On October 8th, in one of the most anticipated games of the season, the Anaheim Ducks are set to face off against the Detroit Red Wings. It has been 25 years since these teams met for the first time at the Pond. It was the Anaheim Ducks played their inaugural game. There seems to be no better way to celebrate this momentous occasion than with a highly anticipated rematch.
On October 8th, 1993, the Anaheim Ducks skated onto the ice at Arrowhead Pond for the first game in franchise history. Back then, they were a team that was still unsure of themselves; they did not yet have a strong foundation to plant their freshly sharpened skates on. Although they skated through without getting shut out, the Detroit Red Wings gave the Mighty Ducks a run for their money.
The Ducks saw a lot of firsts during their inaugural game. They, of course, saw their first game, their first goal, their first fight, a crippling defeat, and out of this game their first rivalry was born.
Now, here we are 25 years, one Stanley Cup, two Conference championships, six Pacific Division titles, and one rebranding later. Although their rivalries have somewhat shifted over the years, it seems only fitting that the Ducks want to celebrate 25 years with a rematch against the Red Wings.
There is a lot the Ducks have this go around that they didn’t have back in 1993. However, although their first game ended with an embarrassing defeat, the Ducks broke the record, along with the Florida Panthers, for most wins by an expansion team in their inaugural year. As a tribute to 25 years of Anaheim Ducks hockey, let’s take a look at the game that started it all.