We’ve already posted comments from Kings President Luc Robitaille and NHL ice guru Dan Craig. Now, here’s a few thoughts from Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau at the press event held at Dodger Stadium on Monday afternoon…
On his hockey journey:
“I have to say I’m the luckiest guy. The things I’ve been involved with in my life are all game and fun related. My wife still gets mad at me because I don’t know how to work. It’s all a great passion. I’ve been very lucky to be involved in Slap Shot and involved in the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh, playing in Washington, watching that franchise grow and being able to come here to a very good, young team and watch that grow too. There’s only one step we haven’t taken, and boy I’d like to do that one day.”
On Wayne Gretzky being involved:
“Who? Listen. I’m older then him, but he’s still my idol. To have him involved is incredible. Gordie Howe is way in his eighties now, so Wayne is Mr. Hockey. If his name is associated with anything, you know it’s going to be a quality project.”
On Gretzky’s contribution to Southern California hockey:
“This is because of him. I can’t imagine the Kings being the Kings without Wayne Gretzky going to LA. I can’t imagine the Ducks not being around if the Kings didn’t have the success that Wayne went there. And I can’t believe that we would have a game here unless the success of both teams in the last seven years wining the cup. This is something that when I was growing up, I would never had thought was even possible.”
On both teams playing so well leading up to the game:
“I think when we were both here, it was at the start of the year, we bought thought we had good teams. We didn’t know both teams were going to be this far up in the standings and everything. It’s well documented that people think that the Pacific Division in the NHL is as tough as you are going to get and yet we are two of the better teams- statistically, points wise- in the Pacific Division. It should be quite a game.”
On what the outdoor game will do to the rivalry:
“There is not going to be where a lot of nights in the middle of January or February that some guys are really not into it, you know? In baseball it would be the mid-summer blues and all of those things. There’s none of that going to be going on. You’re going to have some ramped-up players. The biggest problem that both teams are going to have is that we have 23-men rosters and we can only play 20 guys. Everybody’s going to want to play that night.”
On the focus of the game:
“I’m going to want to look at the stars and the lights. I couldn’t do that in Pittsburgh because the rain would just be coming down so much in my eyes that I wouldn’t be able to see.”
On soaking in the game:
“I think you have to look around. I’m going to love to see the replay when the blimp is showing from the above. I think that’s going to be a great scene.”
On playing back-to-back games against the Kings:
“That game on Thursday will probably be a war. It’s not like there’s four games or a week or whatever in between where you get mad at another team. You’re playing this team right again. It could be ugly. The TV gods knew what they were doing, I’ll put it that way.”
On Darryl Sutter saying he is going to dread sitting players for the game and if he feels the same way:
“Yeah, well especially if you look now at our team, I’m rotating almost everybody in on a nightly basis. Until at least the break is over. It’s going to be tough because right now, with our team, everybody deserves to play and guys are getting healthier. Sbisa and Allen are both getting close to return. Viktor Fasth won’t be ready but he’s going to be playing at that time, or practicing at least. If everything stays status quo, there is going to be a lot of tough decisions to make.”
On if he wonders how the game will be pulled off:
“Yeah. They explainted it to me today and I said, “well that’s cool. I’m glad you know what you’re doing’ because there’s no chance in hell that I can foresee, on a day like today. It’s not even a windy, cold, dreary day which you could have come out here and said, ‘see, this is what it’s like in January.’ It’s 80 degrees in January.”
On what he will be wearing:
“The last thing you’ll ever see me in is shorts and a tank top. There’s nothing you can do to make me look better. It’s just going to be basic for me.”
On the Ducks’ success:
“No, no. Look at it, we’re 19-0-2 at home. Are you kidding me? How does that happen. It’s a real testament to the character and the quality of the people that are playing for a team, quite frankly, because it’s so easy to take days off and it seems like we haven’t taken that many. We’re not playing 100% all the time, but we’re playing it a lot of the time.”
On being proud of the team:
“I’ve said it once or twice. To them I’ve said it once or twice. You don’t want to come in there and say it everyday. You tell your kid how proud you are everyday and eventually you’re not going to be that proud of him because he’s going to screw up. There’s been games where we’ve been down and not playing good and then the character- like the Vancouver game the other night. We we’re down 2-0 after one and it looked awful, and then just something clicked in and they just went for it.”
On what he says to the Ducks after good games:
“I say I’m proud of the effort that they put in. The never quit, the never say die routine. That’s pretty important.”
3 MUST-READ ARTICLES:
Robitaille on having Gretzky involved in LA’s outdoor game
NHL ice guru Dan Craig on what to expect at Dodger Stadium
Doughty and Penner bring the jokes to outdoor game presser
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