| Anaheim Ducks | |
|---|---|
 2025–26 Anaheim Ducks season | |
 | |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Pacific |
| Founded | 1993 |
| History | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 1993–2006 Anaheim Ducks 2006–present |
| Home arena | Honda Center |
| City | Anaheim, California |
 | |
| Team colors | Orange, metallic gold, black, white[1][2] |
| Media | Victory+ KCOP (Fox 11 Plus) KTTV (Fox 11) Ducks Stream onTuneIn |
| Owner | Henry & Susan Samueli |
| General manager | Pat Verbeek |
| Head coach | Joel Quenneville |
| Captain | Radko Gudas |
| Minor league affiliates | San Diego Gulls (AHL) Tulsa Oilers (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | 1 (2006–07) |
| Conference championships | 2 (2002–03,2006–07) |
| Presidents' Trophies | 0 |
| Division championships | 6 (2006–07,2012–13,2013–14,2014–15,2015–16,2016–17) |
| Official website | nhl |
TheAnaheim Ducks are a professionalice hockey team based inAnaheim, California. The Ducks compete in theNational Hockey League (NHL) as a member of thePacific Division in theWestern Conference. The team plays its home games atHonda Center, and is owned byHenry and Susan Samueli. The Ducks are affiliated with theSan Diego Gulls of theAmerican Hockey League (AHL) and theTulsa Oilers of theECHL. The Ducks are one of two teams based in theGreater Los Angeles area, along with theLos Angeles Kings.
The Ducks were founded as anexpansion team for the1993–94 season bythe Walt Disney Company, and were known as theMighty Ducks of Anaheim, a name based on the 1992 filmThe Mighty Ducks. In 2005, Disney sold the franchise to the Samuelis, who, along with then-general managerBrian Burke, changed the name of the team to the Anaheim Ducks before the2006–07 season. The Ducks have won six Pacific Division championships, and have advanced to theStanley Cup Final twice, losing to theNew Jersey Devils in2003, and winning the Stanley Cup in2007 over theOttawa Senators, becoming the first of the three California-based teams to win the Stanley Cup. The Ducks have produced twoConn Smythe Trophy winners as themost valuable player of the playoffs –Jean-Sebastian Giguere in 2003 andScott Niedermayer in 2007.
The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were founded in 1993 byThe Walt Disney Company. The franchise was awarded by the NHL in December 1992, alongside the rights to aMiami team founded byWayne Huizenga that would become theFlorida Panthers. An entrance fee of $50 million was required, half of which Disney would pay directly to the Los Angeles Kings in order to "share" the Los Angeles media market.[3] On March 1, 1993, at the brand-newAnaheim Arena, the team's name was announced. The name was inspired byThe Mighty Ducks, a 1992 Disney film about a struggling youth hockey team that, with the help of their new coach, become champions.[4]Philadelphia arena management specialistTony Tavares was chosen to be team president,[4] andJack Ferreira, who previously helped create theSan Jose Sharks, became the Ducks' general manager.[5] The Ducks selectedRon Wilson to be the first head coach in team history.[6] The Ducks and Florida Panthers filled out their rosters in the1993 NHL expansion draft and the1993 NHL entry draft. In the former, a focus on defense led to goaltendersGuy Hebert andGlenn Healy being the first picks, followed byAlexei Kasatonov andSteven King.[7] In the latter, the Ducks selectedPaul Kariya with the fourth overall pick, who began playing in 1994 and would turn out to be the face of the franchise for many years.[8][9] The resulting roster had the lowest payroll of the NHL at only $7.9 million.[10]
Led bycaptainTroy Loney, the Ducks finished the1993–94 season 33–46–5, a record-breaking number of wins for an expansion team, which the Florida Panthers also achieved. The Ducks sold out 27 of 41 home games, including the last 25, and filled theArrowhead Pond to 98.9% of its season capacity.[11] The Ducks licensed merchandise shot to number one in sales among NHL clubs, helped by their presence fromDisney's theme parks andDisney Stores.[12]
Thelockout-shortened1994–95 season saw the debut of Kariya, who would play 47 games that year, scoring 18goals and 21assists for 39points.[13] For his efforts, he was named a finalist for theCalder Memorial Trophy for the top rookie of the year.[14] The Ducks went 16–27–5, missing the playoffs.[15]
During the 1995–96 season, Kariya was chosen to play for the Western Conference in the1996 NHL All-Star Game as the lone Ducks representative, playing in place ofPavel Bure, who was out with a knee injury.[16] Following the All-Star Game, the Mighty Ducks completed a mid-season blockbuster deal with theWinnipeg Jets. The Ducks sentChad Kilger,Oleg Tverdovsky, and a third-round pick to the Jets in return for forwardMarc Chouinard, a fourth-round draft pick, and right wingerTeemu Selanne.[17] Following the trade, Ducks centerSteve Rucchin commented, "Paul [Kariya] had a lot of pressure on him... He single-handedly won some games for us this year... Now that we have Teemu, there's no way everybody can just key on Paul."[18] These three players formed one of the most potent lines of their time.[19] However, the Mighty Ducks lost the eighth spot in the Western Conference to the Winnipeg Jets based on the number of wins.[20]
During the1996–97 season, Kariya became team captain followingRandy Ladouceur's retirement in the off-season.[21] The Ducks qualified for the postseason after recording the franchise's first winning record of 36–33–13, good enough for home ice in the first round as the fourth seed against thePhoenix Coyotes.[22] The Ducks trailed 3–2 in the series going into Phoenix for game six. Kariya scored in overtime to force the franchise's first game seven,[23] which they won.[24] However, in the second round, they lost to the eventualStanley Cup champions, theDetroit Red Wings, in a four-game sweep.[25] After the season, Ron Wilson was fired for philosophical differences.[26]Pierre Page succeeded him.[27] The Ducks started out slowly in 1997–98, in part because Kariya missed the first 32 games of the season in a contract dispute.[28] He came back in December, but on February 1, he suffered a season-endingconcussion whenGary Suter of theChicago Blackhawkscross-checked him in the face.[29] With Kariya playing only a total of 22 games that season, the Ducks missed the playoffs and fired Page.[30] The Ducks followed that season up by finishing sixth in the Western Conference in1998–99 with new head coachCraig Hartsburg.[31] However, they were swept by Detroit again, this time in the first round.[32]
At training camp prior to the1999–2000 season, the Ducks made a motto, "Take the next step," going into the season.[33] However, due to a much more competitive Western Conference, they missed the playoffs by four points behind rival San Jose Sharks.[34] In the following season,2000–01, the Ducks ended up performing worse, as Kariya and Selanne's point production significantly declined from the previous season – Kariya went from 86 points to 67 points and Selanne went from 85 points to 57 points. Selanne was subsequently dealt to San Jose at the trade deadline forJeff Friesen,Steve Shields and a second-round draft pick,[35] while head coach Craig Hartsburg was fired during the season.[36] The team ended up with a losing record and last place in the Western Conference that season.[37] Without Selanne, Kariya's numbers continued to drop in the2001–02 season with new coachBryan Murray.[38] The Mighty Ducks finished in 13th place in the Western Conference.[39]
Prior to the 2002–03 season, Bryan Murray was promoted to general manager.[40] He hiredMike Babcock to be the head coach.[41] The Mighty Ducks made the postseason as the seventh seed with a 40–27–9–6 record, good enough for 95 points. In the first round, the Ducks were once again matched up with the Detroit Red Wings, the defending Stanley Cup champions. They swept the Red Wings in four games.[32] Steve Rucchin scored the series-winning goal in overtime in game four.[42] In the second round, the Ducks faced theDallas Stars. Game one turned out to be the one of the longest games in NHL history, withPetr Sykora scoring in the fifth overtime to give the Mighty Ducks the series lead.[43] The Ducks would finish off the Stars in game six at home. In the team's first trip to the Western Conference finals, they were matched up against the sixth-seeded, three-year-oldMinnesota Wild.Jean-Sebastien Giguere strung together three consecutive shutouts and allowed only one total goal in the series in an eventual sweep.[39]
The2003 Stanley Cup Final was played against theNew Jersey Devils. The series began with the home team winning the first five games. In game six at home, Kariya was knocked unconscious from a hit by Devils captainScott Stevens. However, Kariya would return in the second period and score the fourth goal of the game.[44] The Mighty Ducks defeated the Devils 5–2 to send the series back to New Jersey for game seven. Anaheim was unable to win on the road in New Jersey, as they lost game seven to the Devils 3–0.[45] For his play during the postseason, Giguere was awarded theConn Smythe Trophy as themost valuable player (MVP) of the playoffs. He became only the fifth player in NHL history to win the trophy as a member of the losing team.[45]
After the2002–03 season, Kariya promised to bring the Mighty Ducks back to the Stanley Cup Final the following year.[46] However, Kariya left the Ducks in the summer and joined former teammate Teemu Selanne on theColorado Avalanche.[47] During the2003–04 season, the team regressed to a 29–35–10–8 record, finishing fourth in the division.[48]
During the 2004 off-season,Bryan Murray, who had wished to coach again, left the Ducks to join theOttawa Senators.[49] As the NHL and theNational Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA)'s labor dispute was headed towards along lockout, Disney tried to sell the team but received a low offer of US$50 million, less than the franchise's original price. In 2005,Broadcom Corporation co-founderHenry Samueli ofIrvine, California, and his wife Susan bought the Mighty Ducks from The Walt Disney Company for a reported US$75 million.[50] Henry Samuelis, whose family was already managing Arrowhead Pond said of the sale, "Since we manage the Pond ... it seemed natural to purchase the team since Disney had it up for sale for quite a while."[51]Brian Burke, formerVancouver Canucks general manager and president, was appointed general manager and executive vice-president of the Mighty Ducks on June 20, 2005.[52] Shortly after, Babcock rejected an extension to stay with the Ducks, signing with Detroit instead.[53] Thanks to a weighted draft lottery in which the Ducks had a 4.16% chance at first overall, they were able to get the second pick, which they used to selectBobby Ryan.[54]
On August 1, 2005, formerNorris Trophy-winning defensemanRandy Carlyle was hired as the seventh head coach in team history.[55] Burke was familiar with Carlyle's coaching ability, as the latter had coached theManitoba Moose from 1996 to 2001 (International Hockey League) and 2004–05 (American Hockey League); the Moose had been the Canucks' farm club since 2001.[55] On August 4, 2005, free-agent defensemanScott Niedermayer signed with the Mighty Ducks to play with his brotherRob;[56] Scott Niedermayer was almost immediately named team captain.[57] On August 22, Selanne returned to Anaheim after undergoing knee surgery.[58] He led the team in scoring during the season with 40 goals and 50 assists for 90 points.[59] He would also record his 1,000th NHL point on January 30, 2006.[60] The2005–06 season also saw the emergence of rookiesRyan Getzlaf,[61] andCorey Perry.[62] On November 15, 2005, Anaheim traded Sergei Fedorov and a fifth-round draft pick to theColumbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defensemanFrancois Beauchemin and forwardTyler Wright.[63]
The Ducks finished the season with a 43–27–12 record, good enough for 98 points.[64] The Ducks faced theCalgary Flames in the conference quarterfinals and forced a seventh game in Calgary, shutting out the Flames to reach the conference semifinals.[65] In the conference semifinals, the Ducks swept the Avalanche in four-straight games;, during whichIlya Bryzgalov broke Giguere's scoreless streak record from the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs.[66] In the franchise's second conference finals appearance, they faced the eighth-seededEdmonton Oilers, a series the Ducks would ultimately lose in five games.[67]
In January 2006, Samueli announced the team would be renamed as simply the "Anaheim Ducks" as of the following season.[68][69]
Prior to the2006–07 season, the Ducks adopted a completely new look to go along with their new name; their team colors became black, gold and orange, and the logo of a duck-shaped goalie mask was dropped in favor of the word "Ducks", with a webbed foot in place of the "D".[70]
The Ducks tradedJoffrey Lupul,Ladislav Smid and a first-round draft pick to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defensemanChris Pronger.[71] On November 9, 2006, the Ducks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6–0 atGeneral Motors Place in Vancouver to improve their season record to 12–0–4.[72] The win set an NHL record by remaining undefeated in regulation for the first 16 games of the season, eclipsing the previous mark set by the 1983–84 Edmonton Oilers.[notes 1][72] On April 7, the Ducks won their first division title in franchise history when the Canucks defeated the second-place San Jose Sharks in the final game of the season.[74] The Ducks ended the regular season with a 48–20–14 record and 110 points.[75] Although they had three fewer wins than theNashville Predators, the Ducks won the second seed in the West by virtue of winning the Pacific Division title; the Predators finished second in theCentral Division behind the Detroit Red Wings (the top seed in the West).[76]
In the2007 playoffs, the Ducks defeated the Minnesota Wild in the conference quarterfinals and the Canucks in the semifinals, both in five games.[77][78] The Ducks faced the Detroit Red Wings in the franchise's third trip to the conference finals. In game three, Pronger elbowedTomas Holmstrom and subsequently received a one-game suspension for the illegal check.[79] However, the Ducks won game four without Pronger and game five in Detroit, with Selanne scoring the latter game's overtime winner.[80] The Ducks then finished off the Red Wings in game six for their second Stanley Cup Final appearance.[80]
In theFinal, the Ducks won the first two games at home against theOttawa Senators.[80] However, the Ducks lost game three and Pronger received his second one-game suspension, this time for elbowingDean McAmmond.[81] The Ducks were again able to win without Pronger, defeating the Senators in game four for an opportunity to win the Stanley Cup on home ice in game five.[80] On June 6, the Ducks defeated the Senators 6–2 at Honda Center to claim their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.[80] Moen was credited with the Cup game-winning goal after Senators defensemanChris Phillips put the puck in off of goaltenderRay Emery into their own net.[82] Scott Niedermayer was awarded the secondConn Smythe Trophy in Ducks history.[83] The Ducks became the first California team and the first NHLWest Coast team to win the Stanley Cup.[84]
The Ducks began their title defense in the2007–08 season without Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, who were both contemplating retirement.[85] To offset those losses, Burke signed forwardTodd Bertuzzi and defensemanMathieu Schneider.[86] Chris Pronger was also named captain with Niedermayer's absence.[87] The team began the season inLondon for the 2007 NHL Premiere and split their two games with theLos Angeles Kings.[88] The team began slow out of the gate, going 4–7–2 to begin the season.[89] During the season, Burke put goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov onwaivers, where he was picked up by the Phoenix Coyotes.[90] Free-agent signeeJonas Hiller then became the back-up to starter Jean-Sebastien Giguere.[90] Both Selanne and Niedermayer would return mid-season and the team finished with a 47–27–8 record, good enough to earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs finishing as the fourth seed in the Western Conference.[91][92][93] They were eliminated in the quarterfinals in six games by the Dallas Stars.[94] In the off-season, Burke bought out the remaining year on Bertuzzi's contract and traded Schneider to theAtlanta Thrashers.[95][96]
The Ducks began the2008–09 season with another slow start, going 1–5–0.[89] On November 12, 2008, Burke resigned to take the same position for theToronto Maple Leafs.[98]Bob Murray replaced him as general manager, but the team struggled to make the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference.[99] A bevy of trade deadline deals saw the departure of some mainstays from the Cup team, includingChris Kunitz, who was traded to thePittsburgh Penguins for defensemanRyan Whitney,[100] Samuel Pahlsson, who was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for defensemanJames Wisniewski,[101] and Travis Moen, who was traded to the San Jose Sharks for two prospects.[102] The Ducks defeated the first-seeded,Presidents' Trophy-winning San Jose Sharks in six games in the first round before being eliminated in the conference semifinals by the eventual Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings in seven games.[103][104] Before the2009–10 season, the Ducks traded Chris Pronger to thePhiladelphia Flyers for Joffrey Lupul,Luca Sbisa and two first-round draft picks.[105] Francois Beauchemin and Rob Niedermayer also left via free agency for the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils, respectively.[106][107] The Ducks then signed free agent center and formerMontreal Canadiens captainSaku Koivu to a one-year deal.[108]
The Ducks would have another slow start, beginning 6–10–3 to the2009–10 season.[89] Before the trade deadline, the Ducks traded Giguere to the Toronto Maple Leafs forJason Blake andVesa Toskala after signing Hiller to a contract extension.[109] The trade deadline saw the Ducks trade Ryan Whitney to Edmonton for offensive defensemanLubomir Visnovsky, as well as the acquisitions of defensemanAaron Ward from theCarolina Hurricanes and goalieCurtis McElhinney from the Calgary Flames.[110] The Ducks played through frequent injuries and picked up play in the second half of the season,[111] but struggled coming out of the Olympic break. For the first time since the lockout, the Ducks failed to make the playoffs with a 39–32–11 record.[112][113] The 2010 off-season was also busy for the Ducks, as Scott Niedermayer announced his retirement in a June press conference.[114] Niedermayer decided to stay a member of the Ducks as a team consultant.[115] The Ducks re-signed Saku Koivu and signed free agent defensemanToni Lydman.[116] In addition to Lydman, the Ducks were able to get defensemanCam Fowler via the draft,[117] and 35-year-old defensemanAndy Sutton signed to a two-year deal.[118] Restricted free agentBobby Ryan was signed to a five-year deal.[119]
On October 4, 2010, Ryan Getzlaf was named team captain.[120] The 2010–11 season did not begin well for the Ducks, who would lose their first three games and go 4–7–1 throughout October.[89] They maintained a .500 throughout record through the first half of the season, but got better and finished 47–30–5,[121] good for 99 points and second place in the Pacific Division.[122] Corey Perry and Jonas Hiller represented the Ducks at the2011 All-Star Game,[123] and Perry went on to have a 50-goal, 98-point season, which won him theMaurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy andHart Memorial Trophy. He became the first-ever Duck to win the Hart, as well as the first Richard winner as a Duck since Teemu Selanne won the award in 1999.[124] However, Hiller was injured at the All-Star Game and missed the rest of the season.[125] In the2011 playoffs, they lost in the first round to the fifth-seeded Nashville Predators.[126]
Before the2011–12 season began, former Mighty DuckRuslan Salei died in aplane crash with several other former NHL players ofKontinental Hockey League (KHL) clubLokomotiv Yaroslavl.[127] The team wore a black patch with his former jersey number, 24, in current team numbering.[128] The Ducks started the season with2011 NHL Premiere games inHelsinki andStockholm. This was the second time in franchise history that they started the regular season with games in Europe. They lost 4–1 to theBuffalo Sabres in Helsinki but defeated theNew York Rangers 2–1 after a shootout in Stockholm.[129] After a slow start to the season,[89] the Ducks replaced head coach Randy Carlyle with former Washington Capitals head coachBruce Boudreau.[130] Although the team had a 17–3–4 run in the second half of the season, the Ducks ultimately failed to reach the playoffs in the 2011–12 season.[131]
The2012–13 season was shortened to 48 games due to alabor lockout.[132] Due to the shortened season and the compacted game scheduling, all games were to be played against the Ducks' own Western Conference opponents, and no games were played against Eastern Conference teams. The Ducks finished the season with a 30–12–6 record and would win their second Pacific Division title in franchise history.[133][134] In the conference quarterfinals, they ended up losing to the seventh-seeded Detroit Red Wings in seven games, despite holding a 3–2 series lead after game five.[135]
Entering the2013–14 season, the 20th anniversary of the franchise, it was announced that Teemu Selanne would be playing in his final NHL season.[136] In the off-season, Bobby Ryan was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forwardsJakob Silfverberg,Stefan Noesen and Ottawa's first-round pick in the2014 NHL entry draft,[137] and the Ducks also signed centerMathieu Perreault, and a returningDustin Penner.[138] Despite a bad season opener suffering a 6–1 rout at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche,[139] the Ducks followed the opener with seven-straight wins,[140] a run which was repeated and surpassed twice more during the season, including a franchise-record setting ten consecutive wins from December 6 to 28, 2013.[141] A 9–1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on January 15 saw Anaheim establish a 20–0–2 record at Honda Center, which matched the longest season-opening home points streak in 34 years.[142] They would also play in their first outdoor game on January 25 atDodger Stadium in the2014 NHL Stadium Series against theLos Angeles Kings, which they won 3–0.[143] The Ducks remained towards the top of the NHL standings for the entire season, ending the regular season with a franchise-best 54–20–8 record (116 points) and eventually finished one point behind theBoston Bruins in the race for thePresidents' Trophy. The Ducks secured a second consecutive Pacific Division title and the number one seed in the Western Conference.[144] GoalieJohn Gibson also made his NHL debut, shutting out the Canucks 3–0.[145] Anaheim faced the eighth-seeded Dallas Stars in the first round and were victorious in six games, marking the first time since 2009 that the Ducks had won a playoff series.[146] In the Western Conference second round, the Ducks faced theirgeographic rival and eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings for the first time ever in the playoffs. However, the Ducks ultimately went down in seven games to their Southern Californian rivals, losing game seven by a score of 6–2 at Honda Center.[147]
On June 27, 2014, the Ducks acquired centerRyan Kesler and a third-round pick in2015 from the Vancouver Canucks.[148] In the following season, they won their third-straight Pacific Division title and finished as the top seed in the West with 109 points.[149] In the2015 playoffs, they swept theWinnipeg Jets in the first round and beat the Calgary Flames in five games to set up a conference final against the Chicago Blackhawks.[150][151] After taking a three games to two series lead, the Ducks lost the final two games of the series, including game seven on home ice. This marked the third-straight season the Ducks had lost a series in game seven at home after leading the series three games to two.[152]
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On July 15, 2015, the Ducks signed Ryan Kesler to a six-year contract extension totaling a reported $41.25 million.[153] Just prior to the2015 NHL entry draft, the Ducks sentEmerson Etem and a draft pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for left-wingCarl Hagelin.[154] They also traded for Vancouver Canucks defensemanKevin Bieksa and added veteransShawn Horcoff,[155]Chris Stewart,[156] andMike Santorelli.[157][158] Entering the2015–16 NHL season, many analysts pegged the Ducks as Stanley Cup favorites. However, scoring struggles led to a slow start, with the team still out of a playoff spot in December.[159] The team improved afterwards riding the goaltending ofJohn Gibson.[160] On March 6, 2016, the Ducks set a franchise record with an 11-game winning streak which ended the following night.[161] On March 24, 2016, the Ducks clinched a playoff spot in a 6–5 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.[162] However, in the first round of the playoffs, they fell in seven games to the Nashville Predators, which led to the firing of head coach Bruce Boudreau.[163] On June 14, 2016, the Ducks announced they re-hired former head coach Randy Carlyle.[164]
Although the Ducks started the 2016–17 season 0–3–1,[165] the team managed to finish first in the Pacific Division for the fourth consecutive season.[166] In the first round, they swept the Calgary Flames.[167] On May 10, 2017, the Ducks ended their game seven losing streak when they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, winning the series 4–3 and advancing to the conference finals for the second time in three seasons.[168] They would fall to the Nashville Predators in game six, ending their playoff run.[169] In the offseason, the team acquired goalieRyan Miller in free agency and re-signedCam Fowler.[170]
In thefollowing season, the Ducks traded forAdam Henrique, givingSami Vatanen to theNew Jersey Devils.[171] However, they failed to win the Pacific Division for the first time since the 2011–12 season.[172] They clinched a playoff berth, but were swept by the San Jose Sharks in the first round.[173]
During the 2018–19 season, the Ducks started the season 19–11–5, but then went on a 12-game losing streak and amidst a seven-game losing streak they fired Carlyle.[174] Bob Murray replaced him as interim head coach; however, the Ducks missed the playoffs for the third time since the2002–03 NHL season.[175] In the2019 draft, the Ducks selectedTrevor Zegras at ninth overall.[176]
On June 17, 2019, the team namedDallas Eakins as the franchise's tenth head coach.[177]Corey Perry left the team in free agency, signing with theDallas Stars.[178] However, the team was unable to make the expanded2020 playoffs due to multiple losing streaks throughout the season,[179] missing the postseason for the second consecutive season.[180]
Thefollowing season, the team did not fare better as they set an NHL record for the worst power play percentage in a season at 8.94%,[181] missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season.[182]Ryan Miller retired at the end of the season.[183] In the2021 draft, the Ducks selected third overallMason McTavish.[184]
On November 9, 2021, Murray was placed on administrative leave by the Ducks pending the results of an ongoing investigation.[185] The investigation was reportedly focused on Murray's alleged history of verbal abuse to players and staff members.[186] Assistant general manager Jeff Solomon was initially named as acting general manager but was then named interim general manager when Murray resigned on November 10.[187][188]Pat Verbeek was named general manager on February 3, 2022.[189] At the end of the season, captainRyan Getzlaf retired.[61]
The Ducks fell to last place in the2022–23 season, including a league worst 357 goals against and -129 goal differential. Following the end of the regular season, Eakins left as head coach.[190] Though the Ducks finished last in the league during the2022–23 season, the Chicago Blackhawks won the draft lottery and Anaheim's pick fell to second overall.[191] The team hiredGreg Cronin as the Ducks' eleventh head coach on June 5, 2023.[192] At the2023 NHL entry draft, the team selectedLeo Carlsson second overall.[193] The Ducks also signedRadko Gudas.[194] The team missed the playoffs again, only gaining one point over the previous season.[195] After the conclusion of the regular seasonJakob Silfverberg signed a contract to play overseas in Sweden.[196] Prior to the2024–25 season,Radko Gudas was named team captain.[197] With their failure to make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, Cronin was fired.[198]Joel Quenneville, who had been reinstated to the NHL following an independent investigation into their role in the2010 Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal,[199] was hired as the team's next head coach.[200] In addition, both Trevor Zegras and John Gibson were respectively traded respectively to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forwardRyan Poehling and goaliePetr Mrazek.[201][202]
Founded in 1993, the then-called Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were directly named forThe Mighty Ducks movies. Whenthe Walt Disney Company, which produced the movies and owned the NHL team, sold the team in 2005, the name was shortened to Anaheim Ducks.[3][203]
The Mighty Ducks' original road (later home) jersey features an eggplant and jade base, divided by silver, purple and white diagonal stripes. The home (later road) jersey has a white and jade base, divided by purple, white and silver diagonal stripes. For most of its history, purple pants were used with this set; from 1993 to 1997, and from 1999 to 2003, the pants featured jade and white stripes. In 1996, an alternate front-facing "angry duck mask" logo is added on the shoulders.[204]
In 1995, as part of the NHL's third jersey program, the Mighty Ducks wore alternate "Wild Wing" jerseys, featuring the current mascot breaking out of a sheet of ice amid a jade base and purple trim. The primary logo appears on both shoulders. Even though the Mighty Ducks won two of three games with this uniform, it was immediately retired.[204]
From 1997 to 1999, the Mighty Ducks wore two alternate jerseys. The road alternate has a jade base with purple, jade and silver stripes along the chest and sleeves, and the home alternate has a white base with jade, purple and silver stripes along the chest and sleeves. During this period, the Mighty Ducks switched to black pants and helmets, but in 1999, returned to wearing purple pants and helmets while retiring the road alternate jerseys.[204]
In 2003, the Mighty Ducks released a black alternate jersey with purple and silver trim. This design features the full team name written in a classic script style, and the interlocking "MD" on both shoulders.[204]
After rebranding as the Anaheim Ducks, the uniforms became black and white with metallic gold and orange stripes. The crest featured the full team name in front. This set was worn until the 2013–14 season, with a few adjustments afterReebok moved to the Edge template in 2007.[204]
In 2010, the Ducks unveiled a black alternate jersey, featuring the "webbed D" as the main crest and thick orange stripes. The original Mighty Ducks logo, this time recolored to the current scheme and placed inside a white oval with the full team name, was placed on the shoulders.[204]
For their Stadium Series game on January 25, 2014, the Ducks created a special jersey. This jersey is primarily orange with black lettering and numbers. The chromed Ducks logo, designed for the Stadium Series, is on the chest. There are gold, black and white stripes on the sleeves as well as black trim around the bottom and sleeves. The jersey has old fashion black lace on the neck and also has a unique "OC" logo on the left shoulder to represent Orange County where the Ducks are from.[205]
In 2014, the "webbed D" alternate became the primary jersey, and a corresponding white jersey was also unveiled. The letters, previously with a gold accent, now featured orange accents. This set was later tweaked in 2017 afterAdidas became the NHL's uniform provider.[204]
In 2015, an orange third jersey was unveiled, with the modified Mighty Ducks crest in front. The "webbed D" was moved to the shoulders. This set was used until 2017, and was brought back in a modern Adidas template starting in 2019.[204]
The Ducks announced for their 25th anniversary season of 2018–19 the adoption of a new third jersey, featuring the original Mighty Ducks logo, striping pattern, and purple and jade colors. While it had the elements of the original jersey, it kept the modern-day aspects of the Ducks identity such as the "webbed D" on the shoulders, black base and current lettering.[206]
For the 2020–21 season, Adidas released a special alternate uniform called the "Reverse Retro" series, which were alternate color versions ofthrowback uniform designs. The Ducks' version was a white rendition of their 1995–96 Wild Wing alternates.[207] A second "Reverse Retro" uniform was unveiled in the 2022–23 season, this time with the 1993–2006 white uniform recolored to the current orange, black and gold colors.[208]
The Ducks unveiled a 30th-anniversary alternate uniform for the 2023–24 season. The design brought back the purple and jade look the team originally sported from 1993 to 2006, and debuted a new version of the "Wild Wing" mask logo inside a jade circle with the "Anaheim Ducks" name and current logo.[209]
On June 24, the Ducks fully unveiled their new logo and their newFanatics-produced jerseys. The home jersey is fully orange with black, gold, and white striping on the bottom and sleeves of the jersey, while the away jersey is white with orange shoulders and the same colored stripes as the home jersey. Both jerseys feature a revised version of the Duck foot logo of 2006–2024 on the shoulders.[210]
The team's colors were eggplant and jade until the change of ownership in 2006. At this point, they became orange, black and gold, with white in place of black for the away jersey. The only exception is the alternate jersey, which is mostly orange. Orange, which has become one of the team's primary colors, is in reference toOrange County, where Anaheim is located.[203]
The original Mighty Ducks logo featured an old-styleJacques Plante-inspiredgoaltender mask, shaped to form the appearance of a duck bill. Behind the mask are two intersecting hockey sticks, a black hockey puck, and a triangle; the color of the triangle alternated between green and gray.
Upon renaming, the Ducks' logo changed into a webbed foot forming a "D". The text itself is gold (which sometimes may appear as bronze as well) with orange and black accents (forming athree-dimensional appearance). The entire logo is in turn outlined by silver. This is shortened from a prior wordmark logo that spelled out the word "Ducks" in all capital letters.[68]
The current logo of the Ducks is similar to that used in 1993–2006. The refreshed current version has orange hockey sticks which are flat and more curved than that of the original. The triangle is gold, along with the shading under the mask. Other new additions include an orange eye and gold shading above the mask’s eye hole. The sticks of the logo still retains the "W" tape, and when shown together shows WW as a nod to the mascot Wild Wing. A revised duck foot, dropping the orange stripe, grey and white outlines is featured as a secondary logo on the shoulders.[211]
The official mascot for the team is ananthropomorphizedduck by the name of Wild Wing. He has been the team's mascot since its inaugural season. He wears a Ducks jersey with the number 93 on the back, referring to the year the Ducks became an NHL team.[212]
He regularly descends from the rafters of the arena when making his in-game entrances.[213] In one such descent the rigging that lowered Wild Wing from the rafters malfunctioned leaving the mascot trapped fifty feet above the ice for several minutes. Another well known blunder occurred in October 1995 when Wild Wing, attempting to jump through a "wall of fire", accidentally tripped causing the mascot to land on the fire and set his costume ablaze.[214]
His physical appearance is similar to the duck mask in the original Mighty Ducks logo. A bronze statue of Wild Wing was located outside the south doors of Honda Center from 1993 to 2012,[215] until construction began on the 'Grand Terrace' addition to the arena. When construction was completed and the Grand Terrace opened, the statue was noticeably absent. The statue was later returned from storage in 2017 and sits at the southeast entrance of the arena.[216]
The mascot was the inspiration for the character Wildwing Flashblade in Disney'sMighty Ducks cartoon series.[217]
The Mighty Ducks also used a secondary "mascot", a person (with no particular costume) called the Iceman, during the team's first game in 1993. The Iceman appeared occasionally in the stands, played an electric guitar, and attempted to liven up the crowd. However, the Iceman was poorly received by fans and was quickly eliminated after the Ducks lost to the Red Wings in their inaugural game, 7–2.[218][219]
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Ducks. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of Anaheim Ducks seasons.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2020–21 | 56 | 17 | 30 | 9 | 43 | 126 | 179 | 8th, West | Did not qualify |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 31 | 37 | 14 | 76 | 232 | 271 | 7th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 23 | 47 | 12 | 58 | 209 | 338 | 8th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 27 | 50 | 5 | 59 | 204 | 295 | 7th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2024–25 | 82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 80 | 221 | 263 | 6th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
Updated November 17, 2025[220][221]
Reference:[222]
The Anaheim Ducks currently have three retired numbers:Teemu Selanne's no. 8, which was retired on January 11, 2015,[223]Paul Kariya's no. 9, retired on October 21, 2018, andScott Niedermayer's no. 27 on February 17, 2019.[224]
The NHL retiredWayne Gretzky's No. 99 for all its member teams at the2000 NHL All-Star Game.[225]
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Teemu Selanne | RW | 1996–2001 2005–2014 | January 11, 2015 |
| 9 | Paul Kariya | LW | 1994–2003 | October 21, 2018 |
| 27 | Scott Niedermayer | D | 2005–2010 | February 17, 2019 |
The Anaheim Ducks hold an affiliation with a number of inductees to theHockey Hall of Fame, including seven inductees from the players category. Of those seven,Paul Kariya andTeemu Selanne earned their credentials primarily with the Ducks.
Jari Kurri was the first player to be inducted in to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.[227] He spent only oneseason with the team, scoring 13 goals and providing 22 assists.Adam Oates only played one season with team in2002–03, registering nine goals and 36 assists. Oates was inducted in 2012.[228]Scott Niedermayer, inducted in 2013,[229] spent five seasons with the team, winning the Stanley Cup with the team in 2007, and serving as team captain until his retirement in 2010 (with the exception of the 2008–09 season). Niedermayer provided 60 goals and 204 assists with the team.[230]Sergei Fedorov andChris Pronger were inducted in 2015.[231] Pronger played three seasons with the team and won the Stanley Cup in 2007, providing 36 goals and 114 assists.[232][231] He also served as team captain for the 2008–09 season while Niedermayer sat out for most of the season. In 2017, both Kariya and Selanne were inducted into the Hall of Fame.[233] Kariya was drafted by the Ducks and spent nine seasons with team. He spent seven seasons as captain. Kariya scored 300 goals and provided 369 assists while with the Ducks.[234] Selanne started with the team in 1996 via a trade and returned to the team in 2005 winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2007. Selanne registered 457 goals and 531 assists along with 34 goals and 35 assists in the playoffs.[235] Selanne also holds the NHL record among Finnish players with points and goals.[236]
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history.[237] Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
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These are the top-ten playoff point-scorers in franchise playoff history.[238] Figures are updated after each completed NHL season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
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Past announcers includeMatt McConnell,Charlie Simmer (who was the radio analyst alongside McConnell from 1993 to 1996),[242][243] Brian Hamilton (who was the radio play-by-play announcer from1996 to1999),[244]Pat Conacher (who was the radio analyst from1996–97),[245]Darren Eliot (who was the radio analyst alongside Hamilton from1996 to1999),Mike Greenlay (who was the radio analyst from1999 to2001),Brent Severyn[246] (who became the radio analyst beginning in2005), and Chris Madsen (who was the television play-by-play announcer from1993 to2002).[247]
All games are streamed onVictory+.[248] Most games are also aired on television byFox Television Stations' ownedKCOP-TV orKTTV.[248] Radio broadcasts are hosted on Ducks Stream, an online radio station available viaTuneIn.[249]
Disney planned to start an ESPN West regional sports network for the 1998–99 season, which would also carryAnaheim Angels baseball games, but the plan was abandoned.[250] Until the2024–25 NHL season, television broadcasts were onBally Sports SoCal orBally Sports West, as well as KCOP.[251]
A modernized number typography includes shading elements of orange, black, gold and white.
On June 22, 2006, the Samuelis renamed the franchise the Anaheim Ducks and unveiled a new duck-foot logo and a color scheme of black, orange and metallic gold designed to "create an overall image that expressed excitement, speed and a competitive edge," according to the Ducks website.
Media related toAnaheim Ducks at Wikimedia Commons
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