Anaheim Ducks Fan Stories: We’ve Been Through A Lot Together

**Editors Note** On behalf of all of us here at Pucks of a Feather, I would like to be the first to introduce all of you to our newest contributor, Jon. A few weeks ago, after I posted an article about Erik Karlsson, Jon was not hesitant to speak his mind. However, even though he may have disagreed with some of the points I made, he did so with kindness and boldness.

I knew at that moment that he would be a great addition to the Pucks of a Feather team! We are so glad to have him on board and look forward to seeing more of his work!

-Ciara Durant

Hi everyone! My name is Jon and I’m the newest contributor to the Pucks of a Feather team. I couldn’t be more excited to get to know more Ducks fans and share my thoughts on the Anaheim Ducks with you all! I wanted to let you guys know a little bit about me, and how I became a Ducks fan.

I started watching hockey in 2002 when I was 10 years old. My immediate family wasn’t overly interested in sports, and while I grew up in Massachusetts for much of my childhood, I never really got big into sports on my own. However, my aunt and uncle, who lived in Maine, had season tickets to the Portland Pirates of the AHL. I would often visit them for school vacations, and when I did, we would go to the Pirates games.

I’d get to meet some of the players, get autographs, and whatnot. At this point, the Pirates were the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals. They also weren’t overly good. They had very few NHL caliber players over the first few years I was watching them (those that were NHL caliber were mostly journeymen like Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich, and Steve Eminger.)

So, while it was a blast to go and watch hockey (I especially got excited about the big hits and fights) and learn about the game, it wasn’t exactly the most dynamic and exciting start to my life as a hockey fan. I continued cheering on the Pirates and being a casual hockey fan, occasionally catching an NHL game when I saw one on TV.

Something Was Different

Then, in 2005-06 the Pirates switched affiliates and became affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks. I remember going to a game and instantly noticing it was entirely different. The atmosphere around the arena was different, and the team itself on the ice was much more skilled.

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The first game I went to under the new affiliation was incredible. Watching guys like Dustin Penner, Bruno St. Jacques, and Shane O’Brien was so much more impressive than the games I had been accustomed to seeing. However, my favorite player, from the first game I saw him play, was Ryan Getzlaf. He was a dominant force on the ice and made everything look easy.

When I found out he was called up to the NHL I followed suit and started watching as many NHL games as I could. Through that, I fell in love with the Ducks over the remainder of the 2005-06 season. Watching the first round playoff series vs the Calgary Flames was beyond exciting. Getting my first real glimpse of Game 7 with a team I had an emotional attachment to was surreal.

The Anaheim Ducks and I Have Been Through It All

Following that season, I was going through a difficult point in my life. My family was moving from the only area I knew as a kid, all the way to Florida. I was leaving behind my best friend and all the friends I had.  I know that it’s not uncommon for a kid to go through, but as a freshman in high-school, it was quite a sad time.

I turned to hockey as a way to deal with having very few friends at my new school. The Anaheim Ducks were my happy place at that time. Watching them throughout that season, from the incredible start to the season, to the emotional end with Teemu Selanne, J.S. Giguere, and company winning the cup, it was what really helped me get out of my funk and back to my normal self.

Together, we went through all of the ups, like winning the Stanely Cup during the first season I followed the NHL daily, to breaking the Game 7 curse against Edmonton in 2016. We also went through downs. Such as the Game 7 curse and the abysmal season that lead to Randy Carlyle being fired.

Since the day I began watching the Ducks, I’ve considered myself a fan. While I may not be the longest tenured Ducks fan out there, I consider myself an extremely devoted one. Through the 13 years that I have been watching the Ducks play, they’ve remained one of the most important things to me. I’ve enjoyed every minute of the ride so far, and I look forward to the ride ahead.

I’m consistently available via Twitter. I and am always happy to talk about the Anaheim Ducks or give my thoughts on things. Feel free to follow me there! Also, feel free to follow Pucks of a Feather on Twitter and Facebook to see our latest content!