Anaheim Ducks

Lore & Background

The Ducks were founded as an expansion team for the 1993–94 season by the Walt Disney Company, and were known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, a name based on the 1992 film The Mighty Ducks. In 2005, Disney sold the franchise to the Samuelis, who, along with then-general manager Brian Burke, changed the name of the team to the Anaheim Ducks before the 2006–07 season. The Ducks have won six Pacific Division championships, and have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final twice, losing to the New Jersey Devils in 2003, and winning the Stanley Cup in 2007 over the Ottawa Senators, becoming the first of the three California-based teams to win the Stanley Cup. The Ducks have produced two Conn Smythe Trophy winners as the most valuable player of the playoffs – Jean-Sebastian Giguere in 2003 and Scott Niedermayer in 2007.

In Their Own Story

The arena hummed with tension as the clock wound down on a playoff overtime. Stars' defenders checked hard at the blue line, trying to slow the Ducks' forecheck. A loose puck skittered toward the corner, where two veterans collided, sticks clacking together. The crowd roared as the puck was cleared, but the fatigue was visible in every stride across the ice.

Reader's Guide

The Ducks play at Honda Center. Their AHL affiliate is the San Diego Gulls and their ECHL affiliate is the Tulsa Oilers.

Did You Know?

• The Ducks were originally named the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim after the 1992 Disney film The Mighty Ducks.
• The Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007, becoming the first California-based team to do so.
• Jean-Sebastian Giguere won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003 despite being on the losing team in the Stanley Cup Final.