Anaheim Ducks:2016 Year in Review...HAPPY NEW YEAR

With the Final Game concluded with a Ducks OT Loss, It leaves many of us with Reflection of this year. Ducks began 2016 by overcoming adversity when they were ranked 29th in the League and by end of 15-16 Claimed a Fourth straight Pacific Division Title. However as Much as we celebrated Ducks Latest Perseverance...They fell short by losing a Game 7 for 4th Straight Year. It was tough, Demoralizing and Devastating many including myself hope it would not happen But it did. Others personally Feel Ducks lack Killer Instinct or accountability....One thing that many of us know well First Round Loss to Nashville in Game 7 was the Toughest to endure in recent History.Worst was Ducks not saluting Ducks Fans that have come to see them Play...I have mixed views on that...I believe they should've salute Ducks Fans it's a respect thing...Not doing it send a wrong message. On other Hand Ducks Not saluting was in part they felt they had the momentum but lack the effort to execute Winning Strategy and impose their will for 4th straight Year.

Loss result in many changes well few. Core Group of Getzlaf,Perry,Fowler,Kesler and few others remain. Surprising though Ducks did not choose to sign Perron,McGinn or Stewart....to Be Honest It would have been vital Ducks have kept Perron or McGinn Losing those 2 lead to many among Ducks Nation and the Fanbase to whether a Trade for a Left Winger is needed to spread out Offense and Spark it. Loss to Nashville was last Straw for the Ducks who via Bob Murray Fired Bruce Bouderau weeks after Ducks fail to Win a Game 7. I can't blame the team for doing what they did Accountability must be held and Coach was first to go.

Coaching vacancy left many to wonder who will succeed and be Ducks 9th Coach...names ranging from Former Duck Travis Green to Former Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle have many hoping and eager Ducks to hire a Coach to snap out of Playoff Funk and restore Honor to the Ducks Name. Ducks GM Bob Murray decided from what OCregister has stated as he talk to Getzlaf,Perry and Ducks Legend Teemu Selanne need to hold people accountable. It was Very Shocking let alone a Big Surprise Ducks Re-hire Randy Carlyle to succeed his Successor....This mark a First time Ducks have hired a Former Coach to lead the team back to Greatness. Ducks Fans including myself had mixed blessings having RC Back. Many critics of RC felt his Old School tactics and methods were out of touch for todays NHL, which is young Mans league and the need for speed is vital to winning a Game. Others felt a familar hand was needed to guide the Ducks in hoping to regain Honor lost during 4 years of Game 7 heartbreaks. Eitherway all of Ducks Fans including myself will tolerate it as did many changes that were polarizing.

Carlyle's return was not only change Ducks did to ensure a repeat of What happen last season happen before...However the arrival of Vegas to the NHL hung like a cloud of the Ducks Head...They know that keeping 2 Goalies they might have to protect one and lost another to Expansion Draft..Without a doubt Ducks Choose to Trade Frederick Andersen to Toronto for Picks. Leaving John Gibson Opportunity to Claim No1 Ducks Goaltender Spot. To Help him Develop Ducks AGAIN Trade for Johnathan Bernier from.........You guess it Toronto.

Reactions from Ducks fans were 50/50. Many few John Gibson was not Ready and should not been given the Ducks No1 Spot..Some feel Gibson SHOULD be the One traded in order to get a Player of value in return. Others see Gibson as Ready and able to assume the role and leave his mark for the Ducks. As I say before This season and his New Role is his to lose. Let's Forget Ducks Signing Antoninne Vermette and the Swedish Duo of Lindholm and Rakell's long dragging Contract talks. As follow here are the top 5 Moments Ducks had went through in 2016.


1.Bruce Bouderau Fired/Ducks Rehiring Randy Carlyle
2.Ducks Traded Fredrick Andersen to Toronto Maple Leafs for 1st Round Draft Picks
3.Ducks Sign Antonie Vermette to 2 year Deal.
4.John Gibson is given Chance Prove himself for 16-17 Season.
5.Ducks Won 4th Straight Pacific Division Title after Perservaing from disasterous first Half of NHL Season 15-16.

2017 will be symbolic year for our Ducks...it may be a year we see"meh" but it will mark 10 years ago Ducks Won the Stanley Cup....to me and to all 2017 will mark 10 years after we celeberate "The Year of the Duck". As we gather and look back and hope for the Future i say to you all from one Ducks Fan to another...HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS all...LET'S GO DUCKS!.

DuckPride 4ever
MooseDuck

Anaheim Ducks at 33 Games,17-12-5 39pts:My Likes and Concerns

Hello again it's the One and only Ducks Fan Zealot...Just wanna say it's great to be back Posting my Blog. Most of you wonder why I was gone so long...or even Cared. A Situation arose about a Month which lead me to cancel my Trip to see the Ducks This year,it's something I will not get into due in part cause its personal to me and I don't think most of you would understand.

Anyways Back to the Ducks in General. 2 Months has past and at 33 games our Team is at 17-12-5 39pts. No surprise this team has been inconsistent Slow starts has been Ducks M.O since their Founding. I am pleased very well with Cam Fowler's Performance, his Stats 9 Goals 13Assists 22pts this Campaign has made me Glad we did not trade Him once Lindholm and Rakell signed on the Dotted line. Another Positive that I am pleased with is surprise Rise of Joseph Cramarossa,Ondrej Kase and few others have made me very Happy with the Players at this moment of the season. There was a Trade......a Minor one that saw Sgarbossa traded to Florida for Logan Shaw. Personally Happy Ducks got a Player Who i watch was a decent 3rd liner who could grind it out...Plus i Did mention he is Nova Scotia ;). However I am abit concern with lack of effort and miscues I see...Notably from our Defence Corps and the fact in 2nd Period once was the Ducks Strength in imposing their will,now it seems they are lacking that killer intense that they had last season...some of the Losses they endure be it 8-3 to Calgary,Losing to Detroit 6-4 after a 3-1 Lead makes us Concern and frustrating. Many of us including myself seek answers and point fingers.

I cannot blame most of you for Ducks having Randy Carlyle back at the Helm...His 2nd Tour of Duty with our team has been....So-So at best. Goaltending situation is debatable... Ducks Trading Freddie Andersen leaving John Gibson to earn a Number 1 Spot has many Ask and I will not disagree whether Gibson is READY to inherit the Role. Others believe Bernier should given the Spot due to his Experience. Worries me sometimes on Inconsistencies that has been plaguing the Ducks. Yet I am optimistic at the Ducks regaining some Ground Once they reach the Halfway mark in 16-17 Season....If Ducks History tells us it's majority of the seasons and years they have battle they have earn a spot in Stanley Cup Playoffs and prove people,Naysayers,Doubters and Hockey Pundits Wrong.

Whether Ducks can overcome Inconsistencies and set things right by going on a Winning streak of more then 3 GAMES...Remain to be Seen. One thing I am firm Believer is HONOR demands and request Ducks must set things right in the New Years.

DuckPride 4ever
MooseDuck

Ducks 2016-2017 season:Quest for Redemption and Opening Night!

So.....IT BEGINS no more talking,no more predictions,No More Assumptions. Time is NOW for the Ducks to Put WORDS into Action,Promises into Reality and Redemption included into Quest for the Stanley Cup. Summer is over and I am EAGER and FIRED UP as ALL OF YOU for Puck to Drop and Ducks be ready to go. Tonite we will see 24th Edition Assembled this week with a Randy Carlyle as Head Coach and few new Faces from Vermette,Boll and Bernier to Familiar ones in recent return of Emerson Etem. Speculate all we want in where Ducks will finish, We won't know yet or how this team will do in first 15 games. What we expect and hope is Ducks from Goaltending to Forwards and Defence stand united and Rise together. Main Goal is Stanley Cup it never change nor it never will since the Founding. Even though our Ducks won it in 2007...it remains the Same. However their is a added theme to this. It's Redemption not only for the Ducks themselves but for ALL Ducks Fans who endure like our team 4 year Game 7 Losing streak. YES it stings and it Stings when they left the Ice not saluting nice that Night....It remains in our Hearts and Souls. Once Game 1 Begins Ducks must use what happen as not only motivation to fuel the Hunger inside them. But the Goal of Redemption in cleansing ourselves of the Game 7 Flaws. Experince is there,Youth is there and with Ducks standing Together United...Collective Will must prove they are Strong and Reliable.

All Depends on 3 things 1.John Gibson:How will he do as Ducks Number he has his critics and on Opening Night he must show some within Ducks Nation that he is the Real Deal. Yes we have concerns bout his Health and IF he can be the Ducks Goaltending of the Future. 2.Randy Carlyle:Will he bring our Ducks back to Greatness?...Who knows his "Rehiring" is questionable be some while other welcome him back. It remains to be seen whether his 2nd Tenure will duplicate the success he had in his first Tenure...Guess we will wait and see. 3.Swedish Duo needs to be Re-signed NOW: I know as many of you are annoyed,disappointed and frustrated Ducks did not re-signed both Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell during the offseason. We have been Patient and it has ended. How and when the Ducks re-sign this offseason hopefully soon....having them not in Lineup has been well Disappointing.

We can be Doom and Gloom But I beleive all of us should be hopeful and Optimistic for Ducks to avenge their honor and restore it. Whatever happens from here till Game 82 or what Place our Ducks will Finish we must support them and STAND Together UNITED. WE WILL RISE AS DO OUR DUCKS NO MATTER WHAT!...ANAHEIM DUCKS 4EVER!

DuckPride 4ever
MooseDuck

4 Days till Ducks Hockey: Excitment and Eagerness

It's almost here Yes in 4 Days..FOUR Days till our Ducks are ready to be UNLEASHED,Focus on Redemption in the quest for Stanley Cup. I know what many of you thinking right now before Preseason concludes tonite. Some of you are hopeful,others uncertain with how things are going be it Carlyle's Return or slow dragging process in the Impasse that is Signing Lindholm and Rakell. I am Stoked beyond Happiness and Yes I am optimistic.....But we must not lose sight of Accountability within the Ducks themselves. Bob Murray imho has dragged his feet and not done ENOUGH in retooling the team in the Summer. We waited Patiently for the Swedes to be Res-signed!,That did not happen....Stoner was Waived yet was not traded. Makes me wonder if we are ready to tackle our rivals and Enemies for 16-17 season. Whether we have Lindholm or Rakell or Both in the Lineup Who knows. IF Ducks don't have the 2 in Lineup for Opening Night we may see some Young Guns getting a chance to make their Mark. Many of us expected and hope Theodore,Ritchie and Noesen make the team this year. But it seem not the case with Noesen and Theodore being assigned to San Diego many were surprised by this. For Me I was taken aback by this later found out why from hearing Jacob Larrson 19 years old and Nick Sorensen making some good impressions with the Ducks Coaching Staff and few Ducks Fans among us.

Let me say this on how this Edition of the Ducks will look like. We will see some Youth on the Roster who with absence of the Swedes be given a spot they earn in Training Camp. It's going to be exciting to see these kids not only prove themselves....But make their Mark for the Ducks Cause. We will see Veterans eager and ready to redeem themselves Hopefully for the LAST Time. Don't get me started but I want to see Veterans take Leadership and be one to lead the Charger in redemption. Wiping the Slate clean and hitting the ground running would be Beneficial in the Ducks no meet the fate they had last year. With all that has been said and done I just can't wait for the Ducks to Start dishing out Punishment, Who knows what the Roster will do this season But I know for sure I am FIRED UP and PSYCHED for the Ducks to be UNLEASHED.

DuckPride 4ever
MooseDuck

October has Arrived!:Tough Decison lay ahead

12 Days till Puck Drops on 16-17 Season. We are 12 Days till our Ducks will be unified,assembled and UNLEASHED upon the NHL and our Enemies. Yet Still we face another task or should I say questions before Ducks begin their Quest for the Stanley Cup and Redemption. Impasse with Swedish Duo{Hampus Lindholm and Rikard Rakell} is dragging on to a point that many are wondering what it will Take to get them signed and under the Ducks Salary Cap. News of our team willing to unload a contract to a NHL East Team should come to no surprise due in part in order for the Ducks to get both Swedes Sign. Chances of getting Draft Picks IF the Ducks trade a Player is great due in part Season will begin One Week....So Time is slowly ticking and we await what 24th Edition of Anaheim Ducks would look like on Oct13th. Many of us including myself know the Ducks to get this roster ready Trading a Defencemen as many feel right now Clayton Stoner or Cam Fowler is justified in order for the team to Get Number Left Winger and give the Ducks some scoring punch 2nd after the Twins is important to spread the Offense abit more.As Much as Speculation rums rampant and Predictions on where the Ducks will Finish are mixed among Ducks Fans. We agree on one thing in comes to our Team....Win the Stanley Cup and Restore Honor to the Ducks Cause.

We deal with ups and Downs,Highs and Lows,Wins or Losses over the previous seasons/Years. What I see looking at the Players who came through Trades,Signings and Draft is a team ready,Hunger and Eager for the Season to Begins. As the Preseason continues Let's be Real and honest........Trades are going to Happen and whoever the Ducks trade we must understand that players Come and Go but our team must always comes first. IF the DUCKS Do get Picks expect this some of our young Guns will get a chance. Theodore,Ritchie heck in Stefan Nosen. I can also say personally that whatever Happens All Ducks Fans should support the team. Whether you are living in Orange County Califorina or out of the Country say Finland,Sweden,Russia or here in Canada. We stand by this team and we hope for the Best.

DuckPride 4ever
MooseDuck

Gathering of the Ducks:2016 Training Camp Questions!

20 Days till Puck Drops for the Ducks who will be unleashed for 2016-2017 Season. Many Ducks Fans including yours Truly knows very well Ducks hockey is almost there and it's that Time of year again. As we await The Start of the Gathering as I always called it. We are eager for this Team to hit the Ice and we know from the Ducks Training Camp Roster Players from previous season and some Prospects will be attending of what I see is Stage 1 of Ducks Assembling 24th Edition of the Anaheim Ducks. Many Questions,Concerns and others wonder what will this team look like....Many Question as we begin looking forward to 16-17 Campaign. When will Hampus Lindholm and Rikard Rakell re-sign?. That has been a question all Ducks Fans have asked for the entire summer. With Patience slowly fading.....many wonder How Long this is going to take or IF they are going to show up. If anyone has taken a look at the Ducks Training Camp Roster, Swedish Duo's name not on the List has some express Concerns with many having fears of them being hold outs during Training Camp. But we have to look at other side and reasons why both may not be at Training Camp besides speculation of them not Re-signing.

1.Rakell is recovering from surgery on scare tissues from his appendectomy which requires 2 weeks for him to recover. 2.Lindholm is busy in contributing to Team Sweden who are in World Cup of Hockey Semifinals. Whether they advance remains to be Seen. Another Question that is ask by us all is Randy Carlyle....Will the Only Coach in Ducks History restore Greatness back to the Ducks Cause?. As far as we won't know how our Ducks will do well under return of a Previous Ducks Head Coach. One thing we all want is Carlyle to get our team back to the top by not only have a strong Start from start to finish...But Snapping th 4 straight Game 7 losses that still fresh in our Memory.


Carlyle's has his critics and supporters, yet we can agree on a simple Fact that RC has contributed to the Ducks Winning the Stanley Cup in 2007. Other Questions appear at Training Camp is justified....."What place will the Ducks Finish?", "Will Ducks Make a Trade?" and"Will some of the Ducks Young Guns earn a spot on the Roster"?...Those are few out of Many that Ducks Fans have for our team. Regardless of who will make it to the Team and what 24th Edition of our Ducks will look like. One thing I beleive we all share is Optimism of knowing in our Hearts this team can not only do better but realize the Potential in Winning the Series and finishing off our Enemies. a Little FYI to all Ducks Fans reading this...last Game 7 our Ducks Won was in 2006....Last Game 7 Ducks won at HOME...1997. So IMHO it's time we Break that SLUMP or I prefer to call it Cold.



DuckPride 4ever
MooseDuck

Remembering Ruslan Salei

Not day,week,Month or even year goes by thinking bout one of the Former Ducks Defencemen who wore the Mighty Ducks Logo with honor and Pride. Ruslan Salei or many of us Ducks Fans call him "Rusty". We can all say that his passing and tragedy of Lokomotiv Yarsoslavl Plane Crash on Sep7th 2011 not only affected many Ducks Fans including our Ducks in General...But Hockey Fans worldwide. Players including Rusty have play with teams that have connections to NHL,AHL,KHL and other leagues.......It was Fan's worst nightmare losing not only Players but entire Coaching Staff. But Salei's Passing had a tremendous effect on Ducks Fanbase and in Orange County California. Not only Ducks Lost a Former Player but a Wife lost a Husband and Son lost a Father that Terrible Day. No Words describe the numbness knowing that not only Ruslan Salei but Players we know well had their lives cut short...... I believe it's a symbolic Duty for all Ducks fans to Honor Rusty's Life and Contributions to the Ducks Cause...Me Personally it hit me hard that a Player during the Ducks Early Years was gone.


Ruslan Salei was Drafted in 2996 NHL Entry Draft out of IHL's Las Vegas Thunder at 9th Overall of 1st Round of that year's Draft. Born in Nov 2nd 1974 in Minsk,Belarus...Rusty Choose to play in Hockey in North America for the Las Vegas Thunder in 96-97 season...It was during that single season with then now Defunct team at the time he wast scouted by the then-Mighty Ducks who drafted him in the Top Ten. You can say "Rest is History" But History always his story to Tell. From his Hits on Opposing Rivals to scoring important goals in 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs.


There is so many people who I read,watch and see how Rusty has touched their lives in many different ways. I choose to Honor his Memory by always picking him as part of Ducks All-time team and always love that Goal he scored to give our Ducks momentum was something I cherish....perhaps you all share the sentiment too. One thing that makes me think of him is his Family....Bethann Salei and her 3 childern including the youngest who I really Hope will know how lucky she is to have father who was not only a one of best Ducks D-men but a great guy to be with. We should choose to remeber Ruslan for not only his Days with the Ducks but with teams he played on...be it Detroit and Florida. But we should remeber him for a Father to Aleksandro,Alexis and Ava. Husband to Bethann. For Memories and choosing to Honor Ruslan is important duty to all DUCKSFANS to cherish his memory and honor him dearly.....*Raise Glass* Here's to YOU RUSTY!


DuckPride 4ever
MooseDuck