Ducks Blog

Contrary to popular belief, the NHL Entry Draft continues well beyond one round each and every June. To be exact, the 1^st round completes only 1/7^th of the total action to be had on draft night, with many current and past NHL stars hearing their name called long after Round 1 has come to a close. In total, the Anaheim Ducks walked away with an 8 man class from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, only two of which were first round selections. Here’s a look at the Ducks final 6 picks of the night, all of whom hope to make a meaningful impact to the franchise over the course of their budding careers.Round 2Pick 12: Devante Smith-Pelly, Right Wing, Mississauga St. Michael’s (OHL) In his second year with Mississauga St. Michael’s, Smith-Pelly took a major step forward, netting 16 additional goals and 21 additional assists, bringing his year end totals to 29 and 33 respectively, while more than doubling his total point output from 25 in year 1 to 62 in year 2. (more…)

Cam Fowler, Defenseman, Windsor (OHL) By most accounts, the Ducks landed a steal when Cam Fowler was still on the board with the 12^th pick in the first round. In fact, the Ducks didn’t even take the time to interview Fowler at the NHL Draft Combine, assuming he would be long gone by the time their pick came around. Most forecasters predicted Fowler to be among the first 5 players selected on draft night; however, after a number of surprising picks, perhaps none more surprising than the Rangers selection of Moosejaw’s Dylan McIlrath, a fellow defenseman, ahead of Fowler, the Ducks found an unexpected present had fallen into their laps. When a relieved Cam Fowler finally heard his name called after a few more minutes passed than most anticipated, a symbolic moment occurred on stage when retired Ducks defenseman great Scott Niedermayer handed the young fellow his inaugural (though ceremonial) Ducks jersey. (more…)

Emerson Etem was born in Long Beach, CA, so when he finally gets around to getting those “professional athlete” business cards printed up, he might want to be extra specific. It’s not that Long Beach hasn’t produced its share of athletically gifted residents over the past few decades (including tennis legend Billie Jean King, NFL linebacker Willie McGinest and safeties Mark Carrier and Jeff Severson, MLB outfielder Tony Gwynn, Olympic volleyball gold medalist Misty May-Treanor, just to name a few), but all those sports stars upbringings were aided by their warm weather surroundings. Etem, on the other hand, is recent first round selection of the Ducks, Anaheim’s ice hockey team, which may bring joy to thousands of Los Angeles area fans every year, but is rarely composed of any LA-area residents. (more…)