Grimson Is in the Spotlight as Ducks Open Training Camp

None of the misery that the word expansion suggests in modern-day sports was anywhere in evidence Friday at Anaheim Arena, where Stu Grimson earned a hardy cheer from two dozen fans at 7:49 a.m.--simply for being the first Mighty Duck to step on the ice for training camp.

Several hundred fans filed in and out during the workout, applauding even the simplest drills and weighing in occasionally with the honk of a duck call. Even so, they weren’t as giddy as the San Jose Shark fans who attended that team’s first training camp at the Cow Palace two years ago: Those fans gave the Zamboni a standing ovation.

The Ducks are approaching the season with a mix of optimism and pragmatism that borders on the saccharine.

“They’re not using the word expansion, “ said defenseman David Williams, a former Shark. “It’s just our first year playing together.”

Grimson, a former Chicago Blackhawk, tried to explain another philosophy.

“The coaching staff mentioned that they want us to prepare ourselves to win each game,” he said. “Obviously, that’s not going to happen, and true, it’s not going to happen for anyone in this league. But we have to give ourselves an opportunity to win by being physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for each game in order to give ourselves a chance to win, because it’s going to be difficult to compete at this level.”

Coach Ron Wilson says the biggest challenge of camp will be trying to coax offense out of a group of players whose statistics say they aren’t scorers--including veterans like Grimson and Troy Loney, who have had defined roles as intimidators.