A rivalry footnote

After today’s morning skate, reporters did the requisite chat with Sean O’Donnell, since he is most qualified to speak to the Kings-Ducks rivalry, having played on both sides of it. But what about Brandon Segal?

You have to get fairly deep into Segal’s bio to figure out that he was actually on the Ducks’ roster when they played the Kings in London to start the 2007-08 season. Segal didn’t appear in either game, and shortly thereafter got assigned to Portland of the AHL. But Segal was, technically, a Duck. The next season, he made his NHL debut with Tampa Bay. Here’s what Segal said today about his journey,,,

SEGAL: “I got a free trip to London out of it. (laughs) It was actually a really good time, just to see what it was like in the NHL. It was pretty much my first experience, during the regular season, to be up. I came into camp that year kind of under the radar and I had a great camp, well enough to make the team. Unfortunately, they made a trade for Mark Mowers and there were just too many players.”

Question: The team seems to be happy with your play. Has the transition been fairly seemless for you?

SEGAL: “I feel pretty comfortable. I know my role. My linemates that I play with, we know what to do, go out there and create energy. Whether it’s getting four minutes of ice time a night or 10 minutes, you’ve just got to be prepared to go out there every time your name is called and just do your job.”

Question: Last week, you got to play at home when the Kings played Vancouver. What was that experience like?

SEGAL: “That was absolutely amazing. It’s been my goal, ever since I was a little kid, to play in GM Place and play against the Canucks. To finally do it, it was a great experience. I had all my family and friends there. It was something I really wanted to do, mostly for my parents. It’s been a long road for me, and to finally do it, it was pretty special.”

Question: And you get another chance to do it in a couple weeks…

SEGAL: “Hopefully a different outcome this time.”

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