I thought I would talk a little about last night's Avs-Ducks game. It was one us Ducks fans had had circled on our calendars for months. Considering that was the first time Kariya was supposed to come back to Anaheim.
Of course, the bastard has got himself hurt and hasn't been playing hardly at all this season, so we didn't get to see him. We did get to see the first performance by Jiggy this year that was reminescent of last year's playoffs and his first shut out. He saved 38 shots and was fantastic. He also had to deal with a razor-thin edge because Aebischer was also fantastic. If it wasn't for a fantastic give-and-go between Federov and Sykora after a lengthy power play from a major that included numerous Ducks' shots and a one-minute-plus stint of 5-on-3 hockey, I'm not sure we would have even gotten that, and this one would have gone down to a 0-0 tie.
The reason for this post, though, isn't to talk about that so much as to talk about the fans' reaction to Selanne, who was an integral part of Kariya moving to Colorado. Two or three weeks ago, the Ducks played the Wings in Detroit, and big Wings fan Honolulu Blue talked about being disappointed in the Wings fans booing Federov every chance they got. I have to say I feel the same about the heartless fans last night.
They booed Selanne mercilessly. I was disgusted. It disheartens me that I am int he same fan group as the people who attended last night's game. I think booing Paul would have been justified--not only was the whole affair of his signing with Colorado rather sneaky, but the guy promised to bring a Cup to Anaheim--as a Duck. Selanne, though, left the Ducks almost three years ago by another's decision--he was dealt to San Jose. He made no promises to Ducks fans this past offseason, and was free to go wherever he chose. I don't like that he ended up in Colorado, but that's his decision to make and I am fine with that.
It troubles me that these fans would not remember what that guy meant to this team. He has been a fan's true dream. The guy is always smiling and joking around. He loves Orange County (and yes, the fans), and still has a place out here. He has always gone out of his way to do charity work and to sign autographs and be the ultimate hockey promoter. I met him once at an autograph signing, and the reason I met him was because he ignored a team official pleading with him to leave and go to the team bus at the end of a fan event, and instead continued signing autographs for a long line of fans, well after he was obligated to do so.
There were a lot of classless Ducks fans in that arena last night, and I am ashamed to be in some way related to them.
To me, Selanne represents everything that si right about hockey. Hopefully, they will eventually come to see that.
Chief Rum