Anaheim Ducks: The Controversy Surrounding Veteran Players

The Anaheim Ducks have acquired some very questionable veteran players during the off-season. General Manager Bob Murray’s decisions have definitely caused a lot of heads to spin. However, he has brought in players in seasons past that have offered proof that a veteran presence can be valuable to the line-up.

There was a man who walked into my bakery this morning. He was wearing a red shirt that donned the phrase, “practice like a champion.” However, in the center of the word practice, which was written in blue, were three letters highlighted in white. These three letters spelled the word “act.”

Now, this is not something I would normally take notice of while I am on the job. Especially considering I spend most days elbow deep in cookie dough. Nevertheless, looking up at the most inopportune moment served to benefit me. I found so much inspiration in this simple, yet profound phrase.

It was a reminder of the age-old saying, “actions speak louder than words.” If you want to be a champion, you don’t only practice it, you act like it. That right there was one of the Anaheim Ducks major disconnects during the 2017-18 Conference Quarterfinals.

It’s understandable, and we will give them the benefit of the doubt, that the team was plagued by injuries. Losing key members of the team led to quite a bit of inconsistency on the ice. Nevertheless, they pushed themselves hard to make the postseason. Yet, come playoff time, we did not see a team that was playing like champions. We saw a team that was tired and didn’t seem to have much fight left in them.