Ducks Open Practices to the Public

The Mighty Ducks open training camp next Friday at Anaheim Arena, and the team has announced many sessions will be open to the public at no charge.

The opening session from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. next Friday and the Sept. 11 workout from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. will both be open. Schedules for other open workouts have not been announced.

Coach Ron Wilson expects about 45 players to report as the team prepares for its first exhibition game Sept. 18 against Pittsburgh at Anaheim Arena.

In addition to the exhibition schedule, the team will hold intrasquad scrimmages Sept. 15 and 16. All scrimmage tickets are being given away to Disney employees, youth organizations and Disney charities.

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With training camp a week away, the Ducks are still working to reach terms with two entry draft choices who are expected to compete for roster spots in camp--right wing Valery Karpov and goaltender Mikhail Shtalenkov.

Karpov, 22, the team’s third-round pick, played for the Russian national team at the 1993 World Championships and had 25 points in 29 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk. He is coming off shoulder surgery but was examined by team doctors in Anaheim this summer.

“There is a chance we might not be able to do anything,” said Pierre Gauthier, assistant general manager, attributing difficulties in part to a wide variance in salaries that some young European players have received. “He might stay (in Russia) another year. He’s 22, it wouldn’t be the worst thing for him to play in the Olympics. (But) we’d much rather have him here.”

Shtalenkov, 27, a Russian who had a 3.03 goals-against average with Milwaukee in the International Hockey League last season, has been projected to provide competition behind expansion draft goalies Guy Hebert and Ron Tugnutt.

“We hope we’ll be able to bring him on board--but we can’t go overboard,” Gauthier said.

The team has not signed ninth-round pick Anatoli Fedotov, a defenseman projected to compete, but Gauthier said a basic agreement has been reached.