Ducks assign 2007 first-round pick to Condors
| Wednesday, Sep 30 2009 10:00 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Sep 30 2009 10:00 PM
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Logan MacMillan of Charlottetown, Canada, puts on a jersey after being selected by the Anaheim Ducks during the first round of the NHL draft Friday, June 22, 2007, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
The Ducks assigned winger Logan MacMillan, their first-round draft choice in 2007, to the Condors on Wednesday as they cut down to the 23-man NHL roster.
That makes nine players (seven of those drafted) assigned to the Condors, who open training camp Friday at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center.
MacMillan, 20, had been in training camp with the Ducks, where apparently all has not gone according to plan.
"MacMillan had some issues," Anaheim Coach Randy Carlyle said in a Los Angeles Times article on Tuesday. "So what we're trying to do is educate him in a couple of training issues and what-not. We're keeping the player around. We feel that he's got a lot to learn in a short period of time around our group. We'd be better served right now for him to be with us."
MacMillan is the son of Bob MacMillan, a first-round draft choice of the New York Rangers in 1972, who had 577 points in 753 NHL games.
Assigned to Bakersfield on Monday were J.P. Lavasseur and Timo Pielmeir and forwards Maxime Macenauer, MacGregor Sharp and Shawn Weller and defensemen John de Gray and Eric Regan. Also assigned to the Condors for the second straight season is Bobby Bolt.
Most of the assigned players have been in some sort of camp for more than six straight weeks -- rookie camp, NHL camp and American Hockey League camp -- a fact not lost on Raymond.
"They've been though a lot already, so many camps, and I understand that," Raymond said. "I'm sure they're ready to start playing hockey and I can't blame them."
But there remains two weeks of ECHL camp before that happens and most of the players signed by the Condors have yet to attend any camp.
The Condors have 16 players signed and a couple of more invited to camp.
"The first four days will be the toughest as we have double sessions," Raymond said. "After that it gets easier. This is the most important time of the year. We need to get cohesiveness and chemistry going."
Fans will get their first chance to meet the players on Saturday at the annual Open House and Family Day, held at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center (1325 Q Street) from 2-5 p.m. Fans are invited to watch the team scrimmage (admission is two non-perishable food items) and then join the players on the ice for a free public skate.
