Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks brought Disney-backed showmanship and championship hockey to Orange County, playing at Honda Center in front of one of Southern California's most loyal sports fan bases. Born from a Hollywood movie franchise before growing into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, the Ducks built an identity around physical, hard-checking hockey and deep playoff pedigree in the 2000s and 2010s. Anaheim's championship run made it the first of California's three NHL clubs to hoist the Cup, cementing the sport's growth on the West Coast. The Ducks remain a proud fixture of SoCal sports culture.

Founded in 1993 as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, an expansion franchise backed by the Walt Disney Company, the team dropped 'Mighty' from its name in 2006. Anaheim reached its first Stanley Cup Final in 2003 before winning its first championship in 2007, defeating the Ottawa Senators behind Conn Smythe winner Scott Niedermayer and goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The Ducks were consistent playoff contenders through the 2010s under captain Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Anaheim remains the first California-based franchise to win a Stanley Cup.