New Coach Pierre Page Has Been Assigned to Take the Ducks 'To the Next Level.'

Pierre Page set the ground rules right from the start. He demanded three things from the Mighty Ducks: grit, drive and speed.

Oh, he would make allowances if a player displayed speed, grit and drive. Drive, grit and speed were OK too.

But any other method of operation would result in a swift trip to the minor leagues. Or a trade to another team.

Other than his daily sermons on grit, drive and speed, Page made it clear from the first day of training camp that predictability would take a beating. Unconventional wisdom would be the order of the day.

Players took notice when a rookie defenseman named Marc Moro was moved to the right wing and scored a pretty goal on a breakaway during a scrimmage.

No room on the blue line? Page tried Moro up front, gave him a chance to shine. Moro couldn't make the team, but the experiment continues at the Ducks' minor-league affiliate in Cincinnati.

Workouts moved at breakneck speed. One drill followed another as assistants Don Hay and Walt Kyle bellowed instructions. Players caught on quickly or risked heckling from teammates.

Practice followed scrimmages--a departure from the norm in almost all team sports that says you practice first, then scrimmage to see how players react to a game situation when they're fatigued. Page hoped to see how the Ducks practiced when tired after a two-hour scrimmage.

Set three-man lines weren't as important as tandems, players were informed. Page believes two players bond easier than three and opponents have a tough time when forced to contend with constantly changing trios.

Youthful squads played exhibition games on the road, perhaps angering paying customers in Edmonton and Phoenix who hoped to see the Ducks at full strength. But Page (say it: Pa-zhay) wanted to gauge the rookies' ability to perform under pressure.

Some, such as Finnish rookie Antti Aalto, appeared nervous. Others excelled and were on the verge of earning key jobs as camp neared its end.

If it was novel to the players, Page took a moment to explain. There was a method to his madness and he was perfectly willing to halt practice and make it clear.

"[Management] never said to me, 'Win the Stanley Cup,' " Page said. "It was always, 'Take us to the next level.' "

Neither team president Tony Tavares nor General Manager Jack Ferreira demanded it be accomplished in a specific manner. So far, Page has relished doing it his way.