Welcome, Matt

BY MATT VEVODA
AnaheimDucks.com

The good news was, he had no time to get nervous.

Matt Beleskey arrived at Honda Center for his NHL debut Jan. 9 against Tampa Bay with literally only a few minutes to spare before puck drop. After they learned Todd Marchant would not play in that night’s contest with a fractured pinkie, the Ducks made an afternoon phone call to their AHL affiliate in Iowa (a place Anaheim had already plucked away five players this season) to retrieve Beleskey. The 20-year-old had already returned home after a pre-game skate (the Chops were facing Manitoba that night) when he learned that the ice he would play on that night would be in a bigger venue approximately 1,678 miles away.

“It was amazing and pretty hectic,” Beleskey said. “I got the call and had an hour to get to the airport. Then to show up 10 minutes before the game, it was a little crazy.”

Once he quickly slipped on his gear in time to be on the bench for the national anthem, Beleskey went on to play 13:53 against the Lightning. The rookie left wing began the game on a line with Andrew Ebbett and Brendan Morrision, but as Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle tinkered with the combinations in search of scoring, Beleskey found himself beside All-Star Ryan Getzlaf and fellow one-time Chops teammate Drew Miller.

That trio was on the ice when Chris Pronger scored a goal (after Steve Montador had done so 12 seconds earlier) to pull even with the Lightning in the second period. But while the Ducks would go on to lose that game 4-3, the day-long experience for Beleskey etched a memory he will always treasure.

“It was definitely a first game you’ll never forget, that is for sure,” Beleskey said. “It was everything you would think it would be, having Ryan Getzlaf as your center. It’s a pretty good feeling to be able to do that.”

Enjoying a more routine day this past Sunday for his second game against New Jersey, Beleskey said he was “actually a little more nervous” because he had time to think about the game. With Corey Perry returned from a four-game suspension, Beleskey saw time (9:48 overall) on the fourth line (also known as the “energy” line) beside Ryan Carter and George Parros and the Ducks held on for a 4-3 victory over the Devils.

“It’s been a lot of fun just trying to get out there, work hard and do the little things they ask from me,” said Beleskey, who was selected by Anaheim in the fourth round (112th overall pick) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. “It’s a little nerve-wrecking at times, but it’s getting better.”

Following four seasons with the Belleville Bulls (where he amassed 98 goals and 221 points) in the Ontario Hockey League, the 2008-09 season is Beleskey’s first as a professional. Prior to his promotion to the Ducks, Beleskey had totaled 15 points in 18 games with Iowa, leading the Chops in points per game (.83).

“Matt’s a young kid who is in his first year pro and is trying to make a statement,” Ebbett said. “He’s played great down in Iowa and works really hard. He’s got a good shot, a quick release and knows how to shoot the puck.”

Beleskey’s presence in the Ducks lineup brings the number of current players who started the year as Chops to six (Beleskey, Ebbett, Miller, Bobby Ryan, Brett Festerling and Brendan Mikkelson). As each tries to create their own impression on the Ducks and in the league, they are enjoying the luxury of being able to do it together.

“I don’t think any guys down in the American League envisioned them bringing up six guys like that,” Ebbett said. “It’s been wild, but a great opportunity for everybody to get a chance to showcase their skills and hopefully prove that you can stay up here.”

With Todd Marchant projected to be out of action for two weeks with an injured finger, Beleskey should see some action in a handful of games during that span. It’s a nice reward for what was a frenzied start.

“It’s a huge undertaking to grab a guy off an airplane, land him at 6:00 and have him in your lineup at 7:00,” Carlyle said. “I thought he has done fine. He shows that he has the skill set and the ability to skate and bang. He’s surviving.”

Chops moving from Iowa to the Pond and beyond

In the American Hockey League, it’s not uncommon to see players come and go in a matter of weeks, sometimes days.The Iowa Chops have seen more than a few of their players move back and forth in the four months they’ve been a team, including high-scoring winger Bobby Ryan, defensemen Brett Festerling and Brendan Mikkelson, and forwards Andrew Ebbett and Drew Miller.Goaltender David LeNeveu has been recalled twice and former Iowa Chops forward Joakim Lindstrom was traded by Anaheim to Phoenix and is now a staple along the Coyotes' front line and power play. Brett Festerling’s path to the NHL was anything but easy. The Western Hockey League defenseman went unselected in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and had to try out for a number of teams. He was offered a tryout contract in Anaheim to show the Ducks what he had to offer.His tryout was a success, and he landed an entry-level NHL contract. Festerling’s impressive play with the Chops early in the 2008-09 season got the attention of the Ducks' front office, who brought him up after just 15 games. He made his NHL debut on Nov. 16, 2008, and has three assists in 21 games with Anaheim. Bobby Ryan’s story has been told before. After lighting it up in Iowa, Ryan was called up to the Ducks and he was immediately placed on the top lines, playing against the Los Angeles Kings. He didn’t record a point that game, but the next game, vs. Washington on Nov. 19, was a different story.Ryan lit the lamp twice and provided an assist to Ryan Getzlaf’s goal. The Capitals took the game, 6-4, but Ryan showed the Ducks that he was capable of putting up points like a seasoned vet. Since being called up, Ryan has made himself a legit candidate for NHL rookie of the year. He has played in 22 games for the Ducks, and has 21 points in that span (seven goals, 14 assists). Brendan Mikkelson has taken more than his share of bumps and bruises on the way to the American Hockey League. The Regina, Sask., native spent his first two years in the WHL with the Portland Winter Hawks, but was dealt to the Vancouver Giants in the 2005-06 season. After an injury-plagued first year in Vancouver, Mikkelson came back strong than ever in 2006-07 and put up 29 points in 69 games to help the Giants win the Memorial Cup.

Andrew Ebbett had 29 points in 28 games for the Chops before netting his first NHL goal on Jan. 2.Mikkelson was a part of the 2005 NHL Draft held in Ottawa. He had decided to stay home and watch it on TV, despite his chances of being picked up first or second round. Mikkelson was pleasantly surprised when he was the 31st pick, interrupting an interview with the first-overall pick.“Sidney Crosby was being interviewed when I got drafted,” Mikkelson said. “They cut out of Crosby’s interview to say I had been picked up. It was kind of like my 15 seconds of fame.”Mikkelson was called up by the Ducks on New Year’s Day and played in his first career NHL game on Jan. 2 vs. Philadelphia. Andrew Ebbett has been scoring points in the AHL like there was no tomorrow, notching 29 points in 28 games. It seemed no surprise that Ebbett was destined to get back in the NHL spotlight, and on Dec. 20, he returned to the Pond in Anaheim. Ebbett got the call from the Ducks when star winger Teemu Selanne suffered a leg injury that would put him out for up to six weeks. Ebbett was given an opportunity to shine in the NHL, and so far, he has been performing well under the circumstances. He scored his first career NHL goal in a 5-4 shootout loss against Philadelphia on Jan. 2, but the goal will surely not be his last. Drew Miller was the latest Iowa Chop to be called up to Anaheim, but it isn’t his first stint with the club. Miller actually has his name etched on the Stanley Cup, as he played Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals against Ottawa in 2007.Miller was leading the Chops in goals this season (16) at the time of his recall. Could Miller be in the line-up still for Anaheim on Feb. 2 when the Ducks take on his brother Ryan Miller’s Buffalo Sabres? You can bet Miller will work hard so he can stay in Anaheim to see that day.