Lockout Forces Disney to Shuffle Duck Front Office : Business: Parent company recasts its hockey employees to work in a variety of roles in the community and at Disneyland.

ANAHEIM —  With no end to the NHL lockout in sight, what are idled Mighty Duck front office employees going to do next?

In a twist on the Walt Disney Co. slogan, some of them are going to Disneyland.

The Ducks are reassigning 22 of their 41 administrators and other staff in lieu of layoffs, and eight workers are being sent across the Orange Freeway (57) to Disneyland.

“They’re not going to be sweeping or dressed up as Dumbo or working on the rides,” said Bill Robertson, Ducks director of public relations. “They’ll be working in administrative jobs.”

Coach Ron Wilson will work with young hockey players in Disney’s GOALS charity hockey program. Wilson and his staff might also work with the Anaheim Junior Ducks, a teen-aged developmental team loosely affiliated with the Ducks, or the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks’ minor league affiliate.

Television commentator Brian Hayward and radio commentator Charlie Simmer, both former NHL players, also will work with youngsters.

Equipment manager Mark O’Neill and his assistant, John Allaway, will be assigned to help stock three new stores that will sell team merchandise.

“We might be making deliveries,” O’Neill said. “But I’d rather stay busy than sit around. We’ve already reorganized and inventoried everything. A few guys come by and get their skates sharpened, but mostly we show up here for half a day then go play golf and go home.”

The workers will continue to earn their full pay from the team while performing duties for Disney.

“It beats the hell out of the alternative--laying people off,” Ducks President Tony Tavares said. “They were going to get to the point of boredom and I had to make a choice whether to keep them busy or lay people off. Fortunately we’re in a company where we can cross-utilize people. I feel badly for the other companies that don’t have that option.”

The moves, most of which will take effect next week, are one indication that few people think the lockout will end soon.

“What this says is we’re not going to just sit around in anticipation of that happening,” Tavares said.

The highest-ranking administrative employee who will take another assignment is Bill Holford, director of sales and marketing. Holford will work three days a week with Disneyland in marketing and ticket sales while continuing to work with the Ducks.

Lisa Seltzer, the team’s director of broadcasting, and associate producers Mark Vittorio and Tim Davis probably will do some work for Disney-owned KCAL Channel 9.

*

Two more Ducks, defensemen Tom Kurvers and David Williams, are seeking unemployment benefits during the NHL lockout.

Kurvers, a 10-year veteran who was scheduled to make $450,000 this season, filed an unemployment claim in New York because he was employed by the Islanders the last three years before being traded in June.

“I’m sure there will be people out there who don’t quite understand, but a lot of people don’t understand the issues unless they’re directly involved,” Kurvers said.

“I don’t have any complaints with my income, (but) I, or my employer, has paid into the system for 10 years, and I’m out of work. I’m a hockey player and I’m seeking to be employed as a hockey player. I have a contract and I’m not being allowed to work. I think I’m entitled to it. I certainly think (past employer payroll contributions) have covered it.”

Williams, who has played parts of three seasons in the NHL and was scheduled to make $250,000, filed in California, one of about 20 states that consider locked out employees eligible for unemployment benefits.

Teammate Don McSween filed an earlier claim, becoming the first NHL player seeking to collect benefits. He is still waiting to hear if his claim will be approved.