A Challenging Season Ahead

An expansion team can’t set its sights too high, and one of the Mighty Duck’s goals is simply to pass the Ottawa Senator’s sorry first-year record of 10-70-4 (1-41 on the road) last season. The other new team in 1992-93, the Tampa Bay Lightning, was a more respectable 23l-54-7.

Home arena/headquarters: Anaheim Arena.

Phone: (714) 704-2700

Parking: $6 per car, $12 per bus. Gates open two hours before faceoff, arena one hour before.

Season ticket sales: Range from $720 (rear of Terrace Concourse) to $6,800 (Club Concourse) for 45 games, including exhibitions.

Mini-plans: Three separate 14-game plans, subject to availability, begin at $224.

Single-game tickets: Subject to availability, $13-$125.

In-person sales: Arena box office open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6p.m.; Sunday from noon to 6. Ticket also sold at Ticketmaster outlets at Music Plus, Robinsons-May and Tower Records.

Telephone orders: Contact Ducks directly at (800) HOCKEY4 or Ticketmaster at (714) 740-0535, (714) 740-2000, (213) 480-3232, (805) 583-8700 or (619) 278-8497.

Key Personnel and Stats

Defenseman: Alexei Kasatonov, 33. Has played four years in NHL after 14 in Soviet League, including a dozen with Central Red Army. Two-time Olympic gold-medal winner.

Scorer: Terry Yake, 24. Team’s only 20-goal scorer, with 22 last season for Hartford. Center also had 31 assists. Name rhymes with sake-as in “for goodness sake,” not the rice wine.

Goalie: Guy Hebert, 26. He was a backup in St. Louis and had an 8-8-2 record with a 3.67 goals-against average. Playing time shouldn’t be a problem, but he’ll face a lot of rubber.

Enforcer: Stu Grimson, 28. In 171 NHL games, he has 632 penalty minutes and three goals. Fought the Kings’ Marty McSorley twice last season.

Family Business

Coach Ron Wilson’s NHL victory total is zero, but he grew up talking strategy with his father and uncle, both of whom were NHL head coaches.

Wilson’s dad, the late Larry Wilson, coached Detroit during the 1976-77 season. Uncle John coached the Kings, Detroit, Colorado and Pittsburgh.

Team’s Vital Stats Average age: 26 Citizenship: U.S. 7; Russia 2; Sweden 1; others Canadian Fastest skater: Joe Sacco Hardest shot: Sean Hill Best playmaker: Anatoli Semenov Stanley Cup winners: Todd Ewen, Sean Hill (Montreal, 1993); Troy Loney (Pittsburgh, 1991, 1992) Most NHL experience: Randy Ladouceur, 12 seasons Highest salary: Alexei Kasatonov, $650,000 Tallest: Stu Grimson, 6 feet 5 Shortest: Lonnie Loach, 5 feet 10 Lightest: Ron Tugnutt, 155 pounds Heaviest: Stu Grimson, 227 pounds