number one thing. We’re looking for people who are buying into the program and are going to continue to sell what we think needs to be done. If you don’t want to buy into the program, we don’t think that you’re going to play for our hockey club. We’re not going to give jobs away. People are going to have to earn them. We feel the best way to do that is to provide competition for the position. I know you’ve heard it before, but that’s it in a nutshell. We’re looking for some people to continue to grow in the game and for our younger players to grab more of a leadership role. We’re asking our veterans to again be good teammates and lead the way. We think that we can provide the environment for our players to have success. It’s one of the things that we demand of our group. We do things a little differently. We ask more of our players. We ask our players to be very visible in the community and to support the franchise in charities that we donate to. The number one thing they are, they’re a professional hockey player and they’re paid to play hockey. We have to win hockey games.

Randy Carlyle Signs Contract Extension With Anaheim Ducks

On Wednesday the Anaheim Ducks announced they have signed head coach Randy Carlyle to a two-year extension. Carlyle had one year remaining on his original contract and is now the Ducks bench boss through the 2010-2011 season. Per club policy, financial terms were not disclosed.

“In our view, Randy is one of the top coaches in the NHL,” said Executive Vice President/General Manager Brian Burke in the Ducks press release. “We’ve had an aggressive, hard-working club each of the past three years, largely due to his influence. He’s clearly been paramount to our success since taking over the reins.”

Carlyle was named the seventh head coach in the team’s history on August 1, 2005. In 2007 Carlyle led the Ducks to their first Stanley Cup championship, Pacific Division championship, and a franchise-record three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Only the Detroit Red Wings, Stanley Cup champions this past season have matched the Ducks playoff success since Carlyle has taken over behind the bench. He has the most wins and highest winning percentage in Ducks history, compiling a 138-74-34 record for 310 points in 246 career NHL games (.630 winning percentage).

“Working in Orange County for owners such as the Samueli’s is a privilege, and I’m honored to be able to continue representing the Ducks,” said Carlyle in the press release. “I’m thankful for the great relationship I have with Brian Burke and our hockey staff and expect more success in the future. We fell short of our goal last year and it’s time for us to respond.”

Carlyle is more than just a coach; he is the life blood of the team. His passion and hard-nosed style get carried onto the ice by his players, who over the past two seasons have become one of the most physically bruising in the NHL.

In Carlyle’s first season in 2005-06 he helped lead the Ducks to the Western Conference Finals, but in his second season Carlyle and the Ducks would become the first California team to win the Stanley Cup.

In his third year with the Ducks this past season, Carlyle helped the Ducks achieve their second consecutive 100-point season. Before Carlyle the team had never held such regular season success.

For a guy that never really smiles, his fans and the team have a lot to smile about today after locking up such a successful coach.

For more news on the Anaheim Ducks or any other Pacific Division team be sure to check out Battle of the Pacific, a collaboration of Bleacher Report writers discussing their favorite teams in a blog forum.

Original Source: Courtesy of the Anaheim Ducks website

Image: Courtesy of one of the greatest Ducks wallpapers I have ever seen

Anaheim Ducks Busy Signing Day Yields Possible Depth For Affiliates

*Pictured: Josh Green with the Canucks, and Eric Boguniecki of the New York Islanders*

On Tuesday the Anaheim Ducks announced the signing of four players, all of whom will probably be minor leaguers. This is merely my own analysis and only after training camp will we really know.

The Ducks signed 23-year-old left wing Ryan Donally from the Las Vegas Wranglers, the ECHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames. In 53 games with Las Vegas Donally recorded 37 points, a plus-13 rating, and 176 penalty minutes. He also appeared in 10 regular season games with Quad City, Calgary’s AHL affiliate. In those 10 games he was scoreless with an even plus/minus and 21 penalty minutes. Donally was drafted in the 2003 Entry Draft by Calgary in the third round (97^th overall). Donally was signed to a two-year contract.

The Ducks added another 23-year-old left wing by signing Troy Bodie to a one-year contract. Bodie appeared in 62 games with Springfield, Edmonton’s AHL affiliate last season. Bodie recorded 15 points and recorded 108 penalty minutes with the team. Bodie was Edmonton’s ninth-round selection (278^th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Adding one more left wing, the Ducks signed Josh Green, a 30-year-old veteran NHL player who played last season in Austria. With Salzburg EC he recorded 42 points and 100 penalty minutes in 43 games. Green’s most recent NHL time was spent with the Vancouver Canucks in 2006-2007, collecting seven points in 57 games.

The final Ducks signing was 33-year-old center Eric Boguniecki. The 5-8, 192-pound Boguniecki appeared in 178 career NHL games with Florida, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and the New York Islanders, earning 76 points, and 105 penalty minutes with a plus-14 rating. In 16 games with ERC Ingolstadt in Germany last season Boguniecki scored 18 points.

Boguniecki is the most probable of the four to be seen with the Ducks, the rest are most likely signings for the Iowa Chops, the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate. Either way the Ducks acquired some experienced players, and got some good young players.

In other Ducks news, rumors have begun to surface that Teemu Selanne has decided to return to the Ducks. I heard this from a reliable source who heard it from a reliable source, so I’m only continuing the rumor. Either way it is nice to keep hope alive.

Original Sources:

Ducks, Anaheim (2008, July, 22). Ducks Sign Left Wings Donally & Bodie. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from Anaheim Ducks Website Web site: http://ducks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=368880

Ducks, Anaheim (2008, July, 22). Ducks Ink Forwards Green & Boguniecki. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from Anaheim Ducks Website Web site: http://ducks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=368881

Image: Courtesy of the Anaheim Ducks website

Puck Drop Update

With the 2008-2009 season right around the corner The Puck Drop founder has begun a new project, called the Battle of the Pacific. The blog is dedicated for writers and fans of the best division in hockey. I urge all Ducks fans to check it out. The Puck Drop writers will be back to writing for Puck Drop come fall. Enjoy your summer!

Anaheim Ducks Announce Brendan Morrison Signing

Today it was announced that the Anaheim Ducks had signed Brendan Morrison to a one year contract, thought to be worth $2.75 million.

Brendan Morrison is a solid veteran with excellent foot speed,” said Ducks Executive Vice President/General Manager Brian Burke on the team's website. “He’s an intelligent hockey player and is a tremendous addition to our top six forward group.”

Morrison has quite a scoring touch the Ducks will find handy, scoring 50-plus points in six of his last seven seasons. The center also will add stability to the Ducks second line while young centers in the system, such as Bobby Ryan have one more season to develop before making the jump to the second line.

Last season with the Vancouver Canucks, Morrison was plagued by a serious knee injury, but looks to be healthy come training camp.

In college Morrison was a three-time Hobey Baker finalist, winning the award in 1996-97 as the top collegiate hockey player.

Some Ducks fans have begun to think this signing means the end of the Teemu Selanne era, personally I think not. If the Ducks were looking to replace Teemu, they would have signed a winger, not a center. This acquisition is merely trying to get back the type of player lost when the Ducks traded away Andy McDonald to St. Louis. Morrison is a speedy center with good puck movement.

The Ducks next move will probably be making room for this signing and Selanne if he chooses to return. This means that defenseman Mathieu Schneider is probably without a doubt on the chopping block.

Original Article and Image: Courtesy of the Anaheim Ducks website