Banham Skating Well at Both Ends

Right wing Frank Banham has impressed Coach Craig Hartsburg with his offense and his defense during training camp. And that’s saying something since Banham long ago was labeled “a pure scorer.”

“He’s been a scorer all his life, so he’s got to continue to work at [the defensive] part of his game,” Hartsburg said of Banham, who had nine goals in 21 games last season for the Ducks and once had 83 goals in the junior-level Western Hockey League.

“And it’s not like he hasn’t worked at it. It’s not just defense he has to work on, but any time he doesn’t have the puck.”

Banham is battling with Johan Davidsson, Mike Leclerc, Josef Marha, Jeff Nielsen and Jeremy Stevenson for a spot on the Ducks’ 24-man roster for the Oct. 10 regular-season opener against the Washington Capitals.

*

Defenseman Dan Trebil, who underwent surgery last week to insert two plates in his injured left cheek, is expected to resume skating this weekend. He probably won’t be fit to play until the middle of the month at the earliest.

Trebil suffered a broken cheekbone when he was struck by a puck during a scrimmage Sept. 18.

*

Although he grew up in Vancouver, Canada, Paul Kariya’s baseball playoff loyalties rest with the Boston Red Sox. Why? Kariya spent two years at the University of Maine before signing his first contract with the Ducks.

“When I was at Maine, I saw a lot of Red Sox games,” Kariya said. “I like Nomar Garciaparra. I think he’s going to be the [American League] MVP.”