ANAHEIM – Upon arriving in the Ducks’ dressing room, Rene Bourque couldn’t help but take notice at where his new stall was located.

A spot once occupied for years by Teemu Selanne now belonged to Bourque – right next to Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

“Nobody to my right,” Bourque said Saturday. “Sit next to the big two guys over here. Good spot. I’m sure I’ll earn a lot from them. I’d rather be here than anywhere else.”

The last part could apply to the NHL as well. Bourque is getting another shot as the Ducks pulled him out of the minors Thursday, getting him from Montreal for defenseman Bryan Allen in a one-for-one swap.

Bourque was playing with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League after the Canadiens put him on waivers Nov. 9 and sent him down the following day after he cleared.

“I’m very excited,” Bourque said. “I think I was looking to be moved after everything went down in Montreal so it was nice to get a good change to a new team.

“I think I have a lot left. And I think I have a lot to give to this team.”

Bourque was happy to have secured a work visa Friday and travel out to the West Coast so he could quickly settle in. Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau will determine if the winger will make his debut Sunday against Arizona.

In making the deal, Ducks general manager Bob Murray cited a desire for more speed and production out of his wings beyond Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey. Boudreau is hopeful that Bourque, twice a 27-goal scorer, can fit in.

“I don’t think you trade for anyone if you think otherwise,” Boudreau said. “We’re hoping that this works out as a good fit for us. It obviously didn’t work out for whatever reason. I don’t think his skills have diminished at all.

“Hopefully we can motivate him to the point that he’s playing the way he was in the playoffs last year.”

Inconsistent play has dogged Bourque over his career. Big and fast, Bourque led Montreal with eight goals in the 2014 postseason after scoring just nine times during the regular season. Bourque had no goals and two assists before being shipped to Hamilton.

Ducks winger Tim Jackman has seen Bourque in good times and believes he will be motivated to succeed.

“Well, he’s got a great shot,” Jackman said. “I remember him scoring some really big goals for us when we were together in Calgary. One thing about him is he’s got an edge to his game too and he can bring a physical side, which I think Bob likes about our team.”

Bourque’s agent, Ben Hankinson, took to Twitter to laud the manner in which Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin handled moving his client quickly after waiving him.

The winger, who has lengthy ties with Bergevin, thought the executive’s intent all along was to find another locale instead of leaving him in the minors. Bourque has 142 goals in 10 seasons with Chicago, Calgary and Montreal.

“Marc was very good with me,” Bourque said. “It was tough. I’ve known Marc since I first started in Chicago. He was there for a few years so we have a good relationship. It was a hard move for him to do, sending me to Hamilton.

“I think in the end, it was the best thing for me. … I’m obviously glad to be given another opportunity to perform.”

FISTRIC PRACTICES

Defenseman Mark Fistric returned to practice for the first time since aggravating a lower back injury on Oct. 30. There is no timetable on his availability but recurring back issues are something he will have to deal with as he goes on.

“Every day’s a process,” Fistric said. “It’s just something I have to live with. It’s just going to be part of my career. Something that’s manageable but has to be paid attention to at all times.”

STONER AILING

Clayton Stoner left the ice before practice ended and Boudreau indicated the defenseman wasn’t at full strength. “He’s just a little under the weather,” Boudreau said. “We wanted to make sure he skated but we didn’t want to push him too hard.”

Contact the writer: estephens@ocregister.com