Disappointment doesn’t come to mind

It was a magical year for your Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and in the end

I can find no disappointment. The Ducks lost the winner-take-all Game

7 in New Jersey to the Devils, 3-0, and ended the Ducks’ improbable

run at earning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

The Devils continued the home-ice advantage winning streak, and

for the first time in years the home team won all seven games of the

series. Next time you hear someone say that it doesn’t matter where

you finish -- as long as you get into the playoffs you have a chance

-- well, the Ducks and their fans will know that in the playoffs,

there is no place like home.

It has been a pleasure to watch these team members and see their

commitment to their teammates in order to achieve one goal, the Cup.

There is not only a great core group of players, but a supporting

cast that has given this franchise the depth it has sorely needed.

The team has a great blend of veteran and rookie talent that has

enabled them to develop into a team to be reckoned with for years to

come. This Mighty Ducks team has the ability to put themselves into

the Stanley Cup playoff hunt for years down the line, and maybe with

home-ice advantage they will raise that Cup over their heads in the

Arrowhead Pond in the near future.

The ride that the Ducks have taken me on and all other fans in

Orange County has been addicting. As I played in a golf tournament

for John Hamilton and his Newport Sports Museum, which by the way

every child must see because it is so good, I was amazed at how many

people huddled around televisions that John bought so everyone could

keep one eye on the game and the other on the live auction. Good

stuff, John. Former great athletes such as Jim Everett, Fred Lynn,

Brooks Robinson, Marcel Dionne just to name a few, all watched with

enthusiasm to see if the boys could do it. I could only think that

this team has made hockey fans out of all of us. Hopefully this will

translate into a mad dash for season tickets, and don’t forget to

tell them Guy sent you.

The only hardware the Ducks were able to bring home from New

Jersey, which was certainly no surprise, was the Conn Smyth Trophy

for the playoff MVP. This award went to the most deserving player,

J.S. Giguere. There is no doubt that without his heroics the Ducks

would not have gotten to Game 7 of the Cup Finals. It is a great

personal achievement and a reflection of how well his team played in

front of him, but I can tell you that he would trade that one in for

the Cup in a second. J.S. is a leader and a team player and he will

have the chance to shine once again for us and prove that he is here

to stay.

For the players there really is no consolation at this time for

them. Coming that close and going away empty handed is a helpless

feeling, and as an athlete myself, my heart goes out to all the guys,

but to Steve Thomas and Adam Oates in particular. Their acquisitions

were both timely and instrumental in the success of the team, and as

fans we can only hope that they will be back. As the summer goes by

and the players realize what they accomplished and how close they

really came to winning it all, it will help motivate them for their

upcoming season. They will also see a new found respect from the

other teams, and Anaheim will no longer be an easy target.

I’m sure Bryan Murray, along with his coaching staff and scouts,

will reflect back on the season and start to look forward to next

year. They will try to see what areas may need improving, and with

the NHL draft later this month they will look to fill some of the

voids in the future. With the team’s success, I firmly believe that

players will now reach out to the Ducks and initiate talks with the

team so that they can come here and play for this team. Free agents

will not only look at the Red Wings or the Stars to find their chance

at the Cup, they will now look at the happiest place on earth as

well. I know I have a few players on my personal wish list, so we’ll

see what transpires over the course of the summer, but the great

thing is that this team does not need much.

Enjoy the off season and see you next year.