But Iowa’s influence on the Ducks’ initial first-round success against the NHL’s top team in terms of regular season record extends beyond the highly-touted Ryan, who Wednesday was named one of three finalists for the Calder Cup Trophy, which is given annually to the league’s top rookie:

•  Chops 3, Sharks 2. On Sunday, former Chops Ryan, Andrew Ebbett and Drew Miller notched all of the Ducks goals, putting the team up 2-2. Former Chops had scored half of Anaheim’s eight goals entering Thursday’s game.
• Several players who finished the season with the Chops are part of Anaheim’s “Black Aces,” including Brian Salcido, Petteri Wirtanen, Petri Kontiola, Josh Green, Matt Belskey, Brendan Mikkelson and J.P. Lavasseur.

Ken Schrader Earns ARCA Pole at Rockingham - 15th Career Series Pole

 I'll be blogging a lot about racing this season and welcome your suggestions.

 A lot of our coverage will continue to spring online, so we're trying to keep up!

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled seven players from the Iowa Chops, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). Centers Petri Kontiola and Petteri Wirtanen, along with left wings Josh Green and Matt Beleskey will join Anaheim for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In addition, defensemen Brian Salcido and Brett Festerling, along with goaltender Jean-Philippe Levasseur have been recalled.

Kontiola, 24 (10/4/84), appeared in 81 contests with Rockford and Iowa this season, collecting a team-leading 19-43=62 points with 30 penalty minutes (PIM). He was acquired by Anaheim with James Wisniewski from Chicago in exchange for Samuel Pahlsson, Logan Stephenson and a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft on Mar. 4. The Seinajoki, Finland native made his NHL debut with Chicago in 2007-08, scoring 0-5=5 points with six PIM and a +5 rating in 12 contests. He was originally selected by Chicago in the seventh round (196th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Wirtanen, 22 (5/28/86), finished fourth on Iowa in scoring, collecting 15-26=41 points in 78 games. He ranked third on the club in appearances and tied for second in short-handed goals (2). The Hyvinkaa, Finland native was selected by Anaheim in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Green, 31 (11/16/77), appeared in 39 games with the Chops, collecting 10-14=24 points with 52 PIM. A native of Camrose, Alberta, Green was signed as a free agent by Anaheim on July 22, 2008. Selected by Los Angeles in the second round (30th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Green has appeared in 322 NHL contests, scoring 35-39=74 points with 193 PIM.

Beleskey, 20 (6/7/88), played in two games with Anaheim this season, making his NHL debut on Jan. 9 vs. Tampa Bay. A native of Windsor, Ontario, Beleskey also collected 11-24=35 points in 58 games with the Chops in his first professional season. He was drafted by Anaheim in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Salcido, 23 (4/14/85), made his NHL debut with Anaheim this season, scoring 1-0=1 point with a +2 rating in two games. In 76 games with Iowa, the Hermosa Beach, CA native earned 10-33=43 points with 108 PIM, leading all team defensemen in scoring. Selected by Anaheim in the fifth round (141st overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Salcido also finished the season third on the Chops in overall scoring and second in assists.

Festerling, 23 (3/3/86), made his NHL debut with the Ducks in 2008-09, appearing in 40 games with 0-5=5 points and a +5 rating.  A native of Quesnel, British Columbia, Festerling collected 0-7=7 points with 31 PIM in 34 games with the Chops this season. He was signed as a free agent by Anaheim on Sept. 14, 2005.

Levasseur, 22 (1/15/87), appeared in 41 games with Iowa in his second professional season, posting a 13-18-4 record with a 3.11 GAA. The Victoriaville, Quebec native has appeared in 51 career AHL games with a 17-23-5 record and 2.98 GAA. Levasseur was selected by Anaheim in the seventh round (197th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

--ducks--

AnaheimDucks.com

 And, yes, inconsistency marked the American Hockey League franchise's inaugural season, which ended Saturday in a 5-3 loss to Quad City before a record crowd of 12,136 at Wells Fargo Arena.

 But, no, 2008-09 was not a failure.

 Witness the blossoming of Bobby Ryan, Andrew Ebbett and Joakim Lindstrom in the early months of the season.

 All three are now established NHL players.

 And the crowds?

 The Chops drew 10,000-plus twice, when the previous AHL team, the Iowa Stars, never eclipsed that figure.

 " For me, was great to see in the second half of the season, the crowds that came," said Iowa coach Gord Dineen, whose team finished 33-33-4-10. " I just hope the entertainment value – we know we want to get more wins at home. But there’s a pulse for hockey in Des Moines, and we want to enhance that.”

 That pulse has begun resembling a drumbeat, as attendance rose to 4,200-plus per game on average -- and much higher for weekend games.

 " We’re feeling now Des Moines is going to support this hockey team for the next couple years and I hope the next 10 years, because that will be fun for them," said fan favorite Francis Wathier, who's been a part of pro hockey in Des Moines for four years. "It’s establishing something. It’s the same thing for a hockey team or a football team. It’s the exact same thing we tried to establish this season, so I was really proud to be a part of that.”

 So what lies ahead?

 Can the Chops become a fixture in the league, coaxing crowds that place it in the upper echelon, despite Iowa's fixation on locally traditional sports such as football, baseball and basketball?

 Time will tell, but the players showed their appreciation for Saturday's record crowd with a postgame center ice salute, as seen below: