Favorite Mighty Ducks Ahl Player

Not to get anybody's hopes up, but if the players and the league can reach an agreement, training camp will be here before we know it. And, I just wanted to get some opinions on who your favorite AHL player for the Mighty Ducks is. For forward, I am going to have to go with Chris Kunitz. Right now, he just seems like such a good hockey player. He Skates fast, plays good defense, can pass the puck, and can definitely score. I mean, I see him definitely making the team for the NHL ducks. Funny that he was one of the first guys cut from the ducks two training camps ago and now he is their second best scorer in the minors. He would be their first if the NHL was going, and he was still in the AHL, cause Lupul would be gone. I think he can be on a third line and be a good contributor. I never thought I would say this, but I think maybe I would even take Kunitz over Perry for the NHL, and have Perry prove himself in the AHL first. If he can learn to score there, then he can take his game to the NHL level. But after all, Lupul never had to prove himself in the AHL. Too bad he is forced to play there this year. As far as defensemen go, I would definitely have to go with Foster. 6'5, 230 pounds, shoots the puck over 100 mph with a slapshot, has 15 goals so far in the AHL, and has a plus 7. What more needs to be said? What more could the Ducks want? I think it is so funny, thinking back to how many might have thought the Foster trade was bad. At least they believe now though. That is all that counts. Its funny cause the Thrashers gave up Foster for Havelid, and by the time the NHL starts up again, Foster might be better then Havelid. I am betting that Foster only would have needed one more year anyways before the Thrashers put him in their lineup. And being that the year is almost over, he probably would have made their team this coming season. Foster has a better shot then Havelid. He weighs a lot more. And a year later, that makes Havelid that much older. It looks like the Ducks might have got a bargain. Or a steal.

I agree with having Perry prove himself in the AHL first.

Anyways, my favorite Cincy player is Konopka because of his attitude, work ethic and offensive ability. I also like Foster the best of the defensemen for basically the same reasons as MightyAdam.

Konopka...I can't remember the Ducks ever having a player who would go out of his way to talk crap to the other team during the pre-game skate like Zenon did at the Pacific Division rookie tournament. I became a fan of his right after that. Then he went out and surprised everyone by becoming the number 1 center for Cincy and putting himself in great position to be in the NHL next season.

He also is a really nice guy off the ice and spends more time volunteering in the community than any other Cincy Duck.

2nd favorite: O'Brien
3rd: Tim Brent

Definately Holma. Loved him with TPS and am very excited about him getting tougher.

Konopka...I can't remember the Ducks ever having a player who would go out of his way to talk crap to the other team during the pre-game skate like Zenon did at the Pacific Division rookie tournament. I became a fan of his right after that. Then he went out and surprised everyone by becoming the number 1 center for Cincy and putting himself in great position to be in the NHL next season.

He also is a really nice guy off the ice and spends more time volunteering in the community than any other Cincy Duck.

2nd favorite: O'Brien
3rd: Tim Brent

Agreed with everything except I'd replace Brent with either Saunders or Smith.

Im a Shane O'Brien fan...
He is such a great guy and one more year in the AHL he will be ready for the NHL...

Zenon Konopka. Liked him from the start, just a great guy who always does the best he can. And he surprised many... :yo:

Three way tie

Konopka - Holmqvist - Cassivi

I guess I'll post this here...Hankinson article:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050414/SPT/504140410/1078/SPT

The Mighty Ducks call it a "shoe check," and you can bet that if one of the players finds his shoes covered in ketchup or gravy at the dinner table, it was 29-year-old Casey Hankinson that crawled under the buffet line to slop it on his teammate's feet.

"He's been known to do just about anything to get a laugh out of the guys," 21-year-old rookie center Tim Brent said. "He's not afraid to crawl all over the floor."

The old jokester: one of the many roles Hankinson plays that have made him invaluable since he re-joined Cincinnati in December.

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"His offensive numbers might not be what he'd like to have, but in the locker room, on the ice, off the bench - beyond the points - what he gives is immeasurable," Ducks coach Brad Shaw said.

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"It's a long season. Two hundred days, especially for guys that aren't used to these games, it really grinds on them," Shaw said. ". . . He has a good sense of what's needed to lighten the room."

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"He's a good person. That's why I've looked up to him and followed him so closely," Brent said. "It's easy to get caught up in being a pro athlete, making good money, traveling all over the place, but he has everything in the right perspective."

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"Before this year, I had never seen anybody block shots the way he does," Brent said. "He basically throws his body in front of the puck; it doesn't matter where he's at on the ice."

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But Hankinson's shot-blocks might be numbered. He said Tuesday this might be his last season because he wants to focus on family and other career options, perhaps real estate.