Pucks of a Feather
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Anaheim Ducks 25th Anniversary: Thank You, Scott Niedermayer

By Ciara Durant

ANAHEIM, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Former Anaheim Duck, Scott Niedermayer watches his jersey rise to the rafters with his family during the jersey retirement ceremony prior to the game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Boston Bruins on February 17, 2019 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Foster Snell/NHLI via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Former Anaheim Duck, Scott Niedermayer watches his jersey rise to the rafters with his family during the jersey retirement ceremony prior to the game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Boston Bruins on February 17, 2019 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Foster Snell/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Anaheim Ducks
EDMONTON, AB – MARCH 26: Scott Niedermayer #27 of the Anaheim Ducks carries the puck behind his own net at Rexall Place on March 26, 2010 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Scott Niedermayer Dynasty Begins

After completely missing the playoff’s the season before, the Anaheim Ducks came back swinging in 2005. With Teemu Selanne‘s return to the Pond and Scott Niedermayer leading the charge, this team was, once again, a dangerous and lethal weapon on the ice.

The Ducks also decided to move on from Mike Babcock and hired Randy Carlyle in his stead. Although Carlyle’s most recent stint with the Anaheim Ducks earned him a lot of criticism from Ducks fans, he had a big hand in returning the Ducks to their winning ways during his first stint with the club.

At the age of 32, Niedermayer should have been well past his prime. However, he showed no signs of slowing down. He was third in points on the team, with 63 (13g, 50a), and under his leadership, the Ducks made their way back to the playoffs.

Fighting their way through the Conference Quarter-Finals, the Ducks defeated the Calgary Flames in Game 7. The path to the Stanley Cup was paved through Colorado, and Anaheim flew through that series without a hitch, sweeping the Avalanche in the Conference Semi-Finals.

However, their journey to the Stanley Cup ended abruptly after losing in the Conference Final, 4-1, to the Edmonton Oilers. Nevertheless, although their playoff journey ended prematurely, one truth was blatantly obvious. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were contenders once again, in large part to the phenomenal leadership skills of their Captain, Scott Niedermayer.

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