The Anaheim hockey franchise entered the National Hockey League in 1993 as the Mighty Ducks. The team dropped the “Mighty” before the 2006-07 season and just became the Ducks. In the team’s 22 years of existence, Anaheim has made the postseason eleven times and hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup once. That is not a bad resume for a relatively young franchise.
Here are the ten best teams to take the ice in the city of Anaheim, California over the past 22 years.
10. 1998-99 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
The Mighty Ducks finished the 1998-1999 regular season with 83 points and a 35-34-13 record. The team finished in the top half of the league in both goals for and goals against. Teemu Selanne led Anaheim in points with 107 and goals with 47. Paul Kariya edged out Selanne for most assists on the team with 62. The Mighty Ducks postseason run was short-lived as they were swept by the Red Wings in the Conference Quarter-Finals.
9. 2010-11 Anaheim Ducks
The 2010-11 Ducks finished the season with 99 points and a 47-30-5 record. The team finished 2nd in the Pacific Division and was ranked 11th in goals-for. Corey Perry lead the team in goals with 50 and points with 98. Ryan Getzlaf led the team in assists with 57. Anaheim’s season came to a halt when they lost in the Conference Quarter-Finals of the playoffs to the Nashville Predators four games to two.
8. 2007-08 Anaheim Ducks
The season after they were crowned Stanley Cup Champions, the Ducks finished in 2nd place of the Pacific Division with 102 points and a 47-27-8 record. The team happened to be one of the worst scoring teams in the league but made up for their scoring woes on the defensive side of the ice. Getzlaf led the squad in points with 82 and assists with 58. Perry once again led the team in goals, this time with 29. Anaheim could not make it out of the Conference Quarter-Finals as they fell to the Dallas Stars four games to two.
7. 1996-97 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
The Mighty Ducks finished the 1996-97 regular season in 2nd place of the Pacific Division. They acquired 85 points with a 36-33-13 record. The team finished in 10th place in the league in goals for and 11th in goals against. Selanne led Anaheim in points with 109, goals with 51, and assists with 58. Kariya also put together an impressive season with a stat-line of 99-44-55. The Mighty Ducks made it out of the first round of the playoffs beating the Coyotes in seven games. Unfortunately their run would end in the second round against Detroit losing four games to none.
6. 2008-09 Anaheim Ducks
Just like three other teams above, the 2008-09 Ducks finished in 2nd place in the Pacific Division. This team managed 91 points with a 42-33-7 record. Anaheim was quite mediocre in both goals for and goals against that season. Getzlaf once again led the Ducks in both points with 91 and assists with 66. Can you guess who led the team in goals? If you guessed Perry, you were correct. Perry scored a team-high 32 goals but Bobby Ryan was right behind him with 31. The Ducks beat the Sharks in the first round of the postseason four games to two. They would not be able to get past the Red Wings in round two however, losing four games to three.
5. 2013-14 Anaheim Ducks
The 2013-14 regular season marked the third time the Ducks finished in first place in the Pacific Division. Their 116 points at the end of the season is the most recorded in franchise history. With a 54-20-8 record, the Ducks were one of the best offensive teams in the NHL finishing with 266 goals. Believe it or not but Mr. Getzlaf led the Ducks in both points and assists again. Perry also kept the trend alive leading the team in goals with 43. Anaheim would win the first round against Dallas Stars but would lose in seven games to the Kings in the second round.
4. 2005-06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
In their last season as the Mighty Ducks, Anaheim finished in 3rd place of the Pacific Division with 98 points and a 43-27-12 record. The team finished in the middle of the pack in scoring but was one of the top ten defensive teams. Selanne led the Mighty Ducks in points with 90, and goals with 40. Andy McDonald led the team in assists with 51. Anaheim made it all the way to the Conference Finals knocking off Calgary in round one, and Colorado in round two. However, the Edmonton Oilers were too much for the Mighty Ducks to handle as they lost the series in five games.
3. 2014-15 Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks had a spectacular 2014-15 regular season finishing at the top of the Pacific Division. Anaheim recorded 109 points with a 51-24-7 record. The team success was powered by its ability to put the puck in net and come back from deficits in games. Getzlaf led the Ducks in both points with 70, and assists with 45. Perry once again led the team in goals with 33. The Ducks swept the Jets in the first round of the playoffs, and beat the Flames rather handedly in five games. Anaheim then took on the eventual champion Blackhawks in a historic seven game series that had eventually saw Chicago moving on to the final.
2. 2002-03 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Under head coach Mike Babcock, the Mighty Ducks finished the 2002-03 regular season with 95 points and a 40-27-9 record. The team’s efforts were good enough to put them in 2nd place of the Pacific Division. Anaheim was not a very dominant squad offensively but did more than make up for it on defense. Kariya led his Mighty Ducks in points with 81 and assists with 56. Petr Sykora scored a team-high 34 goals that season. Babcock coached his team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals taking out Detroit, Dallas, and Minnesota on the way. Unfortunately the team did not have what it took to defeat the Devils in a seven game series, falling four games to three.
1. 2006-2007 Anaheim Ducks
The 2006-07 season marks the first and only time the Anaheim franchise was crowned Stanley Cup champions. The Ducks finished the regular season in first place in the Pacific with 110 points and a 48-20-14 record. The team was dominant both offensively and defensively, finishing in the top ten in both goals for and goals against. The greatest player in Ducks’ history, Selanne, led the team with 94 points and 48 goals. The team’s captain, Scott Niedermayer, led the team in assists with 54. The Ducks were on fire throughout the entire postseason, only letting one series get to six games. Anaheim took on the Ottawa Senators in the finals and beat them in five games. When you are the only team in franchise history to hoist the Stanley Cup, you automatically become the best team in franchise history.
