MIGHTY DUCKS : Players Glad to Flee Ranks of Unemployed

Now that the NHL lockout is over, there is one check that won’t be in the mail for three Mighty Duck players.

The unemployment check.

“I’ve got to mail in the form where I check off that box that says, ‘Employment Reinstated,’ and I’m happy to do it,” said defenseman Don McSween, who was the first NHL player to receive unemployment benefits because of the labor dispute. Striking employees aren’t eligible to collect unemployment in California, but locked-out workers are.

McSween, 30, received the maximum benefit of $230 a week and collected about $3,000 over the three-month lockout. A player like McSween, who has spent most of his career in the minors making $30,000-$50,000 a year, doesn’t have a bottomless savings account. He said he did what was best for his family.

“I wish I would never have had any reason to do it, but at one time it looked like the season might be canceled,” he said. “A lot of guys were wishing they had filed and wondering if they did if it would be retroactive.”

Had the season been killed, McSween says he would have quit working out so regularly and started looking for a job outside hockey.

Defenseman Tom Kurvers made his unemployment claim in New York because he played for the Islanders until he was traded in June. He received five weeks of benefits at about $300 a week after the seven-week cooling-off period required in labor disputes by New York law. “It was available within the law, so I took advantage of it,” said Kurvers, an MBA student during the off-season.

Defenseman David Williams received the California benefit of $230 a week for about two months, but he too, will be marking the box that says he again has a job.

“That’s one check I won’t miss getting,” Williams said.

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How rusty did Paul Kariya get during the three-month layoff?

Coach Ron Wilson arched his eyebrows after the team’s first mini-camp scrimmage and just laughed. Not very.

“Paul is the type of player who doesn’t need to be on the ice so much,” he said. “He’s one of those guys who is small and doesn’t need to skate.”

Kariya showed the same speed and creativity that lit up The Pond during the exhibition season in Saturday’s scrimmage, and finished one flashy long rush with a goal. He has added a new move to his repertoire, too.

“That move where he comes down on the wing and goes sideways, then turns, he wasn’t doing that much during the preseason,” Wilson said.

Once the defense goes for it, Kariya is off again.

“I don’t feel my touch has been hampered or anything,” Kariya said. “If anything, (the layoff) helped me because I’ve been able to work on my individual and team skills.”

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Wilson continued to be impressed with the team’s conditioning after watching the scrimmage--or at least the first part of the scrimmage.

“We stressed to our players when we saw them that until the season is actually called off, you should stay in shape. Sure, you get frustrated, but you’d only be shooting yourself in the foot if there’s a 50-game season and you’re not ready to go. I think the credit goes to leaders like Randy Ladouceur, Bob Corkum and Stu Grimson. Not only were they in negotiations, but they made sure the team stayed together.”