Calm Prevails in Ducks’ Camp : Hockey: Club begins preparations for season without distractions of past.

In a radical departure from the tumult of the last two summers, the silly season never materialized for the Mighty Ducks in 1999.

They did not fire their coach for the first time in three off-seasons. Instead, they will open training camp today with Craig Hartsburg and his assistants back for their second seasons.

Pierre Gauthier, team president and general manager, did not make promises he could not keep about signing free agents. But he improved the defense by acquiring Oleg Tverdovsky from the Phoenix Coyotes and drafting Niclas Havelid, a 26-year-old Swede.

Gauthier also acquired winger Ted Donato from the Ottawa Senators when it became clear veteran Tomas Sandstrom would sign to play in his native Sweden.

And, surprise of surprises, Gauthier signed Paul Kariya to a three-year, $30-million contract the day before the all-star left wing would have become a free agent.

No muss, no fuss, no 32-game contract dispute, as in 1997.

“How do I feel about the team? I’m ready to go,” Gauthier said. “I’m happy where we are because we’re going in the right direction. First, we had to stabilize the organization. Then, we focused on upgrading the club. We believe we’ve done that.

“Now, the challenge is to move to the next level.”

Finishing one game above .500, as the Ducks did with a 35-34-13 record last season, won’t cut it in 1999-2000. Getting swept from the Stanley Cup playoffs, as the Ducks were by the Detroit Red Wings last season, won’t be acceptable either.

“Last year was not good enough,” Gauthier said. “Our challenge is to make the playoffs again. That was fun last year. Now, we’ve got to take the next step.”

Tverdovsky, who was part of the deal that brought Teemu Selanne to the Ducks from Winnipeg in 1996, and Havelid could make it happen sooner rather than later.

The Ducks often were trapped at their end of the ice last season because their defensemen were not particularly skilled with the puck. Tverdovsky, 23, who had seven goals and 25 points last season for the Coyotes, is a standout skater and puck handler.

Gauthier is eager to see what Havelid and two other recent draft picks, left wing Maxim Balmochnykh, picked in the second round, 1997, and defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski, first round, 1998, can accomplish at training camp.

“Havelid is not a 20-year-old,” Gauthier said. “He’s a national-team player. He can play in this league. It’s just a matter of how well he plays.

“I’m very careful about our young players. Vishnevski is only 19 and Balmochnykh is 20. Their development is more important than making the team.”

Perhaps the only downer heading into camp is that feisty defenseman Ruslan Salei, a restricted free agent, is unsigned. Gauthier had hoped to have all his free agents signed and in camp by today.

“I really believe everybody’s got to start off on the right foot,” he said.