Anaheim Mighty Ducks Hockey Team

Pierre Page said Tuesday he knows why the Mighty Ducks fired him Monday. It had nothing to do with philosophical differences with General Manager Jack Ferreira and everything to do with Ron Wilson's success with the Washington Capitals. "There was a lot of heat in the kitchen," Page said, breaking his 24-hour silence during a subdued news conference in a Costa Mesa hotel ballroom. "It was a timing thing.

The Mighty Ducks could use a physical defenseman when they pick fifth in today's NHL entry draft at Marine Midland Arena. Or perhaps a center to play with wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. The Kings could use . . . well, whatever they get, it's not going to happen until deep into the first round. They pick 21st overall. The sad-sack Tampa Bay Lightning, who pick first, could use Wayne Gretzky in his prime. And maybe Gordie Howe and Rocket Richard too.

The Mighty Ducks could use a physical defenseman when they pick fifth in today's NHL entry draft at Marine Midland Arena. Or perhaps a center to play with wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. The Kings could use . . . well, whatever they get, it's not going to happen until deep into the first round. They pick 21st overall. The sad-sack Tampa Bay Lightning, who pick first, could use Wayne Gretzky in his prime. And maybe Gordie Howe and Rocket Richard too.

The Mighty Ducks followed their recent NHL draft-day method of operation Saturday, which is to say they picked a player no one in the arena knew from Adam. Bursts of applause from a crowd of 10,000 at Marine Midland Arena followed the announcements of other first-round picks, but the silence was deafening when the Ducks selected defenseman Vitaly Vishnevsky, 18, from Kharkov, Ukraine. Vitaly who?

When: Friday, 11 a.m. PDT in Buffalo, N.Y. Procedure: The expansion Nashville Predators will select three goaltenders, eight defensemen, 13 forwards and two others at any position (most likely they will be goalies) for a total of 26 players. They can take only one player from each of the existing 26 teams.

The Mighty Ducks, continuing a dramatic slide from a playoff team to a National Hockey League also-ran, fired their second coach in 13 months on Monday. The Ducks under Pierre Page struggled to a 26-43-13 record and a 12th-place finish in the NHL's 13-team Western Conference. He didn't attend a news conference at the Arrowhead Pond to announce his firing.

Ron Wilson coached the Mighty Ducks two seasons ago. Pierre Page coached the Ducks last season. Someone else will coach the Ducks next season. In the middle of the coaching muddle, defenseman Dave Karpa hopes team executives don't lose sight of what he considers the top off-season priority. "The biggest thing is, it didn't matter who we had for a coach," Karpa said. "The bottom line is, we need more players. We've got to go out and sign some free agents."

For the first time since stumbling across our sports landscape five years ago, Disney has uttered a memorable two-word phrase other than "Raise prices" or "Cut payroll" or "So what?" On Monday afternoon, Disney said, "My bad." To which the rest of us replied, "Duh," but what the heck. When it comes to the saga of Ron Wilson, we'll take contrition however we can get it.

The Mighty Ducks fired Pierre Page on Monday, only 10 months after declaring, "If he had been available when we started the franchise, he would have been the coach." The move was not entirely unexpected, considering the Ducks' 26-43-13 record and 12th-place finish in the NHL's 13-team Western Conference. But General Manager Jack Ferreira--as he did in announcing Ron Wilson's firing last year--said philosophical differences rather than wins and losses prompted his decision.

One long spring ago, he led a little Southland hockey team on a thrilling ride reaching far beyond the rink, bonding a diverse community with courage and passion. But Ron Wilson's greatest impact here will be felt during the next two weeks. When he is standing behind the bench of the Washington Capitals during the Stanley Cup finals. Reminding Southland sports fans of what we have become. Helpless.