Just Ducky

March 1, 1993.

That was the day NHL beat writers questioned the sanity of the announcement: the Mighty Ducks are coming to Anaheim. Even with the Mickey Mouse empire behind them, as one headline attested, "NHL expansion on hold till next goofy rich guy."

Fast forward to playoffs 2003. With only two playoff seasons to their name (1997, 1999), the Ducks looked ever so mighty, mowing through Detroit, Dallas, and Minnesota before forcing the New Jersey Devils to a game seven in the Stanley Cup final. Mike Babcock had just taken over head coaching duties for the season. The team finished as the seventh seed in the Western Conference. G Jean-Sebastien Giguere tied a league record for most consecutive shutouts (3) and earned himself the Conn Smythe Trophy, even though the Devils won the Cup. 

Mike Babcock addresses the Ducks in December 2006

As November neared a close in 2006, the Ducks had their best start ever and sat first overall. They out shot their opponents by roughly 15 shots, averaging the third highest in the league. The Ducks defense had the most points by a league defense. The team ranked second in power play percentage and earned a standings point in each of their first 16 games—the longest streak to start a season.

RW Teemu Selanne banked his 500th career goal on November 22, 2006 at Colorado, scored points in nine of ten games, and led his club in points. He also tied a franchise record for both assists and points (5) when he chalked up five assists on November 19, 2006 versus Phoenix (tied D Dmitri Mironov—12/12/97 versus Washington).

Captain Scott Niedermayer ranked fourth on the points scale for defensemen and was second on the club and sixth overall in the league for ice time. He was also the fan favorite in the All Star vote, leading the Western Conference balloting—well over 18,000 votes ahead of Detroit D Nicklas Lidstrom. Ducks D Chris Pronger was third in the ballot, first for points for defensemen, second in the league's plus/minus, and fourth in overall league assists.

Meanwhile, Giguere topped the league in wins and was tied for first in shutouts, while RW Dustin Penner was second in rookie scoring.

Then came the 2007 playoffs.

After winning the Pacific Division title, the Ducks eliminated Minnesota, Vancouver, and Detroit before heading to the Stanley Cup final to face the Ottawa, and beat the Senators in five games.

Yes, the team has struggled to make the playoffs since then, but the Ducks have certainly had the last laugh over the 1993 headlines. It's not a stretch to think that another future headline might read "Stanley Cup contender."

Anaheim Duck star comes back to Calgary to support team

It’s not often something like this happens. In fact, in the Western Hockey League, it may be the first time – where a current NHL player comes back to partner with his junior hockey team to give back to the community.

Anaheim Ducks’ star forward Ryan Getzlaf came to Calgary August 25, 2008 to announce his partnership with the Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club, which by the way, is owned by the Calgary Flames.

The new venture is called Getzlaf’s Gang, and what it does is bring kids to a junior hockey game who may never otherwise get to go. Getzlaf will select the kids himself and each will receive a Getzlaf Gang t-shirt and autographed eight by ten picture of the Ducks’ number 15. Kids Up Front, with the support of Telus, will invite kids from low income families, immigrant families, and also those with mental and physical challenges.

“I never went to a lot of games when I was young,” says Getzlaf. “It’s a way to promote hockey and let kids come to the games to see what it’s about and hopefully inspire some of them to play.”

Getzlaf played with the Hitmen for four seasons from 2001-02 to 2004-05, scoring 215 points in 233 regular season games.

“This is an organization and community that helped me so much. When I have all that I have, it’s a way to give back. I wouldn’t be here today without this city or this team.”

He also states that junior hockey doesn’t get as much recognition as it deserves and could use the help. The Hitmen already notice the increase in interest in the team as a result.

“You can do all the donating and stuff you want,” adds Getzlaf, “but until you get on that personal level where the kids maybe get to meet you, that’s where the kids really benefit from it.”

Given all the accolades and hype that media and hockey insiders are giving this young star, one might ask, is the Getzlaf Gang also a way to keep himself grounded? “You could say that. It’s definitely a way to kind of relate back to what things used to be like and how hard it is to get to where I am. There were a lot of people along the way that pushed me along and helped me, whether I thought so at the time or not.

“(On the hype) I don’t listen. Hockey’s a funny sport because when you’re on top, everyone’s on top with you. And I’ve gone through the tough times, too, where people are down on you for certain things. My main focus is to play hockey for the Anaheim Ducks and try and win another championship.”

After already experiencing a Stanley Cup under his belt, the summer was much longer than he would have liked, but Getzlaf has high hopes for the upcoming season. “We’re going into a pretty good year and have a great group of guys. We filled a few holes that we were missing last year.”