DUCKS REPORT : Veterans Pushed Aside for Exhibition Opener

Paul Kariya will not play in tonight’s exhibition opener against the Sharks at San Jose Arena. Neither will Teemu Selanne, Guy Hebert, Fredrik Olausson nor Oleg Tverdovsky.

Instead, Coach Craig Hartsburg will give some inexperienced Ducks a chance to show their stuff.

Hartsburg said he will play a more veteran lineup, using Hebert, Olausson and Tverdovsky, against Colorado at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Arrowhead Pond.

Hartsburg expects to win tonight and Sunday but he’s not overly concerned about an exhibition victory. Or loss.

“I just want to see the things we’ve been talking about [in training camp]: work ethic, speed and discipline,” he said. “We’ve got to start building the team concept. We’ve got to start setting a foundation for that first game at Dallas.”

So, instead of the usual cast of Ducks, fans tonight will see a top line of Mike Leclerc, Antti Aalto and Jeremy Stevenson.

Aalto is the only one of those who played with the Ducks last season. Leclerc and Stevenson played for Cincinnati of the American Hockey League.

Backup goalie Dominic Roussel and minor leaguer Tom Askey are expected to split time. Hebert probably will play some Sunday against Colorado.

*

Defenseman Kevin Haller underwent successful surgery to remove torn cartilage in his right knee Wednesday. He began rehab exercises Thursday and by Friday was walking without a limp. He said he has been told he can resume skating in three weeks and begin playing in four.

“My first impression is that I’m ahead of schedule,” Haller said. “If I miss a month, hopefully, I don’t miss any regular-season games.”

The Ducks open the regular season Oct. 2 at Dallas.

*

Marty McInnis, who suffered a sprained right ankle earlier in the week, hopes to practice for the first time since Monday. . . . Rookie winger Maxim Balmochnykh was scheduled to play tonight but injured his right shoulder Friday. . . . Center Marc Chouinard also was in tonight’s lineup, but was scratched because of a groin strain. . . . The Ducks have not won an exhibition- or regular-season opener in their six-season history.