Shannon awaits his shot

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The role for Ryan Shannon, a healthy scratch for Anaheim's last five games, is more cheerleader than fourth-line forward.

But the former Boston College captain isn't complaining.

"Right now, there is absolutely no ego in the whole locker room," said the 24-year-old rookie, who's seen action in 11 playoff games after scoring two goals in 53 regular-season appearances. "It's all about the team getting the next win."

That means being one of the last players off the Honda Center ice for practice yesterday. That means watching his teammates while wearing dress shoes and suit instead of skates and black-and-orange jersey. That means wondering when and if he'll get to play in a Stanley Cup finals game vs. the Ottawa Senators.

"Just have to be ready," said Shannon, owner of a scraggly playoff beard that he was never allowed to wear at BC (coach Jerry York is a strict razor-to-whiskers advocate) in three visits to the NCAA Tournament. "Right now, it's a position where it's any way you can contribute.

"Obviously, it's not scoring goals or making plays, but I have to chip in any way I can, whether that's off the ice, in practice, or two to five minutes a game. It's a simple role."

To his family and friends, Shannon has offered the following explanation: Cracking the Ducks' lineup is like getting a roster spot for the Red Sox or Yankees, even though he racked up 86 points with the AHL's Portland Pirates in 2005-06, his first year as a pro.

Shannon dressed in four of five first-round games against the Minnesota Wild. He played in all five second-round matches against the Vancouver Canucks. Then he appeared in Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings before coach Randy Carlyle shuffled his lineup.

But it's still been a memorable ride for Shannon, who will be a restricted free agent at season's end. Shannon, who was raised in Darien, Conn., leaves the rink in shorts every day, although he misses the seasons in New England.

When the AHL's Clear Day arrived in March and he was left off Portland's roster, he knew he'd be around for the rest of the season.

He might be wearing a ring soon. And he could be a Duck for a long time.

"I'm optimistic about where I fit in with the organization," said Shannon.

In 1992-93, his final season as a player with the Winnipeg Jets, Carlyle had a rookie teammate he didn't care for: his current No. 1 right wing. "He wasn't my best friend," Carlyle said of Teemu Selanne, who scored 76 goals that season. Carlyle didn't think Selanne practiced hard enough, and he wasn't afraid to let the Finnish Flash know. "He was pretty tough with the rookies," Selanne recalled. "I think at the time, I didn't feel like a normal rookie. I had played in the Canada Cup and been in the top league in Europe." . . . Selanne paid to fly 16 of his childhood friends from Finland to attend Games 1 and 2. "They told me they doubled the beer sales," Selanne joked . . . After the 3-2 loss in Game 1, Ottawa coach Bryan Murray talked to Scotty Bowman, his former boss in Detroit. Part of their conversation was whether the Senators should break up their No. 1 line, as the Wings did at times with Tomas Holmstrom-Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg, to avoid Anaheim's checkers. "At some stage," said Murray, "we have to have success with our best players."

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at FShinzawa@globe.com.