Long Beach's Emerson Etem signs three-year deal with the Ducks

In less time than it used to take Emerson Etem to rollerblade and ride public transit from his Long Beach home to Venice for his summer hockey workouts he signed an entry-level contract with the Ducks.

The fleet right wing, chosen 29th overall by the Ducks in the 2010 NHL entry draft, agreed Thursday to a three-year deal that will pay him $900,000 a year in the NHL and $67,500 in the American Hockey League. Only two California-born and trained players have been selected in an earlier spot in the NHL draft: Jonathon Blum of Rancho Santa Margarita was chosen 23rd by Nashville in 2007 and Beau Bennett of Gardena was selected 20th by Pittsburgh last year.

Etem, who had 45 goals and 80 points for Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League last season, said it took only about an hour for him and his agent, Eustace King, to settle on terms with the Ducks.

“It was pretty crazy. I wasn’t really expecting it to happen this quick,” Etem said. “I’m pretty excited, pretty stoked.”

Kings, Ducks represented on Team USA for world junior hockey championships

Derek Forbort, the Kings' first-round draft pick in June, and Ducks prospects Emerson Etem of Long Beach and Kyle Palmieri were chosen for Team USA's roster for the world junior hockey championships, which start Sunday in Buffalo, N.Y.

The U.S. upset Canada to win the last tournament, leaving Canadian hockey fans fretting. It's a huge deal, especially in Canada, and has been a proving ground for many prominent NHL players.

Team USA's games will be shown on the NHL Network, giving fans a chance to watch future NHL stars.

Here's the entire roster.

Incidentally, Kings prospect Brayden Schenn scored a beautiful goal for Canada against Sweden in an exhibition Tuesday.

-- Helene Elliott

Look for World Junior Championship on NHL Network

Come this weekend, the NHL Network will be right where it should be: in Buffalo for the IIHF World Junior Championship, which begins Sunday and runs through to the gold-medal game on Jan. 5.

The event, held last year in Saskatoon, Canada, is back on U.S. soil for the first time in six years as Team USA attempts to defend its title.

Last year, the Americans defeated Canada, 6-5, in overtime to win the gold medal. If they can do that again, it not only would be a first for them to achieve successive titles but also a first to capture a championship on home soil.

The network will provide exclusive live coverage of the U.S. National Junior Team and will televise all medal-round games and five preliminary-round match-ups.

The tournament is a showcase for the game's best up-and-coming young players from around the world. Among the players to watch: Kings prospect Brayden Schenn, 19, was named an alternate captain for Canada, one of four returning players from last year’s silver-medal winning squad.  Team Canada’s first game will be Dec. 26 vs. Russia.

For the Ducks, forwards Kyle Palmieri, 19, and Long Beach's Emerson Etem, 18, are on the Team USA roster. Palmieri had a goal and eight assists in seven games last year.

Here is the NHL Network broadcast schedule. All times are Pacific.

Sunday, Dec. 26

Russia vs. Canada, 1 p.m.
Finland vs. USA, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 28

Canada vs. Czech Republic , 1 p.m.
USA vs. Slovakia, 5 p.m.

Wednesday Dec. 29

Norway vs. Canada, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 30    

Sweden vs. Czech Republic,  Noon
Germany vs. USA, 4 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 31

Canada vs. Sweden, 1 p.m.
USA vs. Switzerland, 5 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 2

Quarterfinal #1        12:30 p.m.
Quarterfinal #2*        4:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 3

Semifinal #1        12:30 p.m.
Semifinal #2*        4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 5

Bronze-Medal Game, 3:30 p.m. 

Gold-Medal Game, 7:30 p.m.

*If qualified, USA will play at this time slot.

--Debbie Goffa

Ducks send Long Beach's Emerson Etem back to junior team

Emerson Etem of Long Beach, chosen 29th by the Ducks in the first round of the June entry draft, was returned to his junior team Thursday as part of the Ducks' first round of cuts.

Here's the full list:

Assigned to Syracuse (American Hockey League):

Nick Bonino – Center

Rob Bordson – Left wing

Mat Clark – Defenseman

Nicolas Deschamps – Left wing

Joe DiPenta – Defenseman

Brandon McMillan – Left wing/center

Mark Mitera – Defenseman

Kyle Palmieri – Right wing

 

Assigned to junior team:

Emerson Etem – Right wing (Medicine Hat/WHL)

Peter Holland – Center (Guelph/OHL)

Devante Smith-Pelly – Right wing (Mississauga/OHL)

Scott Valentine – Defenseman (Oshawa/OHL)

 

The cuts leave the Ducks with 37 players on their training camp roster, which breaks down to 21 forwards, 11 defensemen and five goaltenders.

--Helene Elliott

Day of reckoning coming for Ducks rookies

The Ducks' rookies finished the Young Stars tournament with a 4-2 victory over the Canucks' rookies Wednesday afternoon in Penticton, Canada, their lone triumph in three games. The outcome was sealed on an empty-net goal by 2009 first-round pick Kyle Palmieri, who had missed his first try into the vacated net but succeeded on his second try.

But now comes the hard part.

Rookie camp participants were scheduled to take a bus ride to Vancouver Wednesday night and talk to Ducks General Manager Bob Murray to learn where they're headed next. Some will go back to juniors but some will go to Anaheim Thursday for the main training camp, which begins with physicals on Friday and on-ice work on Saturday.

"Obviously, we all want to go to Anaheim," said Long Beach native Emerson Etem, chosen 29th by the Ducks in the June entry draft. "It's a matter of whatever is best for us and whatever they think is best."

The 18-year-old winger had a power-play goal in the first rookie game and said the entire experience was a helpful step in his journey to the NHL.

"My first game I wasn't really nervous. I just tried to play a simple game," he said by phone. "That kept me calm and cool under the circumstances. Getting that goal took some of the pressure off.

"These games are about getting used to a more physical style of hockey. The Western Hockey League [where he played for Medicine Hat] is a physical league and the travel is rigorous, so I got a taste of that."

He also was glad of the chance to talk to Nick Bonino, who played nine games for the Ducks last season. "I was able to talk to him and ask him some things," Etem said. "That's good for me as a young guy."

The Ducks are expected to announce Thursday who's going to Anaheim and who's headed elsewhere.

--Helene Elliott