Anaheim Ducks: Hercules Award— John Gibson

When a team needs a hero, there are always players that rise up to the occasion. Despite the state of the Anaheim Ducks this past season, there were still a few players who carried the team on their backs at one point or another.

Every team has its heroes, and some are more obvious than the others. The Anaheim Ducks needed leadership this season, and for a while, they waited for players to step up. While the players we all wanted to step up may not have in the most conventional way, there were still several players who stepped up in incredible ways.

Hercules Award— Honorable Mentions

Jakob Silfverberg (9% of the vote): Jakob Silfverberg led the Anaheim Ducks in goals scored this season. While his point totals alone don’t necessarily qualify him for the “Hercules Award” it was his aptitude to use his platform as the leading goal scorer to rise up and lead.

He did not hold an official leadership role this season, but he was an example to the rest of his team. Most nights, he was one of the only forwards on the Ducks roster who was not in the headspace that losing was okay. His unwillingness to accept that fate helped the Ducks win or gain an advantage in games they really had no right doing so. His performance this season also earned him a shiny new contract.

Ryan Getzlaf (14% of the vote): Ryan Getzlaf has received a lot of criticism over the past few years as the Anaheim Ducks captain. While some of that animosity may be justified, it was certainly not easy for him to carry the dead weight of his team all season.

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Despite the state of the rest of his team, there were several moments when Getzlaf stood his ground and came out onto the ice with the attitude of, “if no one else wants to win this game, I’ll do it myself.” That, of course, didn’t always work, but it was nice to see that side of him again. He still led his team in points and, as always, led by example.

He was not only one of their better players of the season, but he raised up, encouraged, and opened up doors for several of the rookies this season.

Adam Henrique (19% of the vote): Adam Henrique was the only player on the Anaheim Ducks roster this year to play all 82 games. He has shown a resilience to injury since he was traded to the Ducks last season. His ability to steer clear of the injury bug has also given him the chance to step up in the absence of other leaders. Henrique’s role as a rotating alternate captain has not only given him the chance to lead his team but at times, carry them when no one else would.

Hercules Award— John Gibson (58% of the vote)

John Gibson was clearly the hero of the 2018-19 season, and there is really no debating that fact. If the Anaheim Ducks had only an average goaltender in their net, their season would have likely been worse than it already was. The phrase, “we couldn’t have won that game without John Gibson!” was frequently at the forefront of all of our minds.

While his save percentage of .917% doesn’t exactly do his performance justice, he stood on his head for his team this year. Night after night, he was bombarded by the opposing team, often facing 50+ shots a game.

He had absolutely no help from the rest of his team, leaving him vulnerable most of the season. For most of the year, he led all starting goaltenders in Shots Against, Saves, and GAA (goals against average.) Without him, the Anaheim Ducks would have completely drowned.

Standing on his head all season didn’t come without consequences, however. Nevertheless, after he came back from his injury, he went right back to carrying the Anaheim Ducks, helping them end the season on a good note.

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