ANAHEIM DUCKS
The sport of ice hockey came to Anaheim, California following the success of a popular Disney movie in 1992, The Mighty Ducks. The company decided to invest in a franchise and they continued the legacy of the film through a new hockey team, known as The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. With a memorable logo the team took the NHL by storm in 1993, and quickly became the league’s most popular team, selling countless merchandise and cashing in on the favorite movie.
But on the ice the team had a lot of work to do. In the expansion draft, the Mighty Ducks chose solid players like Guy Hebert, Alexei Kasatonov, Steven King, and Paul Kariya. While their first year was a struggle, they did manage to have great attendance by new fans, many of whom previously had to drive a great distance (in LA traffic!) to attend Los Angeles Kings games.
Throughout the 90s, the Mighty Ducks slowly improved. They acquired a star player in Teemu Selanne, which alongside Kariya kept the offensive work churning. In 1997 the Mighty Ducks reached the NHL postseason for the first time. They managed to win an exciting opening round Series against the Phoenix Coyotes, but fell in the following round. The team remained fairly competitive for the next few years, occasionally reaching the playoffs but never reaching a Stanley Cup winning level.
That would change in the mid 2000s. In the 2003 NHL Playoffs Steve Rucchin became a hero, finishing a sweep of the defending titleholders the Detroit Red Wings with an overtime goal in game 4 of the opening round. Momentum built and the Mighty Ducks would reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time! Led by the tremendous goalkeeper Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the team was hopeful, though they would lose in a thrilling 7-game Series to the New Jersey Devils.
Following that season Paul Kariya departed the team and they suffered a tough stretch. The team was sold to Henry Samueli and took on a new name, simply the Anaheim Ducks. New players like Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry would help invigorate the side though.
The crowning moment of this new side would come in 2007. The Ducks were able to build a strong defensive unit with the addition of Samuel Pahlsson and Travis Moen, which helped limit goal scoring chances by their opponents. They would win the Pacific Division title, and would go on to win the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals, beating the Ottawa Senators in 5 games.
While that period of success could not be sustained, Anaheim has been a very strong side as of lately, winning the Pacific Division in both 2013 and 2014. The key members of the side now include Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Jonas Hiller. While they have suffered some painful defeats in recent NHL Playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks have found a winning formula and have become regular contenders for the Stanley Cup. This is certainly an impressive feat for a relatively young team that has produced fantastic hockey performances in the city of Anaheim.
Visiting our Anaheim Ducks autographed sports memorabilia section often is best if you are looking for that next valuable Anaheim Ducks collectible to add to your collection. We have even more autographed Anaheim Ducks memorabilia in stock then what is on our website, so if you can’t find that collectible that you really want on our site, please contact us at cs@aaasportsmemorabilia.com to see if we have it in stock.
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