Well, it beats Kings’ bad spell

Dear Engraver,

Make that T-e-e-m-u S-e-l-a-n-n-e.

The Ducks’ names will be inscribed on the Stanley Cup later this year, but the execution isn’t always perfect.

In 1963, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ name was misspelled as Maple Leaes.

The 1972 Boston Bruins came out as the Bqstqn Bruins, and the 1981 New York Islanders as the Ilanders.

Detroit Red Wings Coach Tommy Ivan’s last name came out as Nivan in 1952, and forward Alex Delvecchio’s as Belvecchio.

The Montreal Canadiens’ Bob Gainey was listed as Gainy in 1975, but his name was correct the other four times he won.

Pity poor Jacques Plante, though.

He won five consecutive Cups with the Canadiens from 1956 to ‘60, and his name has a different spelling each time.

In 1984, owner Peter Pocklington of the Edmonton Oilers tried to pull a fast one, including the name of his father, Basil Pocklington, who was not affiliated with the Oilers, on the official list.

The NHL ordered the name removed, and an engraver covered it with 16 Xs.

Any mistakes involving the Ducks are likely to be fixed.

The last two errors -- when the name of Colorado’s Adam Deadmarsh was listed as Deadmarch in 1996 and the Detroit Red Wings’ Manny Legace as Lagace in 2002 -- were both corrected.

But just imagine the life of an engraver: no backspace, no spell-check.

Trivia time

What player’s name appears most on the Cup?

Double take

There are a couple of things in Sports Illustrated this week we thought we might never see.

One is O.J. Mayo in a USC uniform -- or at least wearing a Trojans-style helmet as he prepares to head to campus.

The other is an image of Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard on the cover of Playboy. She poses nude inside.

This response from Times staff writer Lisa Dillman:

“Who ever thought the teddy bear might be wearing more clothes than Amanda?”

Leinart on Leinart

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart gets the good-guy award for his first-person story in ESPN the Magazine, interviewing NFL coaches about his draft-day plummet last year.

He gets the brush-off from New York Jets Coach Eric Mangini but some good exchanges with USC connections Lane Kiffin, the new coach of the Oakland Raiders, and Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans.

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton, well, he seemed pretty happy with his selection of Reggie Bush.

“Let’s say Reggie had gone No. 1,” Leinart asked. “Who would you take second?”

“Well, we seriously considered Matt Leinart. But we already had Drew Brees,” Payton replied. “But come on, we had you in for a visit. Gave you a Saints helmet.”

“It was a mini-helmet,” Leinart told him. “And a gift bag, a nice T-shirt and hat, though.”

“It was hard to pass on that talent,” Payton said.

“I guess I’m not a Saint,” Leinart said.

From Russia with glove?

The Angels drafted Jonathan Bachanov with the 58th overall pick Thursday, but the right-handed pitcher from University High in Orlando, Fla., said a report in Baseball America that his parents are Russian immigrants is as far from the truth as Anaheim is from Siberia.

“That isn’t the truth. They’re not Russian immigrants. My dad’s from Ohio. My mom’s from Virginia,” Bachanov said. “I think it’s just the last name.

“It’s funny, early in the season, a scout called and asked if my mom had moved to Russia. Then someone started calling me the mad Hungarian.

“I’m a clean-cut kid, and I’m not Hungarian.”

Trivia answer

The Canadiens’ Henri Richard played for 11 Cup winners.

And finally ...

Will the first parents of non-Finnish descent from Orange County who name their son Teemu please send us a copy of the birth certificate?

We’re also accepting those from anyone who gives their child the first name Niedermayer or Giguere.

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