Rucchin a Big Find From Small College

The Steve Rucchin highlight tape arrived from the University of Western Ontario one day in the spring of 1994.

David McNab, Mighty Duck assistant general manager, popped it into his VCR and after only a few minutes, called for General Manager Jack Ferreira to join him.

“I turned to Jack and said, ‘There’s no way this tape leaves the office,’ ” McNab said. “I issued a gag order. No mention of his name by anyone in the organization. No inquiries were to be made about him.”

Here was the big, strong, skillful center they were looking for in the upcoming supplemental draft. What’s more, the Ducks believed they had Rucchin--6 foot 3, 215 pounds--all to themselves.

Canadian colleges such as Western Ontario are rarely scouted by the NHL. Most young stars play in junior leagues such as the Ontario Hockey League or attend U.S. college because scouts flock to see those games.

But any NHL general manager who had a glimpse of Rucchin would have jumped at the chance to select him.

“If Florida [which selected ahead of the Ducks] had seen him, they would have taken him,” McNab said.

The Ducks maintained their silence, picked Rucchin second in the 1994 supplemental draft and now have the standout center to match strides with all-star wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne.

“He’s like a gift from God,” McNab said.

McNab might be overselling his case, but it’s safe to say the Ducks wouldn’t have evolved into a Western Conference power this season without Rucchin.

He was their third-leading scorer with 19 goals and 67 points, which would have been enough to lead seven NHL teams. But more than that, Rucchin fights all the little battles that free Kariya and Selanne to work their offensive magic.

Rucchin is terrific in winning key faceoffs, particularly in the defensive zone. He ties up opposing centers in the corners and in front of the net, so Kariya and Selanne have more room to work. He’s strong defensively.

And he sets up Kariya and Selanne for goals with alert passes.

“He’s probably one of the most underrated players in the league,” Phoenix Coach Don Hay said. “He’s a big guy and he plays a physical game. He creates a lot of time and space for Kariya and Selanne.”

Building a 2-1 lead over the Phoenix Coyotes in the best-of-seven conference quarterfinal playoff series was remarkable for the Ducks because Rucchin was sidelined because of back spasms.

But Rucchin returned to the lineup for Game 4 Tuesday at America West Arena and his impact was immediate and predictable.

The Ducks were better defensively and played tougher on the penalty kill with Rucchin on the ice. He helped ensure the Coyotes would not camp out in front of goaltender Guy Hebert, deflecting shots into the net as they had in their 4-1 victory in Game 3.

He also just missed scoring the game’s first goal, putting a rebound off a Kariya shot just wide of the Coyote net midway through the second period.

It was no surprise, except perhaps to Rucchin, who said before the game:

“I’m not an impact player. I’m not an all-star. Me coming into the lineup is not going to change anything. Maybe I’ll do a few little things.”

For a brief moment, Rucchin appeared to have put the Ducks ahead, 1-0, but his apparent goal at the 11:58 mark of the third period was washed out by video replay. Brian Bellows was ruled to be in the crease when Rucchin poked a rebound into the Phoenix net.

“For sure, he’s going to help us,” Selanne said before the game. “We need him in the lineup. It’s not easy to play with Paul and me. We need a guy who’s strong defensively, good on faceoffs and has the skills to help us score.”

Veteran Jari Kurri moved from right wing to center the Kariya-Selanne line for the first three games of the series. But the union didn’t click as hoped, except for Game 1 when Kariya and Selanne each scored two goals. In Games 2 and 3, it was evident the Ducks missed Rucchin.

“A lot of people think of him only as the center between Paul and Teemu, but we all know how good he is,” McNab said.