Ducks Narrowly Miss Out on Crosby

Brian Burke stood nervously in the spotlight, not for the first time but, perhaps, never with such a sense of anticipation as television cameras captured the scene Friday.

The relentless countdown of the NHL’s draft lottery had left Burke, the Mighty Ducks’ general manager, sharing the stage with Ken Sawyer, president of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Two envelopes remained to be drawn from a small, square black box, one with the Ducks’ logo inside and the other with the Penguins’ logo, but only one with the No. 1 affixed.

The winner would get to draft 17-year-old Sidney Crosby, a potential franchise player who has been compared to Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Burke and Sawyer shifted under the hot stage lights as 28 of their peers looked on, some smiling, others clearly jealous.

“I think it would be like when Mario came here,” Sawyer said when asked what would happen if the Penguins won the lottery after getting a 6.25% chance at the top pick.

Burke, whose team had been given a 4.16% chance in this unprecedented weighted lottery based on each team’s performance the last three seasons, called Crosby “an exceptional player. We’ve got some talented young players.”

Both waited anxiously through a commercial. Finally, Commissioner Gary Bettman picked up an envelope, unfolded the flaps and announced the first pick had gone to the Penguins. Burke walked off the stage and returned to his seat, where he sat and shrugged.

“Justice,” Chicago Blackhawk President Bill Wirtz declared from his front-row table.

And maybe it was poetic justice of sorts, for Crosby idolizes Lemieux and will get the chance to play alongside him when the NHL returns on Oct. 5 -- Lemieux’s 40th birthday.

“He’s a very nice guy, a great role model,” said Crosby, who trained with Lemieux last summer and is represented by a close friend of Lemieux’s, Pat Brisson. “He’s very special.”

Sawyer said it’s “a pretty safe bet” that the Penguins will select Crosby at the July 30 entry draft in Ottawa. Asked if he’ll entertain offers to trade his precious pick, he didn’t hesitate. “No,” he said, drawing laughter.

Although he didn’t nab Crosby, Burke snared the second pick in a draft he believed has talent well beyond Crosby. Also, as part of the Vaclav Prospal trade, the Ducks got Tampa Bay’s second-round pick, the 31st overall.

“It’s been a good day,” Burke said. “A good day for us and for the NHL and for hockey fans everywhere.”

For Henry Samueli, who shares ownership of the Ducks with his wife, Susan, it was an especially memorable day. He attended his first Board of Governors meeting and it just might be the most important in league history.

Samueli also represented the Ducks during the lottery selection process and was sequestered with representatives of the other 29 clubs to ensure the process was conducted fairly.

“Even No. 2 is great. I’m very, very excited,” he said.

Samueli said he was happy with the new collective bargaining agreement because there are incentives “for everyone to work as a team. If we double revenues, then players double their salaries. It’s all about driving league revenues.”

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NHL draft

Order of the first round of the NHL draft on July 30:

1. Pittsburgh

2. DUCKS

3. Carolina

4. Minnesota

5. Montreal

6. Columbus

7. Chicago

8. Atlanta

9. Ottawa

10. Vancouver

11. KINGS

12. San Jose

13. Buffalo

14. Washington

15. N.Y. Islanders

16. N.Y. Rangers

17. Phoenix

18. Nashville

19. Detroit

20. Philadelphia

21. Toronto

22. Boston

23. New Jersey

24. St. Louis

25. Edmonton

26. Calgary

27. Colorado

28. Dallas

29. Florida

30. Tampa Bay