NEW ISSUE! - Anaheim Ducks

NEW ISSUE!
March 14, 2012
VS.
The Ducks bench celebrates
Niklas Hagman’s conversion in
the shootout, which ultimately
gave the Ducks a 3-2 victory
over the Flames on February 6
at Honda Center. It was
Anaheim’s 14th consecutive
regular season home victory
over Calgary, a streak the
Ducks would extend to 15
straight on March 2.
Ducks Digest
3
FEATURES
8
MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF
At just 19 years old, Devante Smith-Pelly
has proven himself with the Ducks
14
WE ASKED THE DUCKS
What do you think of when you
hear the name Teemu Selanne?
20
VOICE OF DISTINCTION
Steve Carroll brings a world
of experience to the Ducks
28
A ROUND FOR A CURE
Corey Perry’s charity golf
tournament in London,
Ontario
62
DUCKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
A look at the best of the Ducks and
their fans lately on Facebook and Twitter
65
A CLOSER LOOK
Matt Beleskey
66
ROOMMATES
Rod Pelley and Nate Guenin discuss
rooming together on the road
DEPARTMENTS
33
34
36
39
41
48
55
68
69
72
Hockey IQ
Ducks Speed Chart
Ducks Roster
Tonight’s Opponent
Ducks Management
Ducks Coaches
Ducks in the Community
Ducks Power Players
Honda Center Concession Stands
Ducks 2011-12 Schedule
EDITORIAL
Writer and Editor: Adam Brady
Associate Writer and Editor: Matt Vevoda
Contributing Photographers: Debora Robinson and Getty Images
Design and Printing:
PTS Marketing Group • Costa Mesa, CA • Ph: 714.486.1949
Bobby Ryan scores a diving breakaway goal
to give the Ducks a third period lead in an
eventual 4-2 win over the Oilers on March 5
at Honda Center.
Watch Video
of the Goal
Ducks Digest
7
8
Duck s Di ge st
BY ADAM BRADY
At just 19 years old, Devante Smith-Pelly has proven himself with
the Ducks through a topsy-turvy season
First there’s the name. Let’s get that out of the way.
Even Devante Smith-Pelly doesn’t know why it’s hyphenated, why all his life he’s
had two last names.
“I honestly have no idea,” says the 19-year-old son of Wayne Pelly and Jacqueline
Smith. “I never really asked my parents. I guess you’d have to ask my mom about that.”
He does, however, ask that you spell it right, or at least get the names in the right order.
“It does get misspelled a lot,” Smith-Pelly says with a laugh. “A lot of people spell it
with an ‘e-y’ A lot of people say Pelly-Smith too, which is kind of weird. I don’t know
how that happens. It’s kind of funny, but I deal with it.”
Meanwhile, it’s not helping that since December, the Ducks also have a Rod Pelley on
their roster. Like the rest of the Ducks, coach Bruce Boudreau just calls the rookie by his
nickname, “Devo,” though he’s sometimes called “DSP.”
“It took me a month just to pronounce both of his names together,” says Boudreau.
“Right now, when I go down the bench [and send a forward line onto the ice] it’s ‘Uh,
Devo, you’re out.’ You’ve got a Pelley and then a Smith-Pelly. It’s too confusing.”
No matter what name Boudreau uses, the key for Smith-Pelly is that his coach is
still calling it out deep into the Ducks’ season. At such a young age, the 2010 second-round draft pick was a mild surprise to make the Ducks out of training camp.
And through an up-and-down campaign for both Smith-Pelly and the team, the
Ducks coaches and management have chosen to keep him here rather than send
him back to his junior team, the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors of the
Ontario Hockey League.
“It’s meant a lot to me,” Smith-Pelly says. “It was my goal to stay here
from the start of the year. I was trying not to think about it, but to hear I
was staying up here was great. It’s amazing. I never thought I’d be here
at 19.”
The Ducks did lose Smith-Pelly for a significant length of time starting in December, when they lent him to Team Canada for the World
Ducks Di gest
9
“It was my goal to stay here from the start of the year. I was trying not to think about it, but
to hear I was staying up here was great. It’s amazing. I never thought I’d be here at 19.”
Junior Championships in Alberta. Smith-Pelly was named an alternate captain, but broke
his foot blocking a shot in the second period of an 8-1 victory over Finland in the first
round. The injury knocked him out of the tournament and kept him off the ice for six
weeks, but Smith-Pelly doesn’t regret playing for a second.
“That’s something I’ve wanted to play in my whole life, and not getting the chance the
year before was heartbreaking,” says Smith-Pelly, who was a late cut from the 2010 team.
“I’m thankful that [Ducks GM] Bob Murray gave me the chance to do that, even though
it didn’t turn out the way I wanted.
“It really gave me confidence being there and I tried to carry that over to when I got
healthy.”
Smith-Pelly worked tirelessly back in Anaheim to rehab the injury, not certain he’d be
able to stick with the Ducks when he was able to return to the ice. “The hardest part was
making sure I stayed in shape and trying not to get lazy while I was out. Obviously, just
watching was difficult too.”
But when he did return to the Ducks lineup, on February 21 at Tampa Bay, SmithPelly picked up right where he left off. The 6-0, 211-pound winger continued to be a
physical presence and a defensive stalwart while skating mostly on Anaheim’s third line.
That consistency and work ethic made it easy for Boudreau and Murray to elect to keep
him on the roster for the duration of the season.
“I think you see that scary word of potential with him,” Boudreau said. “He’s a young
man with an adult body. He’s a big, physical power forward in the making, and his
strength is the most impressive thing. To come into this league as an unheralded 19-yearold and to make the team, it says a lot.”
Through it all, Smith-Pelly has remained humble. While talking at length to reporters
Ducks Di gest
11
“He’s a young man with an adult body. He’s a big, physical power forward in the making,
and his strength is the most impressive thing. To come into this league as an unheralded 19year-old and to make the team, it says a lot.”
in the Ducks locker room, an equipment manager walked by and pointed out that he
needed to take off his skates to be sharpened. Smith-Pelly looked up at him and said,
“Sorry” with a sheepish smile.
Out of those skates, he’s had to adjust to life as an adult, especially after (with the
Ducks’ blessing) moving out of a hotel near Honda Center and renting his own place in
Newport Beach. “Living on my own and kind of fending for myself is pretty different,”
said Smith-Pelly, who lived with a billet family while in junior hockey and was never far
from his home in Scarborough, Ontario. “Now getting my own meals and doing my own
laundry is all a big change. I guess it’s all part of growing up.”
Physically, Smith-Pelly would appear to have grown up plenty, having been blessed
with am incredibly broad back and a robust lower body that includes “thick legs, almost
like a track star,” according to Boudreau.
Justin Shugg, a former teammate with the Majors, once told NHL.com, “He scares
people. You look at his back and it’s ginormous. You could park a car on there.”
That and a notably mature demeanor are part of the reason Smith-Pelly appears a lot
older than he actually is. “When I tell people I’m only 19, they’re kind of shocked,” he
says. “It’s kind of funny the way that is.”
When Smith-Pelly actually does get a bit older, Boudreau sees an almost limitless
potential for him. “When he completely learns the game, which is what you get from
experience, he’ll be a really good power forward with good defensive responsibilities that
could possibly be a great third line checker or even a second line scorer,” Boudreau says.
“It will be really interesting to see where he is in five years.” #
12
Duck s Di ge st
WE ASKED THE DUCKS…
What do you think
the name
Saku Koivu
The first thing I think of is a smile. Very
seldom does he have a bad day. He’s one of
those people who, when you’re around
him, he makes you happy
and makes you feel good
about everything. I’ve
known him for quite a
long time, and I don’t
think of him as a superstar
hockey player. I think of
him as a really good friend and a person
who wants to have fun in his life.
On the ice, the things that stand out are
his first four or five strides, and his ability to
separate himself from a defenseman and the
timing to do it. I think it’s remarkable,
even at this point, how he can be a couple
feet behind a defenseman and he just
breaks through and gets open. Obviously,
with the amount of goals that he has, there
has to be something there. He knows his
shot is not the hardest, but it’s just puck
placement and making the goaltender
move. It’s a pretty unique skill and you
don’t see that too often.
Jason Blake
Hall-of-Famer. He’s got that passion and
energy. As long as he’s played the game,
with all the ups and
downs, the guy comes to
the rink with a smile on his
face every day. For the
young guys, that’s someone you look up to 100
percent. He just loves it.
He loves playing the game. It definitely
14
Duck s Di ge st
Teemu
rubs off on everybody else, especially what
he’s done in his career, the achievements,
the Stanley Cup, playing for his country.
The list goes on and on. I know we’re close
to the same age, but I step back and look at
him and go, Wow. He’s just a class act.
Bruce Boudreau
To me, and I’ve only known him a few
months, just a man who loves hockey. He
has a passion for the game,
and that’s how he’s stayed
in the game for so long and
been able to feel young
every day. Obviously I’ve
watched him for years, but
one thing I’ve learned
about him since I got here is how smart he
is with the puck. He sees the ice so well
offensively. I always knew he was good, but
I’ve seen up close how he is able to slow
the game down or speed it up to his pace.
Ryan Getzlaf
There are so many memories with Teemu.
Our friendship has grown since Day 1 that
I’ve been here. He’s always made us feel
really comfortable. The
best memory I have is
hugging him at the end of
the Stanley Cup. He told
me he was done then, and
now it’s been five years
since. I have a whole
bunch of autographed sticks from him
from the past few years, all of them with
some kind of farewell message. Those are
memories that I have and always will have.
of when you hear
Selanne?
He’s a great guy, and we’ve had a lot of different other memories on the golf course
too.
Corey Perry
The way he conducts himself and the way
he is every day. He always has a smile on his
face and always comes to
the rink with a happy attitude. It just feeds throughout the locker room.
When you see a guy at his
age always like that, it just
makes you that much happier to be around him and be here.
The Stanley Cup, it was his first crack at
it. To see the tears in his eyes when he lifted it, that is pretty special and something
you don’t forget.
When
we go on the road and are
on a bus or airplane, he
tells a couple of stories and
everybody is laughing. It’s
good for the team. Teemu
is the best. He’s 41 and
one of the best players on our team and in
the NHL. It’s a big inspiration.
Niklas Hagman
You look at his career, all the game and
points, it’s pretty unbelievable. It’s an
honor to get a chance to
play with him and at times
on the same line with him.
It is special, especially for a
Finnish guy like me to see
one of the best from
Finland, even one of the
best from Europe or the whole NHL, as far
as goal-scorers. It is unique and it makes
you want to play well for him too.
Toni Lydman
He’s a positive guy and always seems to be
in a good mood. That is contagious somehow. Within the last couple
of years since we have been
teammates here, it seems
like there is a new milestone every game that he is
achieving. That is just great
to see. Now he caught up
to Jari Kurri in points [19th on the NHL’s
all-time scoring list]. That must be a big
thing for him. It’s tough to find words.
He’s a legend and a Finnish hockey icon.
Lubomir Visnovsky
He is amazing. I love to play on this team
with him. You come into the locker room
and there is always a smile on his face. He
brings energy. He is a very funny guy.
Luca Sbisa
He’s definitely a character in the room.
He’s a funny guy and always cracks jokes.
Lucky me, I got my locker moved down
closer to him, so I can hear more of his
Ducks Digest
15
jokes. He brightens up the
room for sure. During the
games, he’s pretty vocal.
People listen, just because
of the guy he is. Teemu
Selanne was one of my
childhood heroes, and
when I first came here, I didn’t really know
how to approach guys like him. But he
came up to me and introduced himself. It
makes it way easier and it shows what kind
of guy he is.
Andrew Cogliano
He’s probably one of the nicest guys I have
ever met in the game. To see what he’s
done and his track record,
it’s pretty cool how he is
such a humble and nice
guy. He’s a guy who is
happy every day and is
enjoying life. It’s fun to see
and inspiring for a guy like
myself, who is younger and looking to
making a long career of it. It’s been great
playing with him. He’s awesome.
George Parros
He’s incredible. He’s more positive than
almost everybody in the room. He comes
in every day with a smile on his face and a
good work ethic. It’s pretty amazing considering
he’s almost 42 years old.
The game hasn’t gotten to
him and he enjoys every
day here. It’s been a real
pleasure.
Definitely the Stanley Cup is something
that comes to my mind when thinking
about him. He scored his 600th goal a few
years back. That was pretty awesome too.
That sticks out in my mind as well.
Jonas Hiller
Right off the bat when I got here, he was
really nice and always really open. He just
seems to bring so much
fun to the rink every day.
He always seems to be
happy when he is here.
That is great to be around
a guy like that.
I can’t even keep up
with the milestones he is reaching. I’m
happy for every point he gets right now,
which gives us a chance to win. It’s great to
have the honor to play with a guy like him.
It’s great to see him happy. I hope he
reaches as many milestones as possible.
Francois Beauchemin
He’s the guy who brings some smiles to
our faces in the locker room. He always has
the passion for the game.
He comes in always in a
good mood and happy to
go on the ice. At his age,
not everybody will go on
the ice on an optional day.
He’s one who will do that,
just because he loves the game. He’s just a
great guy who cares a lot about winning.
I’m just happy to have a chance to play
with him again.
Bobby Ryan
You learn so much from him. The things he
brings to the rink day in and day out are a
smile and a work ethic. If
you’re bringing that at 41,
I think it says a lot about
your passion for the game.
It’s been a pleasure for me.
I have gotten to play
alongside on his line for a
good part of those five years. It’s been a lot
of fun. I missed his 600th goal. It was the
only game I missed in my pro career. I had
food poisoning. That is probably more
what I remember is the fact that I missed
the biggest one that he’s had. #
Ducks Digest
17
The Ducks celebrate Sheldon Brookbank’s goal
against his former team, the New Jersey Devils, on
February 17 at Prudential Center. It was one of three
goals in a nine-game stretch for Brookbank, who had
previously gone 167 games without a goal.
18
Duck s Dige st
Carroll has been the radio
voice of the Ducks since 1999.
B Y D O U G WA R D , S P E C I A L
TO
DUCKS DIGEST
STEVE CARROLL
has been everywhere.
The radio play-by-play voice of the Anaheim Ducks has called games in 48 states
and parts of Europe, but it’s where Carroll began his journey that has played the
biggest role enabling him to reach his ultimate destination.
Carroll came of age in St. Louis, an incubator of sports broadcasting talent, where
he listened and learned from the giants of his industry.
“I was fortunate to grow up listening to some the best broadcasters in sports,”
Carroll says. “It was Dan Kelly in hockey, Jack Buck in baseball, Bob Costas doing
the St. Louis Spirits of the ABA and Bob Starr calling games for St. Louis Cardinals
football.”
Indeed, Carroll’s booming call of Ducks hockey has traces of Kelly’s masterful
work in it.
In addition to being influenced by an All-Star team of broadcasters, Missouri’s
central location also meant Carroll could pick up radio stations from all over the
country.
“I would pick up games of everyone from the Minnesota North Stars to the
Pittsburgh Pirates,” Carroll says.
Carroll wasn’t just listening. He was also learning. He would place a reel-to-reel
tape recorder next to the radio, then study the tape for hours on end. “I would go
to games and memorize stats,” he says.
Carroll knew at early age that his would be a life of broadcasting. “I loved sports.
Hockey and baseball were always my passion. I knew I wasn’t good enough to play,
so I pursued broadcasting.”
Carroll pursued his dream to the corners of the
globe, his resume reading like a bus schedule. There
were gigs in Des Moines, Nashville, Huntsville and
New Orleans. He often crossed paths with others who
had the same background.
“There was something special about St. Louis. It
was a market a lot of guys came out of,” Carroll says.
“There were always seven or eight guys who were
from St. Louis.”
Ducks Digest
21
In the Gateway City, Carroll attended the American School of Broadcasting (now
known as Broadcast Center). After graduating, the school helped Carroll land a job in
Farmington, Missouri, where his responsibilities included doing the farm report, and a
career had been launched.
Carroll called minor league hockey for 15 years and minor league baseball for 17 years
while climbing the broadcasting ladder. He finally got his big break in 1995 when he landed a gig as the radio play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Flyers.
“I was 40 years old when I finally got my break,” Carroll says. “I did the Flyers for one
year in 1995-96, then went
to New Orleans to do hockey
and a Saints TV show.”
On his way to the top
rung of his profession,
Carroll worked as a Top-40
DJ at KKOJ “The Juice” in
St. Louis, and also spun
records at area nightclubs.
Carroll’s big break came
with the Flyers, but the big
payoff came with Ducks.
Having been the radio voice
of the team since 1999, his
hard work and patience were
rewarded in 2007 when he
lived his dream as part of the
Ducks’ Stanley Cup season.
“I got a ring,” Carroll
says. “You don’t make much
money in the minor leagues,
and anything I made, I put
back into it, so I wanted the
opportunity to win a Stanley
Cup and I wanted a ring.”
Another of Carroll’s
dreams came true last sum- “You can come to work without a winter coat and you
mer when he was a part of don’t have to de-ice your car,” Carroll says. “There is
the Angels pregame show on nothing like doing hockey in California.”
AM 830. “I greatly appreciated the opportunity to work with Jose Mota on Angels Today,” Carroll says.
Interviewing former Angel players as part of the team’s 50th Anniversary celebration was
a highlight for Carroll.
“It was a great experience,” Carroll says. “I got to talk to Reggie Jackson, John
Candelaria, Rick Reichardt and all the other players who came back to throw out a first
pitch. That was my highlight.”
Being part of big league baseball team’s broadcast on a regular basis was a particular
thrill for Carroll.
“I had originally wanted a baseball career before I got into hockey,” Carroll says. “I
Ducks Digest
23
A noted pro wrestling fan, Carroll poses with WWE stars Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin and
‘Diva’ Eve Torres following an on-air interview.
am really grateful because it gave me a chance to be a part of a Major League Baseball
team’s broadcast, because it is something I always wanted to do.”
Carroll has branched out from play-by-play duties, hosting a feature highlighting the
Honda Center’s culinary options called “On the Menu.” The features are broadcast at the
Honda Center and on AnaheimDucks.com.
“We did six or seven takes of different concession items in the same day,” says Carroll,
a noted fan of food. “It was awesome.”
In the spots, Carroll turns foodie, touting specialty foods like seafood and frozen
yogurt.
In addition to traveling throughout the NHL, Carroll has sampled some of the top
venues for college football in America as a sideline reporter. “I was on the field as a college football sideline reporter at Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia, LSU,” he says. “The SEC
has great weather and a great atmosphere for college football. It’s hard to beat, but doing
games at Army and Navy is also very special.”
Carroll’s favorite hockey venues tend to be the older ones.
“I really liked the old Montreal Forum and Maple Leaf Gardens,” Carroll says. “The
older buildings were great. I got to call Flyers games for a season at the old Spectrum and
I really enjoyed it.”
Those old venues were wonderful, but Carroll wouldn’t trade his setup at Honda
Center for anyplace else.
“You can come to work without a winter coat and you don’t have to de-ice your car,”
Carroll says. “There is nothing like doing hockey in California.” #
24
Duck s Di ge st
Ryan Getzlaf and Francois Beauchemin celebrate
Getzlaf’s huge goal with 46 seconds left in a 3-2 victory
over the Calgary Flames on March 2 at Honda Center.
Ducks Di gest
27
Corey Perry’s charity golf tournament in London, Ontario helps those
dealing with cancer
L
ondon, Ontario holds a special place in Corey Perry’s heart. It is the city he calls home
in the offseason and a place where the Ducks right wing lends a helping hand to those
dealing with the effects of cancer.
Annually, Perry holds his A Round for a Cure golf tournament at Forest City National
in London. Proceeds from the event go directly to Wellspring London, a support center
for those living with cancer and the people caring for them.
“When everything goes directly to the families and to the treatment center, it’s huge,”
Perry says. “What puts a smile on my face is they are getting the proper attention and it
helps families get through tough times.”
The tournament was founded in 2005 by Rob Matic, who dealt with cancer in the
mid-’90s and utilized the services provided by Wellspring. With the Memorial Cup tournament in town that year, Matic and a group of friends put the tournament together to
coincide with the event and help give back to the support center.
Perry had already become a fixture in the city by then, having played with the OHL’s
28
Duck s Di ge st
By Matt Vevoda
Perry (far left) on
the course with UFC
fighter Sam Stout,
Drew Doughty of the
Kings and hockey
prospect Corey Syvret.
London Knights for four seasons.
At the same time the golf tournament was gearing up for its inaugural event, Perry was in his final act
with the Knights. He would lead
his junior club to its only Memorial
Cup crown to date with a 4-0
defeat
of
Sidney
Crosby’s
Rimouski Oceanic in the final.
While Perry moved on to a professional career with the Ducks
later in 2005, he never forgot his
roots in London and the charity Perry with last year’s winners of A Round for a
golf tournament there. He would Cure, which benefits Wellspring London & Region,
participate in it during 2006 and offering support programs for people living with
eventually became the face of the cancer and those who care for them.
event in 2008. But he plays a bigger part in the tournament than simply putting his name on it and donating money.
Ducks Digest
29
Perry (far right) with UFC fighter
Mark Hominick, Canadiens prospect
Nathan Beaulieu, Brandon Prust of
the Rangers and UFC fighter Sam
Stout.
“He’s made the point of coming down to Wellspring,” says
Joanna Meilleur, Director of
Development
at
Wellspring
London. “He sits around with us,
talks to everybody and answers
questions. We get a chance to get to know him a little bit. To us, it means a lot that he
personally is behind the tournament and it’s not just his name.”
The eighth installment of the tournament will be held June 15. It has progressed from
30-plus golfers in its first year to more than 160 entrants. Since starting up, A Round for
a Cure has raised $115,000 for Wellspring London and helped roughly 3,500 people deal
with cancer.
Donations like those provided by A Round of a Cure are so important to Wellspring
London, because they rely solely on them to function. The organization does not receive
any funding from the Canadian government through grants. “Their operation costs are
completely donor-related,” says Matt Gallien, President of A Round for a Cure. “Any little money that we can provide helps them give services.”
Wellspring has 10 locations throughout Canada, including facilities in Toronto (where
the first Wellspring opened its doors in 1992) and Calgary. The London and Region center started up in 2000 and offers more than 20 different programs and services for members, which range from art therapy to yoga and support groups.
Holding his hometown near and dear to his heart, Perry and his golf tournament help
the London and Region center specifically. “That is something that makes this a perfect
fit,” Meilleur says. “Every dollar that is raised from the tournament stays in London. It
stays directly here to help the people in our community.
“Corey is a very community-minded person in my opinion. He cares a lot about
London. He and the rest of the gang at A Round for a Cure were generous enough to
decide we were a good cause. It’s meant a great deal and added up to quite a lot.”
Says Perry,” When you go home for the summer, that is where I go. That is where all my
friends are and I have some family there too. I adapted and grew with the city. When you
see the community take grasp of the tournament like they have and support it, it’s huge.”
Having an NHL MVP leading the way, A Round for a Cure can only make more strides
going forward. New and more exciting sponsors have come on board, and the organization
strives to add more. Other NHLers have participated, including Drew Doughty (Kings) and
Brandon Prust (Rangers), as well as UFC fighters Sam Stout and Mark Hominick. All of this
is an effort to help those dealing the greatest cause of death worldwide.
“We want to get it out to the masses,” Gallien says. “Just the couple of years Corey has
had have been a huge draw to the tournament. Our goal is to raise more money year over
year, but to also make it more exciting, with bigger prizes and giveaways.”
Says Meilleur, “It’s a tournament that has been really successful and it can get a lot bigger. With Corey behind it, he’s such a high profile person himself, the biggest star around
here practically. It would be wonderful for people to really understand the scope of what
he is trying to do here.”
For more information, please visit www.aroundforacure.com. #
30
Duck s Di ge st
Susan & Henry Samueli
Owners
S
usan Samueli was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She
earned a B.S. in Mathematics from UC Berkeley in 1972.
From 1972 to 1985 she was with IBM Corporation, where she
worked initially as a software programmer in the Federal
Systems Division, Westlake Village, CA, and then as a Systems
Engineer in the National Marketing Division, Los Angeles, CA,
providing technical marketing and sales support for IBM's midrange computer systems. In 1985 she left IBM and focused her
energy on raising her children, at which time she developed a
keen interest in alternative health care. She developed an active
consulting practice in the areas of nutrition, homeopathy, and
Chinese herbs and subsequently received a Ph.D. degree in
nutrition from the American Holistic College of Nutrition in
1993 and a diploma in Homeopathy from the British Institute
of Homeopathy in 1994.
Henry Samueli was born in Buffalo, NY and grew up in Los
Angeles, CA. He earned a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical
Engineering from UCLA in 1975, 1976 and 1980, respectively.
From 1980-1985, he worked in the defense industry and held
various engineering and management positions in the
Electronics and Technology Division of TRW, Inc., Redondo
Beach, CA. Since 1985 Dr. Samueli has been a professor in the
Electrical Engineering Department at UCLA, and he has also
served as a Distinguished Adjunct Professor in the Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science Department at UC Irvine
since 2003. In 1988 he co-founded PairGain Technologies, a
telecommunications equipment manufacturer, and served as a
consultant and Chief Scientist of the company until 1994. In
1991 he co-founded Broadcom Corporation, a global leader in
providing semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Dr. Samueli took a leave of absence from UCLA
in 1995 to be at Broadcom full-time. As Chief Technology
Officer he helps drive the vision of the company’s research and
development activities. He has published over 100 technical
papers and he is a named inventor in over 60 U.S. patents. He
was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) in 2000, a member of the National Academy
of Engineering in 2003, and a Fellow of the American Academy
of Arts and Sciences in 2004.
In December 2003, Susan and Henry purchased the management contract for the Honda Center sports and entertainment venue, creating Anaheim Arena Management, LLC, to
oversee all operations of the arena, and in June 2005 they purchased the Anaheim Ducks National Hockey League club,
Honda Center’s largest tenant. In 2005 and 2008 Honda Center
was ranked as the third-largest grossing arena in the world in
concert ticket sales, and in 2007 the Anaheim Ducks became the
first California team ever to win the Stanley Cup championship.
The success of Broadcom Corporation has also provided
Susan and Henry the opportunity to support many worthwhile
nonprofit organizations. After Broadcom’s initial public offering
in 1998 they created the Samueli Foundation and to date they
have gifted over $200 million in the areas of Education, Health,
Social Services, the Performing Arts, and Jewish Culture. In
2003 and 2004 Susan and Henry were listed among
BusinessWeek’s 50 Most Generous Philanthropists in the
nation.
Since relocating to Orange County, CA in 1995, Susan and
Henry have become very active in the community. Susan is on
the boards of the Orangewood Children’s Foundation and the
Samueli Institute, a non-profit scientific research organization
they founded in 2001 focused on complementary and integrative medicine and the science of healing. Susan also serves on
the Advisory Board of the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative
Medicine at UC Irvine’s College of Medicine. She was honored
with the UC Irvine Medal in 2000, the Ellen Cooperman Angel
Award from the John Wayne Cancer Institute in 2002, and the
General William Lyon Crystal Vision Philanthropy Award from
the Orangewood Children’s Foundation in 2005.
Henry serves on the UC President’s Board on Science and
Innovation, the Chancellor’s Advisory Council at both UCLA
and UC Irvine. He is also on the Dean’s Advisory Council of
both the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied
Science at UCLA and the Henry Samueli School of Engineering
at UC Irvine. In 2000 he was awarded the University of
California Presidential Medal, the UC Irvine Medal, the UCLA
School of Engineering and Applied Science Alumnus of the
Year, and the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Industrial
Pioneer Award. In 2005 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor
of Science degree from the Technion-Israel Institute of
Technology and the Edward A. Dickson Alumnus of the Year
from UCLA. In 2006 he received the IEEE Communications
Society Distinguished Industry Leaders Award, and in 2010 he
received the UCLA Medal. #
Ducks Di gest
41
Michael Schulman
Chairman of the Board, Anaheim Arena Management, LLC
Chief Executive Officer, Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club, LLC
Managing Director, H&S Ventures, LLC
M
ichael Schulman serves as Chairman of the
Board of Anaheim Arena Management (AAM),
Chief Executive Officer of Anaheim Ducks Hockey
Club (ADHC), Chairman of the Board of the
Anaheim Ducks Foundation and serves on the board
of NHL Enterprises. He is also an Alternate Governor
for the NHL Board of Governors. In addition, he is
Managing Director of H&S Ventures, the entity that
manages the Samueli Family Office, AAM and
ADHC. Schulman reports directly to owners Dr.
Henry Samueli and Susan Samueli, and is responsible for managing and long-term planning of their
profit and nonprofit entities.
Schulman’s role with Honda Center began long
before he was appointed Chairman of AAM in
December of 2003. Schulman was the lead negotiator on behalf of the Samueli family in the acquisition
of the management agreement from the bankruptcy
court and the City of Anaheim. He acts as liaison
between the Samueli family and AAM management
and supervises all financial, legal and charitable decisions of the arena. He also acts as liaison with the
other partners of AAM and the City of Anaheim. In
addition, Schulman oversees all long-term capital projects including the 57 Freeway Marquee, two 360°
LED rings, revamping of the video room and remodeling of the company offices and locker rooms.
Schulman’s role at AAM includes overseeing all
business and hockey operations. He was the lead
negotiator on behalf of the Samueli family in working with Disney on the purchase of the Anaheim
Ducks and also with the NHL in qualifying the
Samueli family for the purchase of the team. He is
responsible for developing additional ice and roller
rinks in the Orange County area and was instrumental in the purchase of several ice and roller rinks,
including Corona Roller Rink, Huntington Beach
Roller Rink and Westminster Ice Rink. Schulman was
also involved with the family in changing the team
name and logo, and forming the Anaheim Ducks
Foundation.
Schulman’s role at H&S Ventures is multi-faceted.
He is the Managing Director of the family office
which oversees all the family’s profit and nonprofit
operations. H&S Ventures serves as the manager of
AAM and ADHC as well as a number of other business entities in which the Samuelis are involved.
Schulman has given numerous lectures on the business of sports, most recently speaking on a panel on
concussions at the first annual Santa Clara Sports
Law Symposium.
Schulman serves on the boards of Anaheim Arena
Management, Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club, Anaheim
Sports Holdings, Anaheim Ducks Foundation, HS
Hockey Development and ECH 2101. Previously, he
served on the board of Commercial Capital Bank
Corp., a public company listed on the NASDAQ
Exchange. He is also a current member of the boards
of Telluride Ski and Golf Company and KDOC
Television and a founding member of the UCS Sports
Business Institute (SBI) Advisory Council.
Schulman also serves on many nonprofit boards.
He has been a member of the University of
California, Irvine Foundation Board since 1991 and is
on the Stewardship Committee. He was one of the
founding members and past chair of the UCI
Planned Giving Leadership Council. Schulman
serves on the boards of the Samueli Foundation,
Samueli Institute for Information Biology, the Orange
County Jewish Campus and Anaheim Ducks
Foundation.
After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Economics
from University of California, Berkeley, Schulman
went on to the University of Santa Clara Law School.
In addition, Schulman studied economics for one
year at the University of Leeds in Leeds, England.
After law school, he was hired as a full-time law
professor at the University of Southern California,
after which he was a practicing attorney for a number of years and a partner with the law firm of
McDermott, Will & Emery.
A native of California, Michael and his wife Sherry
have four children (Annie, Danielle, Bryant and
Natasha) and currently reside in Laguna Beach. #
Ducks Digest
43
Tim Ryan
President/Chief Executive Officer, Anaheim Arena Management, LLC
Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club, LLC
T
im Ryan enters his seventh season as Executive Vice
President/Chief Operating Officer for the Anaheim Ducks. Since
being named to his current post in the summer of 2005, Ryan has
led the club to record levels of success in business operations while
leading aggressive community and fan development programs
aimed at improved education, health and well-being, and recreation
in the Southern California market.
Ryan is now in his 19th year with Honda Center and 33rd in
arena management and event creation. In addition to his duties with
the NHL club, he serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of
Anaheim Arena Management, LLC (AAM). In his role, Ryan oversees
one of the premier entertainment and sports venues in the world.
In 2010, Billboard Magazine ranked Honda Center among the top 5
arenas in the United States for live entertainment. The facility is also
a seven-time finalist for “Venue of the Year” as selected by Pollstar
Magazine editors.
Ryan has also led efforts to assure Honda Center is maintained
and remains one of the world’s top-of-the-line entertainment venues. This Fall, the venue is scheduled to break ground on the recently announced Grand Terrace project, representing the largest renovation in Honda Center history. The multi-million dollar project
includes the exclusive outdoor Grand Terrace on the San Manuel
Premium Level, along with a new full-service restaurant, expanded
team store and larger box office on the arena’s main level.
Through strategic planning, business development and event
production, Ryan ensures the arena is active with a variety of firstclass events. Under his guidance, the arena has recently hosted some
of the world’s top names in live entertainment. Over the next several months, Honda Center will serve as host site to UFC 137 (Honda
Center has hosted more UFC events than any arena outside the promotion’s home city of Las Vegas) and concerts from notable artists
such as Blink-182 and Andrea Bocelli. This Fall, the venue will also
serve as home court to UCLA Men’s Basketball on four occasions and
will host the annual Big West Basketball Tournament in March. Over
the years, Honda Center has also served as host to the 2003 World
Gymnastics Championships, 2005 World Badminton Championships,
the annual John R. Wooden Classic, five previous NCAA men’s basketball tournament events and the first Frozen Four west of the Rocky
Mountains in 1999. Since 1993, over 30 million people have been
entertained at Honda Center, enjoying more than 3,000 events.
As Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of the
Anaheim Ducks, Ryan oversees all business operations of the pro-
44
Duck s Dige st
fessional hockey team. He assumed his current dual roles on June
20, 2005 when the Ducks were purchased by Dr. Henry and Susan
Samueli, owners of AAM.
Ryan has also spearheaded several initiatives from the Samuelis,
including charitable programs that support approximately 500 nonprofit organizations annually, a team foundation that supports the
community in the areas of education, youth hockey and health and
wellness, and an expanded grass-roots marketing program. The
Ducks launched THE RINKS development program in 2007, which
supports and promotes youth ice and roller hockey in Southern
California. The blossoming program includes youth hockey leagues
at Anaheim ICE, Huntington Beach Inline, Corona Inline, and
Westminster ICE. The club also launched the first-ever Orange
County High School Hockey League in 2008. The league has grown
to 11 teams, with nine joining in the last two years. Funded by the
Anaheim Ducks Foundation, the club’s education-based youth hockey program (S.C.O.R.E. – Scholastic Curriculum Of Recreation and
Education) has reached more than 150,000 local school children
over the last six years. The Ducks also have a 6,500-member Kids
Club, the largest in the NHL (among all U.S.- based teams).
In 1992, after a long career at the Long Beach Arena, Ryan joined
the then-Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (operated by Ogden Facility
Management) as Assistant General Manager. He was promoted to
General Manager in 1998 and was named Pollstar Magazine “Facility
Executive of the Year” for 2001. During that time, Ryan was also
charged with overseeing a number of other Ogden facilities and
served as a consultant on various major entertainment projects.
Near the end of 2003, the management contract for the arena was
purchased by AAM and Ryan was named President/CEO of both the
company and the arena.
In addition to managing the 19,000-seat arena, Ryan is active in
both the entertainment industry and in the local community. He also
serves on the boards of several non-profit groups, including Big
Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, Los Angeles Sports Council,
Orangewood Children’s Foundation, Special Olympics Southern
California, Stars and Stripes Tournament, and the Tiger Woods
Foundation. Tim and the organization will be honored in November
2011 for outstanding dedication to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange
County.
Ryan graduated from California State University, Long Beach in
1979 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. He lives with his wife
Michele in Huntington Beach and enjoys golf, fly-fishing and skiing. #
Bob Murray
Executive Vice President and General Manager
Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club, LLC
B
ob Murray enters his 37th consecutive year in the National
Hockey League, his fourth as Executive Vice President and
General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks. He was named to his current position on Nov. 12, 2008 after spending the previous threeplus seasons as the club’s Senior Vice President of Hockey
Operations.
Since taking over as Executive Vice President and General
Manager in 2008, Murray has revamped the club’s roster, adding
skilled youth and veteran leadership. Murray has acquired
defensemen Lubomir Visnovsky, Toni Lydman, Francois
Beauchemin and Luca Sbisa. The Ducks enter the 2011-12 season
with a standout group of forwards that includes Ryan Getzlaf,
Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, along
with the expected return of number one goaltender Jonas Hiller.
Murray has also recently drafted several highly touted players,
including three widely lauded selections in the first 42 picks of the
2010 draft with Cam Fowler (12), Emerson Etem (29), and Devante
Smith-Pelly (42).
Murray made two critical moves to help the Ducks qualify for
the playoffs in 2010-11. After Hiller was unexpectedly stricken with
vertigo in February, Murray acquired goaltenders Ray Emery (free
agent) and Dan Ellis (trade). Both Emery (7-2-0) and Ellis (8-3-1)
played extremely well down the stretch, leading the Ducks on a
climb that took them from 11th place to a fourth place finish in the
Western Conference. Murray’s teams have now been in the playoffs nine of the last 10 NHL seasons, four with Vancouver (20012004) and five of six with the Ducks (2006-2009, 2011).
After a series of mid-season roster moves, the 2008-09 Ducks
made a late charge to qualify for the playoffs, going on to beat the
Presidents’ Trophy-winning San Jose Sharks in the Western
Conference Quarterfinals. That made Anaheim the fifth team in the
expansion era (1967-68) to upset the league’s top regular season
team in the first round. The Ducks fell to Detroit in a dramatic,
seven-game series in the Conference Semifinals.
Prior to being named Executive Vice President and General
Manager, Murray was the club’s Senior Vice President of Hockey
Operations for three-plus seasons. He was named to the post on
July 14, 2005. Much of Murray’s work behind the scenes under
then General Manager Brian Burke led directly to many successful
trades and other player transactions by Anaheim. During that
three-year period, the Ducks won a Stanley Cup (2007), a Pacific
Division title (2007), and qualified for the playoffs each season.
Murray’s previous responsibilities as Senior Vice President of
Hockey Operations included overseeing all aspects of player development and serving as General Manager of Anaheim’s American
Hockey League (AHL) affiliate (previously Portland and Iowa).
Murray was the General Manager of the Portland Pirates from
2005-06 through 2007-08. The Pirates went to the Conference
Finals twice (2006 & 2008), appearing in six playoff rounds.
Between 2005 and 2008 (three seasons), Anaheim and Portland
combined to win 10 and appear in 14 playoff rounds over the last
three seasons, both the most of any organization in hockey.
Prior to joining the Ducks, Murray worked as a Professional
Scout with the Vancouver Canucks from 1999-05 under Burke
(1998-04). Murray’s scouting expertise helped to build teams that
recorded 100+ point seasons two years in a row (2002-03 and
2003-04) and advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs four seasons
in a row (2001-04). Before his stint in Vancouver, he served as a
Scouting Consultant for Anaheim during the 1998-99 season.
Murray was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization
for 25 years, serving as General Manager from 1997-99. He was
named the sixth General Manager in team history on July 3, 1997.
He was promoted to the post after serving as Assistant General
Manager under Bob Pulford for two seasons. Before joining uppermanagement, Murray was named the Director of Player Personnel
in 1991 and was largely responsible for the club’s NHL Entry Draft
selections over eight seasons.
Drafted by the Blackhawks in 1974, Murray spent his entire
1,008-game, 15-year career in a Chicago uniform. He became just
the fourth player in Blackhawks history to reach the 1,000-game
plateau in 1989-90. In addition, he became the first defenseman in
club history to appear in 100 postseason contests, reaching the
mark during the 1990 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In all, Murray scored
132-382=514 points and currently ranks second in all-time points
among Blackhawks defensemen (13th overall in club history). He
was named to both the 1981 and 1983 NHL All-Star Games.
Murray retired at the conclusion of the 1989-90 season. Known for
his work ethic, intelligence and determination as a player, Murray
remained with the organization as a Professional Scout following
his retirement in 1990.
Bob and his wife Betsy have four children (Kevin, Andrew,
Amanda and Katie), and two granddaughters (Mikayla & Aisley). #
Ducks Di gest
45
David McNab
Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations
Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club, LLC
A
n original member of the Ducks, David McNab is
now in his 34th consecutive year in the NHL and
19th with Anaheim. McNab served as Anaheim’s
Assistant General Manager for 14 seasons before
being promoted to his current position in 2008. His
duties include overseeing all aspects of player development, having an expertise on the new Collective
Bargaining Agreement and its relationship to the
salary cap in the NHL, contract and arbitration negotiation, player evaluation and scouting.
McNab’s impact on the Ducks is significant. In just
the last eight NHL seasons, Anaheim has appeared
in Stanley Cup Final twice (2003 & 2007), including
a championship in 2007. In addition to the two trips
to the Stanley Cup Final, the club advanced to the
Conference Finals in 2006 and the Conference
Semifinals in 2009. In recent years, McNab has
scouted and signed numerous collegiate free agents
who have made major contributions to the success
of the club.
Prior to being named as the Ducks’ Assistant
General Manager in December of 1995, the 55year-old McNab was the club’s first Director of Player
Personnel and was largely responsible for the team’s
selections in the 1994-96 NHL Entry and
Supplemental Drafts. McNab has also held the position as General Manager of the Ducks’ top farm
team in the American Hockey League for six seasons
(the Baltimore Bandits during the 1996-97 season
and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks from 1997-2002)
while also working on the AHL’s competition committee for many of those years.
Considered to be one of the hardest working and
knowledgeable scouts in the National Hockey
League, McNab began his professional scouting
career in 1978 with the Washington Capitals, where
he spent four seasons. In 1982, McNab was signed
by the Hartford Whalers, where he spent seven seasons as a scout, the last two as the Director of Player
Recruitment. He then joined the New York Rangers
in 1989, where he worked for four seasons before
leaving to join the Disney-owned Ducks in 1993. His
work with the Rangers helped the club to the 1994
Stanley Cup championship.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin in 1978
with a degree in Communication Arts, McNab was
also a goaltender on one of the greatest college
hockey teams of all-time, the 1977 University of
Wisconsin Badgers’ NCAA championship team. He
was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the ninth round
of the 1975 NHL Entry Draft (151st overall). McNab
has worked on numerous occasions for USA Hockey,
both as an Assistant General Manager for the United
States in the World Championships on three different occasions, as well as serving as a consultant for
the 1984, 1988 and 1992 United States Olympic
Teams. He has also been a three-time member of
the selection committee that votes for the Hobey
Baker Award, college hockey’s version of the
Heisman Trophy.
A member of one of the most respected families
in the NHL, McNab is the son of the late Max McNab
and brother of Peter McNab. Max played on the
1950 Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and
was a former general manager with the Washington
Capitals and New Jersey Devils. He was also a recipient of the 1998 Lester Patrick Award given annually
for “outstanding service to hockey in the United
States.” Peter played in 954 NHL games, scoring
363 goals and 813 points in a 14-year career and
currently ranks tied for 110th all-time in goal scoring
in the history of the National Hockey League. Peter
is currently a broadcaster with the Colorado
Avalanche.
David McNab was born in Vancouver, British
Columbia, but grew up in San Diego, California and
graduated from Point Loma High School in San
Diego in 1973. He became a U.S. citizen in 1983.
He and his wife, Kari, were married in Minneapolis,
Minnesota in 1989 and have two daughters, Ali (20)
and Erica (19). The McNab family resides in Yorba
Linda, California. #
Ducks Di gest
47
Bruce Boudreau
Head Coach
B
ruce Boudreau was hired as coach of the
Anaheim Ducks on November 30, replacing
Randy Carlyle. From January 1 through the end of
February, Boudreau led the Ducks to a 17-5-4
record that was tied for best in the NHL and a
+20 goal differential that was tied for third in the
league.
As head coach of the Washington Capitals
(2007-11), Boudreau won the 2007-08 Jack
Adams award (NHL Coach of the Year) and led
his club to the 2009-10 Presidents’ Trophy as the
NHL’s top club in the regular season. He compiled
a record of 201-88-40 (.672 winning percentage)
with the Capitals and won the Southeast Division
four times. He became the fastest coach in modern day NHL history to win 200 games (Nov. 21,
2011 vs. Phoenix) and recorded more wins (184)
in his first 300 NHL games than any NHL coach
all-time.
Boudreau, 56, was named interim head coach
of the Capitals on Nov. 22, 2007. On that date,
Washington was 30th in the NHL standings.
Boudreau led the club to a 37-17-7 finish, as the
Capitals won the Southeast Division in the first of
four seasons under his direction. Boudreau, whose
interim tag was removed on Dec. 26, 2007,
became the second Washington head coach
to win the Jack Adams Award. He was also
the first coach since Bill Barber (2001) to win
the Jack Adams Award after taking over a
team midseason. In 2008-09, Boudreau led
the Capitals to their first playoff series win
since 1988. In addition to the Presidents’
Trophy, the 2009-10 club set team records
for wins (54), points (121), and goals (313).
Before joining the Capitals, Boudreau
spent nine seasons as an AHL head coach,
including a Calder Cup championship with
the Hershey Bears in 2006. He spent four
years with Manchester (Los Angeles) and
two with Lowell (Los Angeles) before joining
Hershey (Washington). He compiled a 10345-27 record with the Bears, including an
48
Duck s Di ge st
AHL-best 51-17-12 in 2006-07. Boudreau began
his coaching career in the Colonial Hockey League
with Muskegon in 1992-93 and was named the
International Hockey League Coach of the Year in
1993-94 with Fort Wayne. He also served as head
coach and director of hockey operations for
Mississippi (ECHL), where he won the 1999 Kelly
Cup championship.
Boudreau played parts of eight NHL seasons
with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago
Blackhawks between 1976-86, recording 2842=70 points in 141 career games. A native of
Toronto, Ontario, Boudreau was originally selected
by the Maple Leafs in the third round of the 1975
NHL Entry Draft. As a Canadian junior playing for
the Toronto Marlboros in 1974-75, he scored 6897=165 points, a Canadian Hockey League
record until Wayne Gretzky surpassed the mark
during the 1977-78 season. Boudreau also ranks
11th all-time in scoring in AHL history with 316
goals and 799 points. No AHL player in the 1980s
notched more points than Boudreau. He won the
1987-88 John B. Sollenberger Trophy for leading
the league in scoring, and was also a member of
the 1992 Calder Cup champion Adirondack Red
Wings. #
B
Bob Woods
Brad Lauer
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach
ob Woods is in his first season as an Anaheim
Assistant Coach. He was named to his current
position on Dec. 2, 2011.
Woods, who previously served as assistant coach
under Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau with
Washington, joined the Capitals staff on June 22,
2009. Boudreau and Woods helped the Capitals
earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference in both
2010 and 2011, including the Presidents’ Trophy as
the top NHL club for the 2009-10 regular season
with a 54-15-13 record (121 points).
Prior to 2009-10, Woods coached Washington’s
AHL affiliate from 2007-09, taking over as head
coach of Hershey Bears Boudreau was hired by the
Capitals on Nov. 22, 2007. In 2008-09, Woods guided Hershey to a Calder Cup championship, defeating the Manitoba Moose in six games. That season,
he led the club to the top seed in the Eastern
Conference with a 49-21-8 regular season record. In
his two seasons as an AHL head coach (145
games), Woods compiled an 83-47-15 record in the
regular season and a 17-10 record in the Calder Cup
Playoffs. In addition, Woods served as assistant
coach with Hershey under Boudreau in 2006 when
the club captured the Calder Cup championship
after posting a 44-21-15 record in the regular season. The club had an AHL-best 51-17-12 in 2006-07.
Woods is the only player in Hershey’s 71-year history to win a Calder Cup as a player (1997), assistant
coach (2006) and head coach (2009).
A native of Leroy, Saskatchewan, Woods retired
from professional hockey in 2001 and became Head
Coach of the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL.
From 2001-05, he compiled a 169-94-25 regularseason record with the Sea Wolves, a span that
included four trips to the playoffs and two conference finals appearances. Selected by New Jersey in
the 10th round (201st overall) of the 1988 NHL
Entry Draft, Woods played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including 10 in the ECHL and was a player/assistant coach with Mississippi from 1998-2001.
He was a member of the 1999 Kelly Cup championship team that was coached by Boudreau. #
B
rad Lauer was named Assistant Coach of the
Ducks on November 30 at the same time
Bruce Boudreau was named head coach.
Lauer had been assistant coach of the
Syracuse Crunch, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the AHL, since July 12, 2011.
Lauer most recently served as an NHL assistant
coach with the Ottawa Senators from 2009-11,
marking the second time in club history in which
a former player went on to serve on the team’s
coaching staff. Prior to joining the Senators, Lauer
was an assistant coach with the Milwaukee
Admirals (Nashville’s AHL affiliate) from 200709. In 2008-09, he helped guide the Admirals to
a 49-22-3-6 record, a Western Division title and
a share of the league lead in points (107). He
began his coaching career in 2002 with the
Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League
(WHL) and served as an assistant for five seasons. During his time with Kootenay, the club
had two 100-point and three 40-win seasons.
Selected by the New York Islanders in the second round (34th overall) of the 1985 NHL Entry
Draft, Lauer appeared in 323 career NHL contests with the Islanders, Chicago, Ottawa and
Pittsburgh, scoring 44-67=111 points with 218
penalty minutes (PIM). The Humboldt,
Saskatchewan native also appeared in 635
career IHL and AHL contests before his retirement from professional hockey in 2002. #
Ducks Digest
51
P
Pete Peeters
Joe Piscotty
Goaltending Consultant
Video Coordinator
ete Peeters is currently in his third season as
Anaheim’s Goaltending Consultant.
Before joining the Ducks, Peeters served as
Goaltending Coach for the Edmonton Oilers from
2001-09. During his tenure, he helped Dwayne
Roloson backstop the Oilers to a Stanley Cup
Final appearance in 2006. Prior to joining
Edmonton, Peeters spent four seasons as
Goaltending Coach for the Winnipeg Jets/
Phoenix Coyotes from 1993-97.
The Edmonton, Alberta native captured the
Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender for
the 1982-83 season. He won the trophy as part
of a career year with Boston in which he placed
second in Hart Trophy (league MVP) balloting
behind Wayne Gretzky. He also recorded a
league-leading 40 wins and a 2.36 GAA that season. In his first full NHL season in 1979-80,
Peeters earned a 29-5-5 record, helping the
Philadelphia Flyers to a 35-game undefeated
streak, which is the longest in NHL history. That
same year, he helped the Flyers advance to the
Stanley Cup Final, falling to the New York
Islanders in six games. In his 13-year career
(1978-91), Peeters appeared in 489 career
games with Philadelphia, Boston and
Washington, recording a 246-155-51 mark with
a 3.08 GAA. He was also a four-time All-Star,
appearing in the mid-season classic in 1980,
1981, 1983 and 1984.
Peeters was selected by Philadelphia in the
eighth round (135th overall) of the 1977 NHL
Entry Draft. He represented the Canada Cup-winning Canadian squad in 1984, going 3-1-0 with
a 3.33 GAA in four games. Pete and his wife,
Laurie, have two sons, one daughter and one
granddaughter. The family celebrated the marriage of their youngest son, Trevor, this past summer. The Peeters family resides in Edmonton. #
J
oe Piscotty is currently in his first season as
Anaheim's Video Coordinator. He was named
to the position on Dec. 2, 2011.
Piscotty, 29, originally joined the Ducks prior to
the 2010-11 as video scouting analyst, assisting
hockey operations with special projects.
Previously, he worked with the University of
Denver’s men’s hockey team from 2008-10,
serving as a hockey operations assistant. In
2008-09, Piscotty served on staff as Denver
completed the season as the top college hockey
team in the nation. While with the University of
Denver, Piscotty earned a Master’s degree in
Business Administration (MBA).
A native of Huntington Beach, CA, Piscotty
earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from the University of Las Vegas,
Nevada in 2006. He then went on to work with
the University of Michigan’s hockey team from
2006-08, serving as a graduate student manager under head coach Red Berenson. Piscotty
worked on staff when the Wolverines advanced
to the Frozen Four in 2008. While at Michigan,
Piscotty also earned a Master’s in Sports
Management. #
Ducks Di gest
53
With Hope Foundation
Bracelet Sale
At the March 5 home game against the
Edmonton Oilers, the Ducks helped raise
awareness for With Hope, the Amber Craig
Memorial Foundation. The With Hope
Foundation was on hand selling co-brand-
health agency dedicated to curing muscular
dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by
funding
worldwide
research.
The
Association also provides comprehensive
health care and support services, advocacy
and education for families living with MD
in Orange County.
Don’t miss your chance to give back to
MDA and help support the Anaheim
Firefighters!
CHOC Night Bears
ed With Hope Foundation and Anaheim
Ducks bracelets for $5. If you missed your
chance to purchase a bracelet, you still have
the opportunity to support this worthy
cause by visiting the With Hope
Foundation website at www.withhopefoundation.org, where bracelets will be available
through the month of March.
The With Hope Foundation is dedicated to suicide prevention through
improving mental health support
services and education in our
schools and throughout our
community.
Ducks fans and CHOC Children’s supporters, mark your calendars because the
CHOC Night Bear sale is just around the
corner. The Ducks and CHOC Children’s
will be hosting CHOC Night at Honda
Center to help raise funds for the children’s
hospital on Sunday, March 18, as the
Ducks take on the Nashville Predators.
Prior to the game, CHOC Children’s
volunteers will be selling the fan-favorite
stuffed CHOCO
Fill the Boot
The Ducks have teamed up
with Anaheim Firefighters
and the Muscular Dystrophy
Association (MDA) to Fill
the Boot at the Friday,
March 16 home game
against the Los Angeles
Kings. Anaheim Firefighters will
be located outside each of the
Honda Center entrances prior to the
game collecting funds to support MDA.
MDA Orange County is the nonprofit
Ducks Di gest
55
Anaheim Ducks Surprise
Puck Sets
bears (the CHOC Children’s mascot) in
the Hockey Spot and outside the West
Entrance. This season’s CHOCO bears will
be outfitted in a replica home jersey autographed by an Ducks player, for $60 per
bear.
CHOCO Bears are expected to sellout fast again and will be sold on a firstcome, first-served basis, so make sure
not to miss your chance to get this season’s bear.
All proceeds from the annual
CHOC Night bear sale will benefit
CHOC Children’s and CHOC at
Mission.
Back by popular demand, the Ducks will be
selling a 2011-12 commemorative series
Surprise Puck Set, featuring four limited
edition pucks. The final puck of the series,
commemorating Fan Appreciation Night,
will be available for $30 at the Sunday,
April 1 home game outside Section 213, as
soon as doors open at 3:30 p.m.
Fans will pick an individually wrapped
puck at random and receive either a Ducks
player-autographed commemorative puck
or – for 23 lucky fans – a surprise Ducks
player-autographed orange puck.
The lucky winners of the Fan
Appreciation Night commemorative surprise puck sale will win the opportunity to
meet the Ducks player that autographed
their lucky puck during the 2012-13 season.
All proceeds raised will benefit the
Anaheim Ducks Foundation. #
Ducks Digest
57
Q A
&
Chris Gill of KDOC and
the Ducks Production Team
hris Gill has worked at KDOC, the
broadcast home of the Ducks, for six
years and has recently joined the Anaheim
Ducks production team that produces the
in-arena broadcast. Chris has also been a
Ducks fan since the franchise was born in
1993.
thing a bit more modern to match the new
programming we have. It’s been a lot of
work but it’s also a lot of fun because I get
to spend time watching all of the shows on
KDOC.
C
Tell us a little about what you do at KDOC.
I work in the creative services department.
We create all the promos for the station and
also I manage all of our social media. It’s a
great chance to interact with the fans of the
station.
How did you get started at KDOC?
Back in 2006 I was taking a TV
Engineering class at Orange Coast College
in Costa Mesa, and my professor knew the
Systems Engineer at KDOC. My professor
was contacted and told the class to apply
for the Master Control Operator job, if we
were interested. So I jumped at the chance
to work in TV, and I was the only one in
the class that applied and I’ve been here
ever since.
What does a Master Control Operator do?
A MCO overlooks the station and makes
sure the on-air content (programming,
commercials, promos, etc.) airs when it’s
supposed to and looks and sounds its best.
For Ducks games we talk to the producer
in the production truck and he tells us
when there’s a TV timeout, so we know
when to start our commercial breaks. We
then countdown the commercial break to
the producer so he can cue the rest of the
production staff.
What are you working on right now?
Right now we’re finishing our transition
over to our new look. We wanted to
upgrade our on-air appearance to some-
60
Ducks Dige st
And what are some or your favorites?
Well Ducks games obviously, but besides
the Ducks I’d have to say Seinfeld, Cash
Cab, Law & Order Criminal Intent and,
this is a little bit of a guilty pleasure,
Cheaters. Plus we have some great stuff
coming up that I’m not allowed to talk
about yet.
How did you find yourself working for the
Anaheim Ducks?
I made some contacts with the team
through the partnership between the
Ducks and KDOC. I was out filming an
event for KDOC at Honda Center and I
met the Director of Production. We hit it
off and I found myself doing camera shading, stats and camera work for the Ducks a
few weeks later.
What’s been your favorite moment this
season for the Ducks?
The coolest moment was seeing the fans in
Winnipeg welcoming their hero, Teemu
Selanne. I wish I could’ve been there. It
must’ve been surreal. And the coolest
moment I’ve witnessed in person was the
OT win over the Hurricanes on February
8, when Corey Perry scored the game-winning goal. It was awesome to be in the
stands (something I don’t get to do too
often) for that moment.
You can contact Chris and the rest of the
KDOC team online at www.kdoc.tv, on twitter @KDOCTV, and on facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/KDOCLosAngeles
#
Ducks On Social
DUCKS LOVE
We asked fans on Facebook to tell us why they love the Ducks
Sarah Tenace: They never stop when times are rough. They keep fighting for their team and their loyal fans!
Tyler Brice Hadfield: Because both the team and I came into existence in the same year. We have been entwined
since birth!
Jennie Schueller: Because they are the team that California deserves! They love their community and their fans as
much as we love them. They will always be my number 1
Allison Pettygrove: Because they inspired me to play and get involved in hockey
Carl Keitz: They introduced me to hockey. I’ve made some great friends through hockey
and it continues to motivate me in ways I never could have imagined.
Janese Pitcher: Because without them my 73 year mom wouldn’t have as much fun
and joy in her life. She is their biggest fan!
GOING TO GAMES
FAN PHOTOS
CAPTION
CONTEST
Some fans
of ourtofavorite
We asked
come fan-submitted
up with the
We asked fans on
photos
from
the past
couple
months
most
clever
caption
for
this of
photo:
Facebook their favorite
thing about going
to a Ducks game:
Zach Severson: Definitely the goal horn and song.
Amanda Tomaszewski: The energy and
excitement of the crowd!
Lee Burgess: To look up and see that Stanley cup
banner.
Jobeys Pookah: Being part of DUCKS NATION!!!
Dennis Heil: Seeing my wife, who was a Kings
fan before we got married, in a Ducks jersey!
Emily Sauer: Celebrating Ducks goals with
fellow fans!
Chris Gonzales: The intro the PA announcer
makes before the start of the game, GOOD
EVENING HOCKEY FANS!!!!! Welcome to Honda
Center for tonight’s NHL contest between the
visiting Buffalo Sabres....... And YOUR ANAHEIM
DUCKS! That’s the best part because it gets the
crowd into it!
Danielle Ferguson – “Step back or I'll
Veronika Tsymbler: Spending time with my dad
and sister cheering on our favorite team!
62
Duck s Dige st
Media
www.facebook.com/anaheimducks
www.twitter.com/anaheimducks
Download the free Microsoft Tag app at http://gettag.mobi,
then scan any of these tags for more content
FAN CAPTIONS
We had a caption contest on Facebook,
asking fans to describe this photo of
Teemu Selanne and the Kings mascot
Suze Carragher: Awkward moments in Hockey: Bailey cheers
a Selanne goal!
Kelly Davis: Even the Kings mascot says One More Year
Darin Barber: The glass allows these poor folks to get close to a Stanley Cup winner, but not touch.
A Daniel Klimowicz: All hail the king of California!
FAN/PLAYER POLL
TOP RECENT
TWEETS/FACEBOOK
POSTS
@wallyboag: I’m very heartened that the @AnaheimDucks
haven’t given up! This is the best hockey team out there by far!
Keep fighting boys! #IBelieve
@HoratioFandango: @AnaheimDucks Never mind Tebowing,
its all about Teemuing. #DucksDedication
@kellyp7: Air5’s all around, @AnaheimDucks win!!
#AnaheimDucksGoooaaalll #DucksDedication
@SlimQuinn: That awkward moment when you’re the only one
cheering in your section in Pittsburgh at the @AnaheimDucks
game. #DucksDedication
@NickBonino: 16 days done on the road, great trip. Cross
country flight back to Anaheim, gonna be a happy plane.
#californiaherewecome
@litljenj: @PrincessDuck we could HEAR the crowd at home!
Awesome! #NHLDucks @AnaheimDucks
Andy Tupman: Apparently a Ducks fan was kicked out of their
seat after throwing a hat on the ice following Perry’s third goal
[in Columbus]. Whoever you are, you are a living legend.
Nathan Carpenter: This is literally a new and refreshed team.
The little plays are being made and the effort is 100% there from
EVERYONE!!! Let’s keep it rollin’, boys!!!
Andrew Arvi Ahonen: I still don’t think Teemu is in his 40s.
It’s not possible.
John Kretler: They need a “Hell yeah I like” or “love” button
on Facebook! Go Ducks!
Which Ducks
player do
you think has
improved the
most over the
course
of the season?
Fans’ Top Answers
Sheldon Brookbank: 25%
Luca Sbisa:
25%
Jonas Hiller:
15%
Devante Smith-Pelly: 11%
Andrew Cogliano:
6%
Nick Bonino:
6%
Players’ Top Answers
Bonino:
40%
Sbisa:
30%
Brookbank:
20%
’BELIEVE’ T-SHIRTS
This photo of the t-shirts the
Ducks have been wearing got 1,945
“Likes” on Facebook
Ducks Digest
63
Favorite Food
I’d have to go with my mom’s chicken
parm. Whenever I go over for dinner,
there is always something special
there. But that would be my favorite.
Favorite Movie
Of all time, I’d say “Dumb and
Dumber.” That is one that I can watch
and laugh at every time.
Favorite TV shows
Right now it’s “Sons of Anarchy.”
Favorite Vacation Spot
Favorite Road City
We just went to Napa, which was
awesome. I’ve been to a couple
places, like the Caribbean. But I think I
like Napa the best.
Toronto because I’m from around
there. That is a given. New York City is
always amazing.
Other Sports You Would Play
if Not Hockey
On being on Twitter
(@matt_beleskey)
I like playing golf. I played a lot of
lacrosse when I was younger. I’d say
golf and baseball are my next best
sports. My handicap in golf is like 16,
but after shoulder surgery it’s probably
a lot worse now.
I like being able to interact with the
fans. It’s great to see how much they
care and pay attention, especially out
here. They are very loyal fans. It’s
always fun to get on there, throw some
comments at them and see what they
are thinking.
First Car
On his bulldog Karl
My first car was a black 2000 Dodge
Dakota.
He is almost a year now, 11 months
old, and is getting
big. He’s a rising
celebrity these
days. You can
book him for
shootings if
anybody wants.
Favorite Part of Orange
County
Where I live in Newport Beach. You
can’t beat walking out and getting on
the beach. It’s a great spot to live.
Ducks Digest
65
How is it rooming with Nate/Rod?
Guenin: It’s great. It’s like a trip back in time since we were college roommates [at Ohio
State] for three years. We have a lot of good stories.
Pelley: He is the top roommate I have ever had.
What complaints do you have about living with him?
Guenin: Well how long do you have? I’m kidding. He is a good roommate, very neat and
organized. Sometimes he will fall asleep before I do. Since he is from Newfoundland, and
of “Newfie” descent, he will speak “Newfie” in his sleep.
Pelley: I really have no complaints at all. He usually falls asleep very quickly and is very
quiet. Every now and then there is a yell or two in his sleep but that’s it. We also roomed
together in college for three years but he has become a better roommate with age, that’s
for sure.
Who controls the TV in your room, and what do you watch?
Guenin: We usually throw the remote back and forth because neither of us cares what we
watch. It’s a mutual agreement.
Pelley: That would be a shared compromise. We typically tune into sports mostly and mix
in a movie every now and then.
Has your roommate tried to pull any pranks on you or anyone else?
Guenin: No, not yet at least.
Pelley: No, no pranks. I mean in college there were a couple of
things he would do, but nothing crazy other then turning a guy’s
bed upside down.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve learned about him since
living with him?
Guenin: Over the years I have learned that Rod is a pretty
good dancer. I don’t know if it’s weird but he has been
known to get out there and cut up the rug. He will dance
anywhere, from music on the elevators to just about anything. Roddy, he does a little jig. He likes Newfie music,
which I would best describe as Irish folk music. Once his leg
gets kicking then you know it’s on. He has some Newfie
phrases, such as, if you ask him, “Where you are going?” he
would say, “Where are you two by?” He is going to kill me
for saying that.
Pelley: I was fortunate enough to go back to Pittsburgh
with Nate. I spent some Easters there with his mom
Carla’s good home cooking. The one thing I
learned about Nate is that he is a huge
66
Duck s Di ge st
Steelers fan. This was evident upon walking into his grandfather’s house with all the memorabilia everywhere.
Who takes longer in the morning to get ready?
Guenin: I would say Roddy. He is a good-looking dude and he takes his time. With my
hair, all I do is just slick it back. But with his, he definitely takes his time. He has like two
toiletry kits full of product.
Pelley: That would be false. Actually, I am trying to grow it out a bit but that is absolutely false. I only have one bag.
What do you think he is going to say about you being his roommate?
Guenin: I don’t know. If you tell him that I was busting him pretty well, then its going
to be long article.
Pelley: That I am a very clean, quiet and efficient roommate.
Does he ever cater to you?
Guenin: He will probably say that I have narcolepsy since I fall asleep at the drop of a hat.
He will come over and pull the sheet over me or turn the lights off for me, because I typically fall asleep with the lights on and music blaring.
Pelley: Minus the tucking in part, yes. If he is going to grab water or a Gatorade at the
gas station he always asks if I would like something.
Why do you think the coaches had you room
with him?
Guenin: Probably because of the history that we
have. With Rod being new to the team, having me as
a familiar face around helps. Plus I also don’t think
anyone else would tolerate him singing Newfie music in
the middle of the night.
Pelley: I’m not really too sure. Possibly to make me
feel a little bit more comfortable with the group,
via Nate or through Nate.
Rooming with Nate/Rod means more time
with him. Is that a good thing?
Guenin: It is a great thing. Anyone that knows
Roddy would say the more time you spend with
him the more you appreciate him. He is as good as
they come, and I have been fortunate enough to be
a friend of his for a long time.
Pelley: I would have to say it is definitely a good
thing. #
Ducks Di gest
67
PHOTO
BY
KENNETH PFEIFER
T
HE P OWER P LAYERS support the Ducks event presentation efforts at every home game
by greeting fans, sweeping the ice during timeouts, assisting with on-ice and in-stand
promotions and helping to ensure our fans have an outstanding experience. Power Players
are also actively involved in our many Community Relations and Fan Development events.
First row (L-R): Erin and Taylor. Second row: Christine, Melanie, Sabrina, Kristin, Fiona.
Third row: Meghan, Trina, Erika, Kara, Jamie. Fourth row: Tara and Liz.
Uniforms Custom-Made by
www.discountdance.com • (800) 328-7107
68
Duck s Dige st
N
estled in the heart of Orange County, Honda Center stands as one of the premier entertainment
and sports venues in the country. Opened in 1993, the venue is owned by the City of Anaheim
and managed by Anaheim Arena Management, LLC. Home to the 2007 Stanley Cup champion
Anaheim Ducks, the arena annually hosts multiple top-name concerts, exciting sporting events and
family favorites such as the Harlem Globetrotters, Stars on Ice and Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey Circus.
Honda Center was named one of the top five arenas in the U.S. by Billboard Magazine for 2010,
based on gross ticket sales. The venue is also a seven-time finalist for “Venue of the Year” by Pollstar
Magazine. Recent outstanding events at the venue include sold-out performances by Sade, Britney
Spears, Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne. The 2011-12
calendar is packed with exciting sporting events,
LOCATION SITE: 2695 East Katella Avenue (at
including UCLA Men’s Basketball, the Big West
Douglass, east of 57 freeway)
Basketball Tournament and a UFC Heavyweight
SEATING CAPACITY (including Suites): 17,174 for
title bout.
hockey and other rink events; 18,366 for basketball;
Also on the horizon is the largest renovation
18,900 for center stage events; 18,325 for end stage
ever to be done at Honda Center: “The Grand
events and 7,000 for Theatre events. Seating is cusTerrace Project.” The centerpiece of the project is
tomized per event.
The Grand Terrace, an exclusive 12,000 square
foot indoor/outdoor entertainment space. A 250ARENA HIGHLIGHTS: NCAA Men’s Basketball
seat restaurant that is open to the public before
Tournament First and Second Round (2008), NCAA
each event, as well as an expanded team store are
Men’s Basketball Tournament Western Regionals
also included in the development.
(1998, 2001, 2003, 2011), 1999 NCAA Frozen Four,
The 2011-12 hockey season marks the kick-off
2003 World Gymnastics Championships, 2004 U.S.
of the second phase of Honda Center’s food and
Team Trials - Gymnastics, 2005 World Badminton
beverage makeover which seeks to set a new stanChampionships, U2, Bette Midler, Paul McCartney,
dard in arena dining. The first phase of the
Eagles, Barbra Streisand, AC/DC, Gwen Stefani, Rod
makeover saw the opening of several new concesStewart, David Bowie, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw,
sion concepts, including The OC Grill, Urban Wok
Faith Hill, Phil Collins, Toby Keith, Alan Jackson,
and Center Ice Frozen Yogurt. This season the
Madonna, Prince, Van Halen, Gloria Estefan, Jimmy
highly anticipated Outlaws Smokehouse, Burger
Buffett, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, the John R. Wooden
Bistro and Sliced Gourmet Deli will debut, offering
Classic, Bruce Springsteen, Roger Waters, Celine Dion
new and delicious items.
and Elton John.
Honda Center offers fans a facility that is both
ATTENDANCE: Since 1993, more than 30 million
beautiful to behold and a delight in which to view
fans have been entertained at Honda Center, enjoying
any event, reflecting state-of-the-art design in both
more than 3,000 events.
form and function. The arena affords visitors
incredibly comfortable seating and some of the
best sight lines and proximity to the action found anywhere. The creation of The Theatre at Honda
Center in 2001 as a separate venue allows for intimate performances in front of a crowd of approximately 7,000 people.
The complete arena encompasses 650,000 square feet of space and is lined inside and out with
marble and granite from around the world. The building’s roof spans 444 feet by 329 feet, more than
100 feet above the arena floor.
The arena has three levels of seating. Closest to the arena floor is the Plaza Level with 5,200 seats
and 39 luxury suites. Just 21 rows above ice, the exclusive San Manuel Premium Level is accessible
only to Premium Seat holders. It contains 1,750 seats, 44 luxury suites and the Jack Daniel’s Old No.
7 Club. The third level, the Terrace Level, has a total of 9,200 easily accessible seats.
The arena is located in Orange County, east of the 57 (Orange) freeway on Katella Avenue. Five
major freeways (57, 22, 5, 91, 55) are conveniently located within a five-mile radius of the building. #
70
Ducks Dige st