The Anaheim Ducks hit the ice yesterday and while it was great to see some of the regular faces skating it was the new ones that stole the show - at least for me.
Here are a few of my observations from the day.
- First, let me start off by saying it was unusually cold at the Rinks yesterday. I could deal with the chill as long as the ice looked good and it did.
- It was great to see all of the players wearing camp shirts that read "Unfinished Business" on the back. That will be the team's motto this year as they look to improve on last years regular season success and playoff failure.
- The highlight of the first session had to be the reuniting of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and former-turned-current Ducks, Dustin Penner. The trio seemed to click right from the beginning. The passes could have been crisper but I chalk that up to the uncomfortably long summer. I was especially pleased to see Getzlaf and Perry SMILING. I thought we didn't see enough of that from Perry last season. Good to see them enjoying themselves - for now.
- I was also impressed with Bryan Allen, yes, that Bryan Allen. I thought he looked to be in decent shape and see the ice well. Granted he was facing mostly non-NHL caliber players, but still it was an encouraging sign.
- I enjoyed watching all 5' 7" and 162 lbs. of free agent Steven Whitney dart around the ice. The kid can fly. There is almost no chance he makes the team, but still good to see a smaller guy get out there and so his thing.
- I tried to pay close attention to Sami Vatanen. I know so of you mention that he was less than impressive in the rookie showcase against the Kings. I thought he was solid. He seemed to be working hard. He was effective in the one-on-one drill against Perry. Looks like he has work to do, but seems dedicated to improving his overall game.
- It was good to see Francois Beauchemin back on the ice. It has been roughly three months since he had surgery to repair a torn ACL. He looked good and didn't appear to favor his knee at all. The Ducks will rely on his leadership this season as the team attempts to prove that last season was no fluke.
- Before coming out for the second session, Teemu Selanne took a moment to stare out at the ice. It was a cool moment to witness. That moment officially marked the beginning of the end for the legendary hockey star. He was spry and mobile on the ice and he, Nick Bonino and Jakob Silfverberg seemed to have instant chemistry together.
- Speaking of Silfverberg. Seeing the 22-year-old for the first time was the highlight of the morning for me. He was definitely not out of place. He was comfortable along side Selanne and it was obvious that this kid will have us all forgetting about Bobby Ryan very soon.
- Cam Fowler was another player that I thought looked happy. It was good to see him enjoying himself. I saw him receiving some extra coaching from the great Scott Niedermayer. I hope he soaks all that knowledge up and uses it this season.
- Rickard Rackell found himself having to be coached and re-coached over and over again. He was even asked to do some additional skating with a few of the tryouts after the first session. It was painful to watch.
- Unfortunately I didn't get to see John Gibson play. My 4-year-old son had seen enough by that point. However I thought both Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth had a good start to camp. Both were moving well, seeing the puck and again, they appeared to be in good spirits. I did notice that Fasth was having trouble minimizing rebounds. Again, first day of camp. Let's not read too much into that.
- Lastly, the fans were great. Ducks fans don't get enough credit for being good, loyal and knowledgeable fans. The stands were very full and a good time was had by all. There was even a lady that was on a mission to get her arm signed by the players, especially Selanne. Her plan was to have a sleeve made entirely of Ducks signature tattoos. Sh already had Wild Wing and seems focused on getting the rest of the team. That's dedication. I wish her luck.
Who was there? anybody else see anything that stood out to them? Leave your comments below.
***
Follow me on Twitter! @StevePalumboHTW
On Facebook at StevePalumboNHL
Email me at [email protected] 
San Jose Sharks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»