Pucks of a Feather
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Anaheim Ducks 25th Anniversary: Best player to wear jersey numbers 35-44

By Ed Stein

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Jean-Sebastien Giguere #35 of the Anaheim Ducks watches the fight from net after getting his helmut knocked off during the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on November 27, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Jean-Sebastien Giguere #35 of the Anaheim Ducks watches the fight from net after getting his helmut knocked off during the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on November 27, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Anaheim Ducks
(Anaheim, CA) (1/11/03) (left) Petr Sykora (39) of the Ducks tries to control the puck as Blue Jackets’ goalie Mark Denis (30) (right) makes the stop in the third period. (Photo by Robert Lachman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) /

39 – Petr Sykora (2003-2006)

Petr Sykora was part of the return Anaheim received in the 2002 trade that sent Oleg Tverdovsky to New Jersey. During his two and a half season, 197 game tenure in Anaheim he was a premier sniper recording 131 points (64g, 67a).

The Czech scoring machine was a key member of the 2003 Mighty Ducks team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals. He wreaked havoc on opposing goalies that season, scoring 34 goals, with 15 coming on the power play.

Sykora may be best remembered for scoring the winning goal in the fifth overtime of Game 1 in the 2003 Western Conference semifinals against Dallas. He ended “the game that would not end.”

The Ducks and Sykora never had the same relationship after the 2005 NHL lockout. It cost the team an additional fourth-round draft choice to send him packing to Broadway in exchange for Maxim Kondratiev. The latter played four NHL games in Anaheim before returning to Russia.

Honorable Mention 2, Travis Green. He wore #39 in Anaheim from February 1998 through the end of the 1999 season, a total of 91 games. Green scored 46 points (18g, 28a) in that time. Ironically, his biggest contribution to the organization was as part of the 1999 package, the Mighty Ducks sent to Pheonix for Tverdovsky.

Honorable Mention 1, Matt Beleskey. This one was close to a toss-up for the honor of being the Ducks best #39. Beleskey scored only 112 points with the organization, but scoring wasn’t his forte’. He was a complementary power forward that opened the ice up for his teammates.

37 – Nick Ritchie (2016-Present)

Pucks of a Feather has intensely scrutinized Nick Ritchie for the past several months. You can read about his pros and cons. Like it or not, Ritchie is the best #37 the Ducks have ever had.

The former 10th overall draft pick of 2014, Ritchie is a veteran of 186 NHL games. The 6’2” power forward has scored 59 points in that span (26g, 33a) while being a career +3 player.

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