Ducks Open At Home Amid Controversy

The Anaheim Ducks will play their home opener tonight against the Vancouver Canucks amid new bells and whistles and under a shroud of controversy.

Inside the Honda Center, fans will be treated to a new scoreboard and sound system. Fans arriving beforehand are likely to see a protest of seven animal rights groups targeting Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner, who was charged over the weekend with illegally killing a grizzly bear in Canada. At the time, in 2013, Stoner played for the Minnesota Wild.

But once fans get past the chants for Stoner’s suspension, they will be treated to a Daktronics scoreboard with video screens are nearly 20 feet tall and more than 30 feet wide. The display area is more than four times the square footage of what the arena previously had, an arena official said. The arena also has a new JBL sound system.

New food items at the concession stands include deep fried Oreos.

Fans are invited to an “Orange Carpet” player arrival from 3:30-5 p.m. on the south side of Honda Center. Fans can also win autographed items from team mascot Wild Wing and the Power Players, who sweep the ice during stoppages in play and support the event presentation in other ways.

The arena’s doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with fans encouraged to be in their seats by 6:45 p.m. Pregame festivities will begin at 7 p.m., with the game set to begin at 7:15 p.m.

The Ducks shared the Western Conference lead in points in the 2014-15 season and set an NHL record for most wins when trailing at any point in the third period, 18.

Their season ended by losing in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Chicago Blackhawks, four games to three, losing both of the final two games, including Game 7 at Honda Center.

The Ducks made three trades, signed nine free agents and had seven free agents leave during the off-season.

The Ducks lost their season opener Saturday at San Jose, 2-0.

-City News Service; Honda Center via Flickr