Mighty Ducks to Open 1995-96 Season on the Road

The Mighty Ducks will open the 1995-96 regular season with a four-game trip beginning Oct. 9 at Winnipeg before returning to The Pond of Anaheim for their home opener Oct. 18 against the Vancouver Canucks.

The Quebec Nordiques’ move to Denver has strengthened the Pacific and will increase competition for the eight playoff spots. The Ducks will face Colorado six times this season.

Though most games at The Pond will continue to start at 7:30 p.m., the team will play many Sunday afternoon games, with most starting at 1 p.m. or 5 p.m. Complete schedule, page 9.

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A memorial service for long-time Orange County football coach Mike Merkle will be Friday at St. Simon Jude in Huntington Beach.

Merkle, 54, died Monday of cancer.

Merkle had been an assistant at Cerritos College since 1982. He began his Orange County coaching career at Western High in the 1970s. The Pioneers reached the Southern Section major division championships in 1971 and 1972.

He was Savanna coach from 1975 to 1978 and at Villa Park in 1979-80. Merkle had also been also an assistant at Long Beach State.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the American Cancer Society.

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The Bullfrogs switched broadcasts of their Roller Hockey International games to KMAX (107.1 FM) from KORG (1190).

Lew Stowers will continue as play-by-play man and ex-King Charlie Simmer will stay on for analysis. Stowers’ weekly talk show that he hosted on KORG with Bullfrog Coach Grant Sonier, will be dropped.

KMAX, which dropped the minor league baseball Long Beach Barracudas after the team’s owner filed for bankruptcy three weeks ago, is trying to attract several sports teams to its airwaves as it attempts to move into an all-sports formula. Among those being sought are Long Beach State basketball and baseball, which have been broadcast on KORG for several years.

The Bullfrogs-Blades game at the Forum Thursday night will be broadcast by KMAX live at 7:30 p.m.

Prime Sports will also carry the game live.