Calgary Is Still His Kind of Town

The day was gray and dreary and the forecast called for snow, but Coach Pierre Page still had a happy homecoming Thursday in Calgary. He has no hard feelings for the city, its people or its hockey team.

“I’m going back to a city I love,” Page said earlier this week. “I started my [NHL coaching] career there. My daughter was born there. I have a lot of good friends there.”

Page spent two seasons coaching the Calgary Flames. They weren’t easy years. There were feuds with star players, most notably Theoren Fleury, and more losses than victories.

But with a season left on his contract last spring, Page asked for a two-year extension because he believed the Flames needed three years to complete a turnaround. He wanted to be the one to accomplish the task.

Calgary General Manager Al Coates offered only one more season, so Page bolted. After a summer-long dispute over compensation, Page finally became the Mighty Duck coach Aug. 9.

“My wife kept waking me up at 4 a.m., asking me, ‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing?’ ” Page said. “I told her that I’ve always bounced back. I felt strong about certain things.”

Page also walked away from a position as coach and general manager of the Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche), and after a year out of work landed the job coaching the Flames.

Calgary, playing a cast of inexperienced players, was 34-37-11 in 1995-96 and 32-41-9 last season under Page.

*

Paul Kariya’s agent, Don Baizley, offered this update on progress for a new contract for the unsigned free agent: “Unfortunately, we’re still stuck.”

TONIGHT

at

Calgary

* 6 PST

* Fox Sports West 2

Site--Canadian Airlines Saddledome.

Radio--KRLA (1110).

Records--Ducks 6-5-4, Flames 3-10-3.

Record vs. Flames (1996-97)--1-4-1.

Update--Teemu Selanne has scored at least one goal in eight consecutive games, one shy of his career-best streak set during his 76-goal rookie season in 1992-93. Mikhail Shtalenkov will start in goal tonight. The Ducks are winless in the last four games against Calgary since a 7-0 rout of the Flames last Dec. 20 at the Pond. Cory Stillman leads the Flames with nine goals.