head coach: Pierre Page

roster: C - Steve Rucchin, Kevin Todd, J.F. Jomphe, Sean Pronger*, Espen Knutsen, Mark Janssens, Richard Park. LW - Paul Kariya*, Ted Drury, Shawn Antoski, Brian Bellows*, Mike Leclerc. RW - Teemu Selanne, Tomas Sandstrom, Peter LeBoutillier, Warren Rychel. D - Dmitri Mironov, Dave Karpa*, Bobby Dollas, Dan Trebil, Darren Van Impe, Jason Marshall, J.J. Daigneault, Ruslan Salei. G - Guy Hebert, Mikhail Shtalenkov.
*-Unsigned free agent.

injuries: None.

transactions: 07/15 - Agreed to terms with center Espen Knutsen. 07/17 - Named Don Hay an assistant coach. 07/31 - Re-signed unrestricted free-agent defenseman J.J. Daigneault to a three-year contract. 08/01 - Signed free-agent right wing Tomas Sandstrom (Detroit) to a two-year contract. 08/04 - Re-signed center Ted Drury, right wing Craigh Reichert and left wings Jeremy Stevenson and Bob Wren to two-year contracts. 08/05 - Reached an agreement with the Calgary Flames concerning compensation should Anaheim hire Pierre Page as head coach. 08/09 - Named Pierre Page head coach. 08/10 - Re-signed goaltender Guy Hebert to a two-year contract and defenseman Dmitri Mironov to a one-year contract; signed free-agent right wing Jeff Nielsen. 08/13 - Signed right winger Igor Nikulin to a two-year contract and goaltender Blaine Russell to a three-year entry-level contract. 08/25 - Signed defenseman Mike Crowley to a two-year contract. 08/29 - Re-signed free-agent defenseman Darren Van Impe to a two-year contract. 09/09 - Signed center J.F. Jomphe to a two-year contract and center Richard Park to a one-year contract.

standings:

1996-97 FINAL RESULTS
RECORD:     
 OVERALL      36-33-13 
 HOME         23-12-6 
 ROAD         13-21-7        
POINTS:             85  (9th)
GOALS SCORED:      245 (10th)     
GOALS AGAINST:     233 (11th)  
POWER PLAY:      16.8%  (9th)
PENALTY KILLING: 81.5% (22nd) 

game results:

PRE-SEASON RESULTS
9/14 at Edmonton        L 4-1

team news:

by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

NO WILSON, NO WIN

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks shot themselves in the webbed-foot this off-season by firing head coach Ron Wilson. Aside from the greatness of Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, this team is terrible. Yet thanks to the coaching genius of Wilson, the Ducks were able to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last season and actually advanced to the second round. This is a classic case of not knowing what you had until it's gone. The Ducks will be mud without Wilson.

Taking over behind the bench is Pierre Page, who coached the Calgary Flames a year ago. It's tough to argue Page's knowledge of the game or ability to evaluate talent. He was one of the men responsible for building the Quebec Nordiques into the Colorado powerhouse they are today. Unfortunately, his coaching rarely receives similar accolades.

Page is often criticized for failing to communicate with his star players. His ongoing feud with Theo Fleury is the main reason he was fired in Calgary and a similar rift with Joe Sakic doomed him in Quebec. At one point during his days with the Nordiques, Sakic became so enraged with Page that he stood up on the bench during a game and shouted at him. Now I don't know if you, our valued readers, know anything about Joe Sakic, but he's a quiet guy and generally considered to be one of the nicest people in hockey. He's not exactly known for such public displays of anger. But somehow, someway, Page was able to get on his bad side.

It's this past history that makes Page's hiring so puzzling. Because if it's one thing the Ducks need, it's a coach that can get along with superstars. If Page can't make Kariya and Selanne happy, the Ducks are in serious trouble.

OFFENSE: One Line Wonder

The Ducks' top line of Kariya, Selanne, and Steve Rucchin is one of the best in the game. Obviously Kariya and Selanne are world- class players, but Rucchin is actually the key to the line. It may not seem like it, but trying to find someone to play between two superstars can be quite the daunting task. The reason Rucchin has been able to do so well in the role is that he hasn't changed his game any to try and emulate his talented wingers. Rucchin keeps things simple. He knows he can't make the kind of plays they do, so he just gives them the puck as soon as possible and then goes to the net. He's also strong defensively and will win his share of draws. Rucchin's just a good player.

While the top line is all good, the rest of the Anaheim roster is pretty pathetic. Jari Kurri jumped ship over the summer and signed with the Colorado Avalanche. Kurri was an important member of the club last season, centering the second line and killing penalties with Selanne. It's going to be difficult trying to replace his veteran presence. Another vet that won't be back is Brian Bellows. He was forced to vacate his current place of residence and asked that he never return.

The club signed Tomas Sandstrom to a contract this off-season and is hoping that winning the Stanley Cup last year with Detroit will light a fire under the Swedish winger. Sandstrom has five 30-goal seasons in his career, but he had just 18 goals last season while splitting the campaign with Pittsburgh and Detroit. To be honest, he hasn't looked like his old self since Hartford's Steve Rice devastated him with an open-ice check during the second half of the 1995-96 season. That hit just seemed to knock the talent right out of him. There's also hype that Sandstrom is a gritty winger that's tough to play against, almost to the point of being dirty. Well, that may have been true when he first came into the league, but nowadays that perception is just a myth. Don't buy into it.

The club is hoping that rookie Espen Knutsen will be able to handle centering the second line. Knutsen, a rookie out of Norway, is a crafty playmaker with lots of skill. And with a name like Espen Knutsen, he's an LCS cult hero waiting to happen. Sandstrom is a lock to play on one of Knutsen's wings, but the other spot is wide open. Finnish rookie Antii Aalto is a grinding type player and has been skating in that spot at camp.

The rest of the Anaheim offense is made by the likes of Joe Sacco, J.F Jomphe, Ted Drury, Warren Rychel, Sean Pronger, Richard Park, and Mark Janssens. That's not good. Tough guy Ken Baumgartner left to sign with Boston, but Shawn Antoski should be healthy enough this season to provide the required acts of barbarism.

DEFENSE: Not Good

As sad as the forward ranks are, the defense is even worse. How bad is it? Well, the club's top two defenders, J.J. Daigneault and Dmitri Mironov, were acquired last season from Pittsburgh. Anytime defensemen brought over from Pittsburgh can step in and be the top two guys on your team, you might be a red neck. Bobby Dollas is a nice, steady defender, but he's the only one. Dan Trebil got called up at the end of last season and played fairly well, but his skating deficiencies will show up over an 82-game schedule. Darren Van Impe has some potential, Dave Karpa plays bigger than his size, and Jason Marshall gained some valuable experience last season, but on the whole the blue line is extremely weak.

GOALTENDING: Hebert Still Number One

Guy Hebert took a huge step forward last season and emerged as one of the game's better netminders. He played so well, in fact, that the club was probably guilty of overplaying him down the stretch, to the point that Hebert suffered from dehydration and exhaustion during the final few weeks of the season. The goal this year will be to pace Hebert a bit more and give backup Mikhail Shtalenkov about 30 starts.

GEE, THAT'S SWELL

* The top line is great.

* Hebert is an excellent goaltender.

* Espen Knutsen is cool.

TROUBLE

* Wilson should have never been fired.

* Page might not be the right guy for the job.

* The team's overall depth is dreadful.

1996-97 OUTLOOK: The fact that Kariya is still an unsigned restricted free agent is grabbing most of the headlines around Anaheim at the moment. But don't worry, Kariya will get signed. It's not like Disney doesn't have the money. But whether or not he'll like playing for Page is a totally different story. Losing Wilson at this stage in the franchise's development is brutal. The results will show in the standings.

PREDICTION: Seventh in the Pacific and out of the playoffs.

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