NHL · Pacific · Anaheim, California, US · Honda Center
Born from a Disney movie and raised in the Southern California sun, the Ducks proved that hockey could thrive in a land of palm trees and freeways - and that a franchise built on a Hollywood punchline could hoist the Stanley Cup.
Updated March 21, 2026
The Anaheim Ducks have 75 points through 66 games and a 98.2% chance of making the playoffs, a staggering turnaround from last season when they sat at 65 points through the same stretch with a 0.1% postseason probability. This is a franchise that has accelerated its rebuild years ahead of schedule.
Anaheim made a bold deadline move, acquiring veteran defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals for a conditional first-round pick and a third-rounder. Carlson brings postseason pedigree and a right-handed shot to a blue line that needed exactly that kind of stabilizing presence.
Radko Gudas received a five-game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews that ended the Maple Leafs captain's season. The incident overshadowed what has been a breakout year for the Ducks and leaves them short a physical defenseman during a crucial stretch of the schedule.