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When the puck drops tonight between the Ducks and Colorado Avalanche, it will mark a very special homecoming for one of the Avs’ players: former Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

For the first time since being dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs almost two years ago, Giguere will be stepping on the ice at the Honda Center in a visiting team’s uniform. Having spent the better part of nine years with the organization, he left behind a legacy as a hard worker, great teammate and friendly face in the community.

Eric Stephens of the O.C. Register has put together a nice feature in anticipation of tonight’s game. In it, Giguere talks about his return to form after off-season sports hernia surgery, his role as a mentor and his expectations for the video tribute the team has prepared.

Corey Perry remembers the moment when he and Getzlaf were the first to mob a joyous Giguere when the Ducks captured the Cup with a 6-2 Game 5 victory over Ottawa. Perry said Giguere has a permanent place in franchise lore that should be noted.

“You look at what kind of person he is,” Perry said. “He’s a guy that everybody loved in this organization. All the fans love him.”

Meanwhile, NHL.com has interviews with both Teemu Selanne and Giguere, and it seems that the importance of the occasion is not lost on either of them. Selanne, himself a Ducks legend, speaks with reverence about Giguere’s accomplishments during the latter’s time in Anaheim — a fitting tribute to perhaps the only other player who occupies the same stratosphere in the team’s history.

This story was originally published in the December 23 issue of Devil’s Advocate.

Doomsday is upon us all. Or maybe not. It depends on who you ask. For the first time in almost two decades, the NHL is restructuring its teams in an effort to placate the masses (which in this case means the networks, the players, the owners, the fans and just about anybody else who invests time or money in the sport).

It’s a little axiomatic to say any decision that aims to please everybody ends up pleasing nobody, but it rings especially true when it comes to a hot topic like scheduling in professional sports leagues. Invariably, some teams, comfortable in their current situation, will be resistant to the idea of change, while others will welcome it with open arms.

(PHOTO: Harry How/Getty Images)

Direct from the latest issue of Devil’s Advocate, our latest (albeit very brief) discussion of issues surrounding the Ducks: the new coach, the new Finn and the new year.

Devil’s Advocate Web Issue 02

Devil’s Advocate Web Issue Index

Devil’s Advocate Magazine Hub

The second issue of Devil’s Advocate is here! This holiday edition is packed (packed!) with awesome stories, pictures and news from across the Anaheim Ducks universe.

Among the highlights:

• Team report cards: We look back on the first half of the season and rank the Ducks players for their performances.
• Shake up: How NHL realignment impacts on its teams — most importantly, the Ducks.
• Towels are invading: The story of a Ducks fan who brings orange to world-famous landmarks.
• Hiller’s got another new mask: Three-page spread complete with gorgeous, full-bleed photos of Jonas Hiller’s new cage, courtesy Airxess.
• Holidays are here: Santa’s naughty list, Ducks secret Santa and more!

Click the link above to unwrap the gift you’ve all been waiting for, or check out the Hub here.

(PHOTO: Harry How/Getty Images)

A scapegoat is a wonderful thing to have. Portraying yourself as somebody else’s scapegoat is even better. In that regard, the Ducks want to have their cake and eat it too.

There’s a certain romanticism to playing the victim. It avoids the unpleasant reality of owning the ultimate responsibility for your actions and their consequences.

That romantic notion, as it were, has become part of the fabric of the culture that surrounds the team. The current iteration of the Anaheim Ducks (i.e. post-lockout) has built its reputation on toughness — or hooliganism, if you ask the rest of the league. The consequence of rough and tumble hockey is an increased risk for penalties and suspensions, something to which the Ducks are no strangers.

How lucky we all are — especially Jonas Hiller — to have Lubomir Visnovsky back in the lineup. It appears his return is paying immediate dividends, as evidenced in the highlight below:

(PHOTO: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

When things hit rock bottom — or in the Ducks’ case, damn near to it — you have to look at the bright side. “What bright side?” the astute among you are surely asking. Well…

Click to enlarge.

(PHOTO: Harry How/Getty Images)

Not much needs to be said. If you want to see what rock bottom looks like, click the image below.

Click to enlarge.

So here’s a bit of exciting news. Today I’m pleased to present the first in what I hope is a long series of e-magazines exclusive to Quacked.

What is it, exactly? A brief look at the goings on in the world of the Anaheim Ducks (and our own blogosphere) from the past couple of weeks. Most of the content has already been published on Quacked, but is aggregated and presented here in a format that’s ideally suited to longer reading sessions (e.g. when you’re on the— um, let’s say throne).

What are you waiting for? Dive right in by clicking the link above or going to the new hub we’ve set up for it.

(PHOTO: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images)

Imagine my annoyance at waking up at 4:45 a.m. after only getting to bed two hours earlier. Now imagine my surprise when I turned on the television and saw on Sportscentre (Sportscenter to you Americans) the late-breaking news that the Ducks had fired head coach Randy Carlyle — irony of all ironies — not even an hour after beating the Montreal Canadiens.

Jolted awake by the news, I was caught off guard again only a few seconds later when it was reported the team had hired ex-Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau to take over.

The team also fired assistant coaches Dave Farrish and Mike Foligno, and video coordinator Joe Trotta.

The firing comes on the heels of a wretched start to the season that has the Ducks languishing near the basement in the league standings. More interestingly, it comes after Carlyle had just signed a three-year extension this summer, meaning the Ducks are on the hook to pay the remainder of his salary in addition to whatever amount will be disbursed to Boudreau.

It appears that both the timing and content of our discussion yesterday was unexpectedly prescient. General manager Bob Murray stepped up and sacked Carlyle instead of blowing up the team (by dealing Bobby Ryan or worse).

The team has added Brad Lauer as an assistant coach, and will name an additional assistant at a later date.

What lies ahead for the Ducks is unknown, although December has certainly exploded out of the gate. Most importantly, there is finally reason for some newfound, albeit cautious, optimism in Anaheim.