Five of the Anaheim Ducks Biggest Team Rivalries

In every sport, there are always big rivalries. The NHL is no different, and over their 25-year history, the Anaheim Ducks have certainly made a few enemies.

Enemy, foe, rival, opposition, opponent, competition; these are all adjectives that can be used to describe how we see certain teams in this league. English lessons aside let’s dive into the 5 of the Anaheim Ducks Most Hated Opponents.

5. The Detroit Red Wings

Now before you roast me just hear me out. The Red Wings used to be a major rival for the then-Mighty Ducks and the current Anaheim Ducks. They were often a thorn in our side, especially come playoff time. Against the Ducks, the Red Wings have an all-time record of 52-24-7-4. It’s pretty easy to develop a strong dislike for a team who has historically gotten the better of you.

Then again, looking back at the 90’s Red Wings teams, they were definitely stacked. We first faced them in the 1997 Western Conference Quarter Finals where they swept us in 4 games. We faced them again in the 1999 postseason and we once again were swept.

Since both the 2003 and 2007 series, we’ve seen them in 2009 where the Ducks lost to them in 7 games and then again in the 2013 playoffs where the Red Wings once again beat the Ducks in the dreaded Game 7.

Fortunately, they didn’t always get the drop on us. In 2003, we faced them once again in the WCQF. This time around the Mighty Ducks swept the Red Wings and, in the process, became the first team in 50 years to sweep the defending Stanley Cup champions. Four years later, we faced them in the Western Conference Finals and the Ducks would beat them in 6 games and then go on to win the Stanley Cup. The reason why they aren’t higher on this list is that they moved to the Atlantic division in 2013 and because of that we only see them twice a year instead of three.