Ducks News

"As anyone who's seen an Oliver Stone movie can tell you, it's now clear that Wednesday's TSN report was the first act in a sequence of events which will inevitably lead to Brian Burke and Dave Nonis reuniting in Toronto to run the Maple Leafs. I mean, who would argue differently? The crack management team at Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment has long since targeted Burke as the man who would be king of their empire. Nonis, his close confederate and former first lieutenant with the Vancouver Canucks, has recently been made available amid an equally interesting set of circumstances. Put it all together and the inescapable conclusion is Nonis has been approached to serve as a caretaker GM in Toronto while Burke completes the last year of his contract with the Anaheim Ducks."

"Lowe -- who really does not appear to like this Brian Burke fellow at all -- could not help but gloat somewhat that the Oilers finished strong, while Anaheim crashed in the playoffs, bringing about the current smallish spread in their respective draft positions: "It's quite a bit different than the scenario that was painted some months ago when the sky was falling according to some, and particularly a loud mouth fellow down south." So Kevin Lowe, channeling Muhammad Ali, comes up with the perfect nickname: Burke, the Mouth from the South. "

"If you didn't think Ryan Carter would play himself into a long-term NHL contract for the Ducks at the beginning of this season, you're not alone. Carter wasn't expecting it himself. Yet the 24-year-old center so impressed Ducks management in his rookie year that he was rewarded with a three-year contract worth $1.875 million Tuesday. "

"There is mourning in Toronto these days. The general manager everyone wanted to run the Maple Leafs is staying in Anaheim. Brian Burke said last week he'll remain with the Ducks, honoring the final year of his contract. "

"Many theories have been put forth about the abrupt halt in the Maple Leafs' pursuit of Brian Burke, including a rumour that the National Hockey League interceded to keep him in Anaheim for the final year of his contract."

"The announcement Wednesday that Brian Burke would be returning to the Anaheim Ducks for the last year on his contract struck us as being, well, somewhat academic."

"Burke insists his future with the Ducks has nothing to do with money and everything to do with family issues. But if he does sign an extension in Anaheim, he'll be a rich man, because the Maple Leafs reportedly were poised to offer a five-year contract in the $23 million neighborhood."

"Let me see if I've got this right: the Anaheim Ducks agree to give Scott Niedermayer all the time he needs to make up his mind whether or not he'll return to the team and he eventually makes his debut on Dec. 15."

"The feeling of shock that filled the Ducks' dressing room after their Game 6 loss to the Dallas Stars in the opening round of the NHL playoffs hasn't subsided much. To say that every player, coach and executive in the organization thought the defending Stanley Cup champions would be in Anaheim playing Game 7 on Tuesday instead of preparing for exit meetings isn't much of a stretch. Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle compared the feeling of not preparing for another game to the days after their Cup triumph a year ago, with one obvious exception."

"Brian Burke cleared up his immediate future with the Ducks by agreeing Wednesday to remain as executive vice president and general manager through next season while negotiations continue on a contract extension."

"Brian Burke very much wanted to talk to the Maple Leafs about their opening for a new hockey boss. But his bosses with the Anaheim Ducks said no chance. That, in short, is what happened yesterday, just 24 hours after Burke said he didn't know if he'd be back with the Ducks next season. Burke will now have to grit his teeth and fulfill the fourth and final year of his existing contract next season knowing he could have had the Leaf job."

"General Manager Brian Burke, the man who put the final major pieces together for the team's championship run the previous season, is expected to be aggressively courted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the coming days to run their team. In a season-ending news conference at the Honda Center, Burke would not say whether the interest is mutual."

"Foremost among the uncertainty is the status of General Manager Brian Burke, who Tuesday addressed persistent reports out of Canada that the Toronto Maple Leafs will target him to take on the same role with the proud but struggling Original Six franchise."

"Brian Burke said nothing yesterday to quell speculation he may be Toronto bound as the next general manager of the Maple Leafs."

"Burke couldn't give a straight answer because as much as he likes to slag media in these parts about unfounded rumours, he knows darn well he is at the top of the Maple Leafs' list to become the new hockey boss for a franchise that has become synonymous with embarrassing failure."

" The worst-kept secret in Toronto hockey will be front and centre today when lawyer Gord Kirke makes his presentation to the board of directors of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. In that meeting, Brian Burke of the Anaheim Ducks will be revealed as the two-man search committee's candidate of choice to become the next president and general manager of the Maple Leafs. "

"Although they ultimately returned to play this year after contemplating retirement, star defenseman Scott Niedermayer and speedy forward Teemu Selanne will initially spend time sorting out their futures. Burke has said he will not give the players an open-ended period to make up their mind and both players seem to believe they will be able to make decisions shortly."

"Obviously, as Coach Randy Carlyle likes to say, the 2007-08 Ducks were not the same team that won the Stanley Cup last summer. A team that had established a single-season franchise record for goals scored had to open its title defense without three of its top seven scorers."

"The Ducks are having talks with General Manager Brian Burke about a contract extension amid increasing speculation that the Toronto Maple Leafs have targeted him for the same job in their organization."

" Burke, who has one year remaining on his deal in Anaheim -- with a five-year extension on the table but as yet unsigned -- has not expressed an interest in the Toronto job at this point. But the speculation is out there, and as long as the job remains unfilled his name will be connected to it."

"Brian Burke appears to be on the fast track to become the Leafs' next general manager. The board of directors of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, at a meeting later this week, will be presented with a list of priorities for the hockey club. "

" There may be 23 million reasons Brian Burke is seriously contemplating leaving his post with the defending Stanley Cup champions for the crazy challenge of running the Maple Leafs. That's the figure kicking around the hockey world that is expected to lure Burke from the Anaheim Ducks for the opportunity to rebuild the moribund Maple Leafs. "

"There was good news and bad news for the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday, according to sources close to club owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. The bad news was there will be no news conference Tuesday to announce that Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke is the new general manager of the Maple Leafs. There may not even be one next week."

"If Niedermayer and Selanne return, they will be expected to skate from Day 1. Burke will try to find room within the cap for more scoring. But then everyone in Toronto seems to think Burke will become the Maple Leafs’ Messiah. If that happens, what becomes of Carlyle?"

"Another power-play goal by the Stars triggered a four-goal third period that went unanswered in a 4-1 victory Sunday night, officially ending the Ducks' reign as champions in front of a joyous sellout crowd of 18,532 at the American Airlines Center."

" Dallas scored two goals in the first 2:10 of the third period and won Game 6 on Sunday, 4-1, clinching their best-of-7 first-round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks. Dallas advances to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2003."

"Stephane Robidas scored the tying goal and assisted on Stu Barnes' game-winner, and the Stars eliminated the Anaheim Ducks with a 4-1 victory at American Airlines Center on Sunday night. The Stars, who took the series 4-2, advanced out of the first round for the first time since the 2002-03 season."

"One moment, they were the defending Stanley Cup champions. The next, just another losing team on the wrong side of the handshake line at the end of a playoff series."

"The season could have, probably should have, ended with Chris Pronger in the penalty box. Instead, Mike Modano floated the puck into the net that Jean-Sebastien Giguere had vacated, the arena throbbed with the thrill of Dallas' first playoff series victory in five years, and Pronger took the long trip back to the Anaheim bench with three seconds left."

"Ducks forward Rob Niedermayer prepared himself for a return in the Western Conference quarterfinal series against Dallas, but a recurrence of symptoms related to a concussion in Game 2 kept him out of the lineup."

" Rob Niedermayer came to Dallas looking for an answer. He found it. It just wasn't the one he wanted. Niedermayer, the Anaheim right wing, missed his fourth straight game Sunday with concussion-like symptoms. "

"Neither Niedermayer nor Selanne, each of whom joined the team late this season after having flirted with retirement, was ready to commit one way or the other regarding next season."

"We interrupt this regularly scheduled programming – otherwise known as the Stanley Cup playoffs – for the Maple Leafs' pursuit of Brian Burke. It begins today. Officially, that is. Unless Gord Kirke has presented the MLSE board with an entirely different game plan, Burke has been the No.1 target of the Leafs since John Ferguson was fired in January and he's still the No.1 target."

"Slap Shots has learned that instead, the league has sought to punish Niedermayer by fining him approximately $500,000 of his $6.75M salary for missing training camp, unilaterally invoking Article 15.3 (f) of the CBA that reads, "For each day a Player does not report to Training Camp without his Club's permission, his pay will be reduced by 1/275th of his annual . . . salary . . . ""

"Happy to be flying to Texas for Game 6 instead of dealing with the alternative on Saturday, the Ducks might have accomplished something more Friday night than extending the Western Conference quarterfinal series against Dallas."

"Rob Niedermayer was back on a plane Saturday morning for the first time all month. Not to see a physician, not to take a vacation, but to join his Ducks teammates in Dallas after they kept their season alive with a win in Game 5 of their first-round series Friday night."

"Have the Ducks solved their penalty-killing problems in time to complete the ultimate comeback? Extinguishing all 13 Dallas power plays in Games 4 and 5 is a good sign — to be fair, one Stars goal Friday night came one second after their power play had expired — but there is a safer strategy for the Ducks in Sunday's second consecutive must-or-bust game."

" Despite a deep, talented roster, nobody on the Ducks underestimates the importance of goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere. He finished with 40 saves in Game 5, the sort of clutch playoff performance that has defined his career."

"One of the funniest ongoing soap operas surrounding the changes enveloping the Vancouver Canucks is the saga of Fabian Brunnstrom, the allegedly much sought after Swedish Elite League forward looking to jump to the NHL... What's even more amusing is that now we're told by TSN than his now apparent destination is the Toronto Maple Leafs, another team where it is felt he might have a chance to play on the top six. But they have no GM or by extension coach either, right? They have exactly the same situation as Vancouver, unless it's already wired Brian Burke is going there and Nonis is going to be his right-hand man? We can't believe that."

"The result is the Ducks will live another day in these playoffs as a 5-2 victory in Game 5 on Friday night at the Honda Center ensured that they will head to Dallas for Game 6 on Sunday night."

"Jean-Sebastien Giguere knows that if you watched him allow nine goals over the Ducks' first two playoff games at Honda Center last week, you didn't get your money's worth. "I felt that was a pretty entertaining game," Giguere said after making 40 saves in a 5-2 Ducks win on Friday. "Much better than the first two games we played here."

" Anaheim scored twice with the man advantage and killed seven Stars' power plays to take a 5-2 win in Game 5 Friday at the Honda Center, drawing this best-of-7 series to 3-2 and setting up Game 6 in Dallas on Sunday night at 8 p.m."

"Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne scored power-play goals, Selanne's coming on a 5-on-3, and the Stars' rally came up short in the Ducks' 5-2 victory in Game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals."

"Teemu Selanne didn't come back from retirement to lose in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He didn't give up playing golf and bonding with his newborn daughter to stumble through a succession of frustrating defeats and a rude dismissal at the hands of the Dallas Stars."

"The process begins with Jean-Sebastien Giguere. On Friday, it never got to elimination. Throughout the series the Ducks have put their goaltender in squirmy situations. Here they asked him to play the back end of a back-to-back."

"Actually, a distinct kicking motion was detected inside Honda Center, but league officials were not required to determine it merely was the Stanley Cup champion Ducks kicking Dallas Stars tail, all the way back to Dallas for Game 6 on Sunday night."

"It's not hard for Jean-Sebastien Giguere's teammates to figure out when it's one of those nights. A couple of big saves early, and it's just like old times. "When he comes up big, it rallies your whole bench," Ryan Getzlaf said Friday night. "

"Hoisting the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive time is about as far away as a trip to London. An abbreviated postseason is on the Ducks' doorstep after the Dallas Stars came up with all the key plays in a 3-1 victory Thursday night to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series."

" Third-year player Trevor Daley is just 24, but Thursday he was a veteran defenseman for the Stars. And he played well beyond his years. The Stars also received key contributions from the Swedish duo of left wing Loui Eriksson and center Joel Lundqvist in a Game 4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks."

" There comes a time in every series when the goalie needs to win a game for his team. The circumstances don't matter. That's what Marty Turco did Thursday against Anaheim... Turco was at his sprawling, acrobatic best against the Ducks, stopping 27 of 28 shots, and coming within 7.6 seconds of a shutout as the Stars beat Anaheim, 3-1."