Carney’s Return to Anaheim Has Sweet Side

Keith Carney had a warm feeling before the game but nothing compared to the emotion he had afterward.

The scoreboard didn’t reflect that Sunday as his Vancouver Canucks suffered a one-sided loss to the Mighty Ducks. But there was joy as he was greeted by his four children, adorned with Canuck jerseys, outside the dressing room.

“It’s been three weeks since I’ve seen them,” Carney said.

Three weeks have passed since the veteran defenseman was traded by the Ducks to Vancouver for prospect Brett Skinner and a second-round pick. In his first game back in Anaheim, Carney played 22 minutes 38 seconds and had an assist on Todd Bertuzzi’s first-period goal.

In the warmup before the game, several signs were put up against the glass in appreciation of a fan favorite, who spent nearly four full seasons with the Ducks and was a key cog in their run to the 2003 Stanley Cup finals.

“I saw them,” Carney said. “It was nice.”

Carney, who has played with five teams, has experienced upheaval before. As an unrestricted free agent, he became expendable when the Ducks acquired Sean O’Donnell.

“You just never know,” he said. “It’s part of the game. It’s the worst part of it.”

Now on the other side, Carney witnessed a hard-charging Duck team blow past the Canucks into fifth place.

“I hope they’re not taking a playoff spot from us,” he said with a chuckle.