DUCK SEASON: With the National Hockey League...

DUCK SEASON: With the National Hockey League labor dispute finally resolved, the Mighty Ducks open their long-delayed second season tonight at Edmonton (C1). The 6:30 p.m. game also marks the debut of flashy rookie scorer and playmaker Paul Kariya, a 1992 Canadian Olympian. The Ducks are pinning their hopes for more scoring punch on Kariya. . . . One hitch about tonight’s game: It isn’t televised. But it’s on KEZY radio (95.9 FM).

KID PATROL: Brandi Drake of Buena Park knows when trouble is at hand. During the recent flooding, the 12-year-old put together a group of friends--they called themselves the Buena Park Kids Crew--who pulled wagons door to door collecting clothing, blankets and heaters, later passed on to those who needed them. The youngsters were singled out for praise by the City Council this week. . . . Says Brandi: “If there is, like, a disaster, I want to help out in our city.”

GET IT RAITT: Bonnie Raitt will do more than just sing in Anaheim tonight. She’ll perform at the Marriott Hotel for those attending a music merchants show at the nearby Convention Center. But she’s also touting her new Bonnie Raitt Guitar Project. It’s to channel money to low-income youths who want to learn the guitar. . . . She’s collaborating with Fender Guitars on a new signature Stratocaster it designed for her and says she’ll donate her royalties from sales to her project.

SPREAD THE MUSIC: When Orange County’s Tom Minor joined the Natal Philharmonic Symphony in South Africa a few years ago, he quickly noticed what little chance impoverished youngsters there had to pursue musical talent: few teachers and almost no instruments. He and his father, retired Cal State Fullerton music professor Benton Minor, are doing something about it. They’ve lined up half a dozen local schools to help them send musical instruments to South Africa. “They don’t have to be in perfect condition,” says the senior Minor. “We’ve got someone ready to do repairs.”