Anaheim Ducks 25th Anniversary: Best players to wear numbers 24-21
It’s hard to believe that the Anaheim Ducks have been in business for 25 years. Since their inception in 1993, the team had its struggles, but Anaheim has also been to the top of the summit. Pucks of a Feather celebrates the Silver Anniversary along with Ducks Nation.
The Anaheim Ducks celebrate a milestone this season, their 25th anniversary season. The past 24 seasons have brought us 1 Stanley Cup Championship, 2 Western Conference Titles and countless great players and moments. I have grown up with this team, (literally, I am 26) and before we drop the puck on the 25th season, Pucks of a Feather looks back at some memorable Ducks. Today I have the honor of bringing the best Ducks to wear #24, 23, 22, and 21. You’ll see a common trend of big-time playoff performers in this segment.
#24 Ruslan Salei
At number 24 is one of the best defensemen to ever grace the Ducks blue-line. Ruslan Salei was drafted 9th overall by the Ducks in 1996 and imposed his will from the second he stepped on the ice in Anaheim.
Salei played 9 full seasons with the team and compiled 105 points in that almost 600 game span. He was a key member of the Ducks run to Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals and scored perhaps the biggest goal of his career in overtime of Game 3 against Martin Brodeur.
Salei would go on to a few more NHL stops including Florida, Colorado, and Detroit. To start the 2011 season Salei signed with Lokomotiv of the KHL. Tragically that September Salei, along with the rest of his teammates were in a plane crash that claimed the lives of everyone on board.
Salei’s family still lives in Orange County and they are involved with the Ducks in numerous capacities. He was a good player and well liked by the community at large. Currently, Salei ranks 10th in points among all defenseman in Ducks history which is a testament to a great player he was and the impact he had. Ruslan Salei is always in our hearts as true Duck fans.
#23 Francois Beauchemin
Beauch had three separate tours for the Ducks totaling to 10 total years in SoCal. His most recognizable stint was of 2005-2008 where he is often forgotten but was a member of the Anaheim Ducks Stanley Cup title team. Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger rightly get all the headlines. After the Hall-of-Famers, Francois Beauchemin was easily the third defenseman. His physical play and booming shot were key for the Ducks.
He would return from 2010-2016 and then for 2017-2018 before he called it a career at the end of this last season. Unfortunately for #23, the NHL is a speed game now and I don’t think you’ll find anyone that would call Beauchemin fleet of foot. This fact, as well as Beauchemin’s stellar play from young players, such as Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm, drastically decreased his role.
His overall influence can’t be overlooked. He had a hand in teaching the young defensemen and allowing them to get their feet wet in this league. Beauch was the steadying force that allowed the young guys to have the space they needed to be at their most dangerous.
This season we may fully see the fruits of that labor. If the Ducks turn the keys over to Fowler and Lindholm, Beauchemin’s presence will be felt for years to come.
#22 Todd Marchant
Another member of the Ducks 2007 Stanley Cup team. Marchant came to the Ducks in 2006 after playing in the league for 10 years. Most of that time came with Edmonton Oilers before a mid-season trade sent him to Anaheim. Marchant played six seasons for the Ducks playing a vital role in the bottom six and on the penalty kill.
He scored 112 points with the Ducks during those six seasons and played for them until he announced his retirement following the 2011 season. Marchant was never the “light up the score-sheet” type of player but he knew his role and played it to perfection. He was a steady force and presence for the young guys and balanced out the bottom six up front. Marchant is someone that Ducks fans could easily forget down the line but this would be an error.
His mark was never shown on the scoresheet but rather in the intangibles. It was in the chemistry, and the leadership he provided. This was a guy who knew what it took to win and how to get the most out of the young guys on the roster. A great locker room guy as well as a great hockey mind as he still works for the Anaheim Ducks as the Director of Player Development.
#21 Sean O’Donnell
The final member of my countdown is also the third member of the Anaheim Ducks championship team of 2007. O’Donnell only played 3 seasons with the Ducks and he had already been a 14 year NHL veteran before he found his way to Katella Ave.
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O’Donnell was never a huge offensive threat he compiled 29 points in 182 games with the Ducks, but like Marchant, he played his role beautifully. He was a hard hitting stay at home defenseman that quietly did his job while the likes of Niedermayer and Pronger made the big plays and grabbed the headlines. During the Ducks run to the Cup he was +8 for the entire playoffs as well as playing north of 20 minutes a game.
He was a key part to that D core and drove the identity of the Ducks as a hard-nosed and physical team. Not flashy or immediately noticeable but night in and night out you know what O’Donnell was going to give you. This was a guy you wanted to go to battle with because when the chips were down he was the defenseman Anaheim could rely on.
O’Donnell won’t have his number retired but he was vital to that Cup run and what the Ducks needed at the time to fill out the top four defensemen. Without a doubt an unsung hero of the 2007 team.
Check out some of our past editions of best jersey numbers