Kariya Not a Morning Person

Left wing Paul Kariya is the latest Duck to sound off against the practice of a workout of 20 minutes or so on the morning of a game, which is as much an NHL ritual as fighting.

Coach Craig Hartsburg also says he isn’t fond of morning skates, started years ago by famed Montreal Canadien Coach Toe Blake as a way of getting his players out of the local bars and into bed at a reasonable hour.

Some coaches, including Vancouver’s Mike Keenan, have eliminated them all together.

“I think it’s overrated,” Kariya said. “I never skated in the morning until I started playing in the NHL. I’ve talked to our trainers and they have said there are studies done that say with all the energy expanded, you never get it back in the game no matter how easy you take it in the morning.”

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The Ducks made their 1998-99 debut on “Hockey Night in Canada,” which might not mean much to residents of the United States. But “Hockey Night” is Canada’s version of “Monday Night Football.”

Except, that is, without Al Michaels, Boomer Esiason, Dan Dierdorf and a 1,001 promos for upcoming ABC shows. Instead there’s “Coach’s Corner,” with Don Cherry, who’s sort of a cross between Rush Limbaugh and Jim Rome.

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The names of David McNab, Duck assistant general manager, and Pierre Page, former Duck coach, have emerged as candidates for the general manager’s job with the expansion Minnesota Wild. Minnesota doesn’t begin play until the 2000-01 season.