Season Ends With Question Mark

Today the Mighty Ducks mercifully end a season gone terribly wrong. But just when they’ll get a chance to redeem themselves is anyone’s guess.

Labor disaster is on the horizon. The collective bargaining agreement expires Sept. 15 and neither side has budged. The possibility of a long, cantankerous lockout looms.

It means Arrowhead Pond workers, -- from ticket takers to parking lot attendants to those who reconfigure the arena for events, lose a large chunk of their pay. There were 65 Duck games at the Pond in 2003, not counting the 10 playoff games. As of now, there will be 44 other events in the arena this year.

It means radio broadcaster Steve Carroll is left dangling. As an independent contractor, he gets paid on a game-to-game basis.

It means fans will be left out in the cold and may find other ways to dispose of their disposable cash.

Oh, and hockey players and team officials won’t have much to do either.

“Lots of people get hurt when you don’t play, when you have a year where you don’t play hockey,” Duck General Manager Bryan Murray said. “It is going to be a summer unlike any of us have seen.”

Teams have to prepare as if there is a season, and Murray said that he had no plans to trim office staff, although, “If there is a long stoppage, then we might have to look at some things.”

Carroll has been looking for extra work this summer. But he can’t commit to anything beyond August in case there is a hockey season.

“Most of the guys I talk to in broadcasting are independent contractors or have one-year deals that run out this year,” Carroll said. “It’s all over the league. A lot of them don’t have anything else after this year. It would be nice if I could get some freelance work over the summer.

“The way it is, if you don’t make the playoffs you’re out of work for five months already. If there is no hockey, then you got a problem.”

Duck business officials already see a problem. Fans may not be willing to invest large sums of money to pay for season tickets for a season that may be put on hold, even if they get a refund.

So Duck officials have frozen all ticket prices -- season tickets, multi-game packages, game-day seats -- except for suite sales. They are also ready to buy fans’ love, offering a cash incentive.

Any fan buying season tickets and paying in full before May 17 will have that money put in an interest-earning account that will pay 5% until the day of the first Duck game. Fans can also earn the money by putting down a $250 deposit by May 17 and paying 50% by July 31, earning the interest from that point until the first game.

Several NHL teams are offering similar packages, although Charles Harris, the Ducks’ director of publicity and community development, said that some teams were offering credits toward future season tickets. The Ducks will offer that as an option. Harris also said the Ducks are offering a higher interest rate

Season-ticket holders will get a full refund if the season is wiped out and prorated refund for any games not played.

TODAY

vs. Calgary, 1 p.m., Channel 9

Site -- Arrowhead Pond.

Radio -- XTRA (690, 1150).

Records -- Ducks 28-35-10-8, Flames 42-29-7-3.

Record vs. Flames -- 0-3.

Update -- The Flames have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 1995-96. The key to their turnaround was the acquisition of goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who had a 1.70 goals-against average and .933 save percentage, both tops in the NHL.

Tickets -- (877) 945-3946.