This “Week” in Ducks History:
May 28, 1953
GM Pierre Gauthier born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
May 28, 1955
Head Coach Ron Wilson born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada
May 18, 1960
C Jari Kurri born in Helsinki, Finland
May 20, 1965
LW Stu Grimson born in Kamloomps, British Columbia, Canada
May 12, 1967
LW Warren Rychel born in Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada
May 19, 1968
C Mark Janssens born in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
May 15, 1970
RW Jim Cummins born in Dearborn, Michigan, USA
May 20, 1970
D Jason York born in Nepean, Ontario, Canada
May 18, 1973
D Darren Van Impe born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
May 28, 1973
D Todd Simpson born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
May 15, 1974
D Chris O’Sullivan born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, USA
May 22, 1974
LW Andrei Nazarov born in Chelyabinsk, USSR (Russia)
May 29, 1975
D Nikolai Tsulygin born in Ufa, USSR (Russia)
May 18, 1976
D Oleg Tevrdovsky born in Donetsk, USSR (Ukraine)
May 27, 1976
RW Richard Park born in Seoul, South Korea
May 16, 1977
G Jean-Sebastien Giguere born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
May 31, 1977
RW Petr Tenkrat born in Kladno, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic)
May 23, 1983
G Curtis McElhinney born in London, Ontario, Canada
May 15, 1984
G Jeff Deslauriers born in St-Jean-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
May 16, 1985
RW Corey Perry born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
May 28, 1986
C Petteri Wirtanen born in Hyvinkää, Finland
May 18, 1993
Named Kevin Gilmore director of hockey operations.
May 15, 1995
Announced an agreement with Baltimore of the American Hockey League as Anaheim’s primary developmental affiliate. Pierre Gauthier named general manager of Baltimore and Walt Kyle is named head coach.
May 20, 1997
Announced that Head Coach Ron Wilson’s contract was not being renewed. Also announced that Assistant Coach Tim Army’s contract was not being renewed.
May 28, 1998
Announced that Walt Kyle and Don Hay have been relieved of their duties as assistant coaches and have been offered different positions in the organization.
May 17, 2000
Announced that Head Coach Craig Hartsburg agreed to a two-year contract extension.
May 23, 2000
Acquired a fourth round draft pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft from the New York Islanders in exchange for the rights to RW Trent Hunter.
May 25, 2000
Acquired a fourth round draft pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for the rights to C Espen Knutsen.
June 1, 2000
Acquired a fourth round draft pick in 2000 NHL Entry Draft from the Washington Capitals in exchange for defenseman D Stephen Peat.
May 25, 2001
Named Bryan Murray head coach.
May 22, 2002
Named Mike Babcock head coach.
May 12, 2003
Ducks take a 2-0 series lead in the WCF over Minnesota with a 2-0 win, become the first team to win the opening two games of three playoff series in a single year. (NHL Vault)
May 14, 2003
Jacques Lemaire becomes first person to coach and play in 100 playoff games, but his Minnesota Wild fall to a 3-0 series deficit by a score of 4-0. (NHL Vault)
May 16, 2003
Mighty Ducks qualify for their first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history with a 2-1 win to sweep Minnesota. Andrew Brunette scored the Wild’s only goal of the series in this game, ending Jiggy’s shutout streak at 217:54, the third longest in Stanley Cup Playoff History at the time.
May 27, 2003
Ducks lose their first ever Stanley Cup Final game 3-0 in New Jersey. Jeff Friesen scores twice for New Jersey, not helping his image among Ducks fans. Grant Marshall had the other goal.
May 29, 2003
New Jersey beats the Ducks 3-0 again to take a 2-0 series lead. Patrick Elias, Jeff Friesen and Scott Gomez score for the Devils, and naturally Martin Brodeur records his second straight shutout.
May 31, 2003
The first ever Stanley Cup Final win in Mighty Ducks history. (NHL Vault) Marc Chouinard opened the scoring, Elias tied it then as the announcers were talking about how terrible Jiggy is at playing the puck Sandis Ozolinsh dumps a puck in, Brodeur goes to play it, drops his stick and the puck deflects off of it back through Marty’s legs and into the net.
HILARIOUS! Gomez tied it at two midway through the third and Ruslan Salei (RIP) scored one of the most historic goals in Ducks history, winning the game 6:59 into overtime.
May 25, 2004
Announced extension with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on their affiliation agreement with the American Hockey League club.
May 16, 2005
Announced the end of affiliation agreement with Cincinnati of the AHL.
May 23, 2005
Announced five-year affiliation agreement with the Portland Pirates of the AHL.
May 19-21, 2006
Eight days after sweeping the Colorado Avalanche, the Ducks took on Edmonton in the franchise’s second Western Conference Final appearance. It did not go well. The Oilers, led by Chris Pronger and that game delaying bastard Dwayne Roloson in goal, won the first two games both by a score of 3-1 in Anaheim
May 23, 2006
Edmonton opened the Game 3 scoring in the first period, but all Hell broke loose in the third. The Oilers scored three goals in 2:21 at the beginning of the period to go up 4-0, but the Ducks would come back to make it 4-3 thanks to goals by Sean O’Donnell, Teemu Selanne and Chris Kunitz. Unfortunately, Fernando Pisani gave Edmonton the insurance marker they needed. Todd Marchant scored with just under two minutes remaining but the Ducks came up short and trailed 3-0 in the series.
May 25, 2006
The Ducks save some dignity, winning Game 4 in Edmonton by a decisive 6-3 score with goals from Dustin Penner (2) Ryan Getzlaf, Ruslan Salei and Joffrey Lupul (2).
May 27, 2006
The Oilers inevitably eliminated the Ducks in Game 5 by a score of 2-1. Francois Beauchemin opened the scoring, but Ethan Moreau and Raffi Torres scored for Edmonton to send them on to the Stanley Cup Final. It’s ok though, we got our revenge on Edmonton that summer thanks in large part to Lauren Pronger.
May 13, 2007
Game 2 of the 2007 WCF versus Detroit. Scott Niedermayer scored the overtime winner (video below), but how ‘bout that checking line of Rob Niedermayer (1G, 2A), Samuel Pahlsson (2A) and Travis Moen (game tying goal), eh?
May 15, 2007
Ugly, ugly, ugly loss 5-0 in Game 3 of the WCF, but most importantly Chris Pronger elbowed Tomas Holmstrom, earning Rob Niedermayer a five minute boarding major, a game misconduct (later rescinded) and Pronger a one game suspension.
May 17, 2007
Without Pronger the Ducks rallied to beat Detroit 5-3 in Game 4. They got out to a 3-1 lead in the first period with goals by Corey Perry, Ric Jackman (in for Pronger) and Teemu. Detroit tied it in the second, but goals from Ryan Getzlaf and Rob Niedermayer (empty net) evened the series at two, heading back to The Joe for Pronger’s return.
May 20, 2007
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This game all but clinched the Ducks’ Stanley Cup Championship. It’s a travesty that I procrastinated so much that it has to be lumped in with three weeks of other history. The Ducks were SEVERELY outplayed for the ENTIRE game, but Jiggy stood on his head to save 33 of 34 shots (Andreas Lilja with the only Detroit goal) before Scott Niedermayer threw a puck at the net, that deflected off Nick Lidstrom, past Dominik Hasek with 48 seconds remaining in regulation. The names of the players in that sentence alone (except Lilja) should tell you what a CLASSIC series this was.
Two minutes after killing a Travis Moen hooking penalty, Teemu Selanne scored the most important goal in Ducks history. We’ll talk about the only one that can even claim to be close next week.
I will contend, o my dying day that this goal won the Ducks the Stanley Cup. Deep in my heart, I know that if Detroit had won Game 5 they would have finished the series just like the Ducks did in Game 6 and neither Buffalo nor Ottawa could have stopped the Western Conference Champion, whether it was us or Detroit.
May 22, 2007
The Ducks dispatched of Detroit with a 4-3 win. It was not as close as the score line indicates. The Ducks led 3-0 at the end of the second. A goal from Henrik Zetterberg and two from Pavel Datsyuk in the third period made it respectable, but the Ducks’ killer instinct, and an insurance goal by Sammy Pahlsson, prevailed as they were on to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history.
May 28, 2007
Game 1, 2007 Stanley Cup Final, Ducks defeat Senators 3-2. Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash sang the national anthem (horribly). Governator Arnold Schartzeneger dropped the ceremonial first puck, much to the pleasure of Brad May, as we learned in one of the best mic’d up segments of all time (couldn’t find it on Youtube, check the Stanley Cup DVD, you won’t be disappointed). Both of Ottawa’s goals came on the power play. Mike Fisher (pre-Underwood) opened the scoring 1:38 into the first. Andy McDonald tied it midway through the first. Wade Redden regained the lead early in the second for the Sens, but Ryan Getzlaf tied it at two early in the third and Travis Moen scored the game winner with just under three minutes remaining in the game.
May 30, 2007
Game 2, 2007 Stanley Cup Final, Sammy Pahlsson scores the only goal of the game to give the Ducks a 2-0 series lead. I mentioned above that there are only two goals in Ducks history that can compete to be the best, but this one is VERY HIGH on the second tier list. Flying down the wing, shot between the legs of Joe Corvo through Ray Emery with 5:45 left in a scoreless Stanley Cup Final game. Forgetting everything else that he did in those playoffs, that goal alone must have earned Sammy some Conn Smythe votes, and I’m coming around to Jeff Marek’s position that Sammy should have won the Conn. There were A LOT of other candidates though (Scotty, Jiggy, Andy Mac, Teemu, etc.), it never would have happened in a million years.
May 21, 2008
Announce an affilation agreement with the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL. As part of the agreement, the Anaheim Ducks will send prospects to Bakersfield beginning with the 2008-09 ECHL regular season.
May 12, 2009
Ducks force Game 7 in Detroit with a 2-1 win. Getzlaf and Perry scored in the second, Johan Franzen brought the Wings within one on the PP at the end of the third and Jonas Hiller, juuuuuuust got his shoulder on a Datsyuk shot as the horn sounded, then tempers flared. Fights broke out all over the ice famously including Scott Niedermayer throwing Datsyuk to the ice and dropping the gloves with the four-time Lady Byng winner.
May 14, 2009
I consider the Ducks’ 2009 Game 7 loss to Detroit the second most heartbreaking game I’ve ever watched, trailing only Game 7 of the 2003 Final. But at least we had 60 minutes to cope with the fact the Ducks would lose to New Jersey, it was quite anti-climactic. This game was not.
The Ducks played like absolute garbage in the first. Early on, with the game still scoreless they had a 5-on-3 for a minute and ten seconds, Zetterberg and Niqulas Kronwall in the box, and did NOTHING. I specifically remember also in the first period, a faceoff in which a Detroit player was thrown from the circle and his replacement started to cheat in on the dot, but instead of giving the delay of game penalty that the rules dictate, the second Wing got a talking to and they dropped the puck. Can you tell I’m still bitter about this game, four years later?
Anyway, Jiri Hudler gave Detroit the lead on the PP late in the first. Darren Helm extended the lead early on in the second. The teams traded goals in the last six minutes of the second, Teemu, Mikael Samuelsson and Perry scoring to make it 3-2 after two. Overtime unofficially started when Bobby Ryan scored seven minutes into the third. And Getzy couldn’t tie up Dan F***ING Cleary in front of the net and the Newfie drove a dagger into the Ducks’ season with exactly three minutes remaining in regulation.
Recently, we’ve had a lot of talk about the end of the Detroit/Ducks rivalry, considering their playoff series this year and pending move to the East. For my money this 2009 series was the best example of that rivalry. The first three series, being sweeps, were too lopsided, even though most of the games were incredibly close. 2007 was right up there in terms of quality of play and naturally it was nice that the Ducks got the result. But I think ’09 tops it because the animosity of ’07 was still fresh and it showed (see the end of Game 6) the quality of both teams was incredible and it culminated in an unbelievable Game 7.
May 20, 2010
Named Aaron Teats Vice President of Multi-Media & Community Development.
May 21, 2010
Named Mark Holick Head Coach of the Syracuse Crunch (AHL).
May 28, 2010
Acquired a sixth-round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft from Pittsburgh in exchange for the rights to G Mattias Modig.
Congratulations if you made it all the way to the end of this post, I promise to keep up with history for the rest of the summer so we don’t have CRAZY long posts like this again.