Ducks Prefer This New Jersey

It wasn’t a typical meet-and-greet news conference, with references to beaches, weather reports and legendary Red Army Coach Viktor Tikhonov, all in the same setting.

Then again, it wasn’t a typical player who mugged for the cameras for the first time in a Mighty Duck jersey, No. 91, of course.

Sergei Fedorov met with the media Wednesday at the Arrowhead Pond a month after signing a five-year, $40-million deal with the Ducks.

Possibly the heaviest catch in the free-agent pond, Fedorov hammered home that he didn’t come here after 13 years in Detroit because it’s always 75 degrees in January. Nor did Fedorov, a 30-goal scorer nine times in his career, choose Anaheim with the intention of breaking up a rigid, and productive, defensive scheme.

As Fedorov said, “I’m not here for the beach. I’m not here for the great weather. I’m just here to play hockey. Everything else is just [a] bonus.”

There were plenty of questions as he sat between Duck General Manager Bryan Murray and Coach Mike Babcock. On Wednesday, Fedorov, 33, had all the answers.

Can he fit into the Ducks’ disciplined system?

“[From] 1986 to 1990, I played for Viktor Tikhonov,” Fedorov deadpanned. “He disciplined me very well.”

Can he continue to grind out high-scoring seasons such as last year’s 36-goal, 47-assist effort?

“I think I’ve got a few miles left in my legs.”

And, to Murray, can the Ducks get back to the Stanley Cup finals with Fedorov instead of Paul Kariya?

“From a talent point of view, from a speed point of view, we are a better team at this point,” Murray said. “We will have an exciting hockey team.”

Babcock said Fedorov would start next month’s training camp on a line with 20-year-old Stanislav Chistov and possibly Petr Sykora, a restricted free agent who has not yet re-signed with the Ducks.

Said Fedorov: “Changes are sometimes good. I look forward to this change.”