Looking Through Henry Samueli’s Ownership Of the Anaheim Ducks
Henry Samueli has had plenty of time to prove himself as the owner of the Anaheim Ducks. How has he done during his 14-year tenure in Orange County?
For the past fourteen years, Henry Samueli has owned the Anaheim Ducks. Most fans across the country know the team from their Mighty Ducks days when Michael Eisner owned them, and they played with their Wild Wing jerseys that caught the eye of a whole generation of kids.
However, since then, most people haven’t batted an eye at the current owner, or what his accomplishments have been. So, we’ll pick up the task and take a look at what the history of the man behind the Anaheim Ducks is.
Henry’s Story
At one point in the history of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the “Anaheim” part was looking less and less secure by the day. Originally owned by Disney and Michael Eisner, the owners were looking to cut their losses and finally part ways with the team. During the 2004-2005 lockout, Former Hartford Whalers and Pittsburgh Penguins owner Howard Baldwin had made an offer to Disney to buy the team. He made his intentions clear, he would move the Ducks to Kansas City, Missouri, and he’d have them play in the brand new Sprint Center. However, his offer was incredibly cheap, and Disney is not the kind of company to get cheated out of money.
Eventually, the owner of the then Anaheim Arena Management LLC (the corporation that oversaw the Arrowhead Pond’s daily operations) decided to make a bid for the team that played in the building that he worked hard to keep running. That man was Henry Samueli. His offer met Disney’s standards, and he even threw the cherry on top of the cake when he promised to keep the team in Anaheim. With that, Henry was the new owner of the Anaheim Ducks.
Samueli’s Big First Year
His first year of ownership was arguably the most important, and the Mighty Ducks first had to hop through filling positions. Henry’s first move as owner was to hire GM Brian Burke. He was a well-traveled GM, serving as the GM for the Hartford Whalers and then the Vancouver Canucks for seven years.
Then, he moved the former GM in Bob Murray up to the Senior Vice President Of Hockey Operations position. Finally, Burke and Samueli hired a new coach for the Ducks, former long-time IHL head coach Randy Carlyle. His only NHL experience was his two years as the assistant coach for the Washington Capitals.
Two notable additions to the team during Henry’s early months were free-agent Scott Niedermayer and the second overall pick in Bobby Ryan. Although Bobby Ryan would eventually leave for Ottawa, Scott Niedermayer would become a staple name for the Ducks.
Brand New Identities And Rings
After the 2005-2006 season that saw the Ducks finish 3rd in the Pacific and fall short of the Stanley Cup Final in five games, Henry and his wife Susan decided to change-up the Mighty Ducks in what is still a highly contested shift. The “Mighty” was no longer, and the colors went from eggplant and jade to a sleek orange and gold. Along with the name and color change, the Ducks also changed up their defense by adding a highly touted defenseman in Chris Pronger.
The opposition to the changes ceased for a little while, as the Ducks went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2007. It was the first Cup to ever go to a California team, and it was only Henry’s second season as owner. He threw a massive parade for the Ducks that ended outside of the Honda Center, where the team, the ownership, and then California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave their speeches.
Closing Out the Decade
Thanks to his General Manager, Bob Murray, Henry’s Anaheim Ducks saw success for the last of the 2000s, making the playoffs in both 2008 and 2009. Unfortunately, the team would only manage a first-round exit against the Dallas Stars in 2008, and a grueling second-round loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. Still, they were carving out a better name for themselves than they had during their Disney days, in which there were multiple seasons they did not see the playoffs.
The 2010s And Furthering Team Success
The 2010s would start out rough for the Samueli’s and their team, as they would miss the playoffs after a disappointing fourth-place finish. The Ducks also traded away a legend in goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, to the Colorado Avalanche, which would serve as the start of Jonas Hiller’s great Anaheim career.
Over the rest of the 2010s, the Anaheim Ducks would qualify for the playoffs in every season except for three (2009-2010, 2011-2012, and 2018-2019) under the leadership of Randy Carlyle and Bruce Boudreau. They would also win five-straight Pacific Division titles between the 2012-13 and 2016-17 seasons. In 2015, they were only one win away from their third Stanley Cup Finals appearance as a franchise, only to be eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7. Nevertheless, it was their highest point during the decade.
The Numbers And Statistics
Before Henry and his wife, Susan Samueli, purchased the franchise, the Mighty Ducks had a record of 338-400-107-25. Since they bought the team in 2005, they’ve gone on to have a record of 606-371-137, and they even recorded their best record in franchise history with a 54-20-8 record in 2013-2014. Despite their playoff woes and Game 7 demons, the Anaheim Ducks have been only one or two games short of the Finals twice, while Michael Eisner’s Mighty Ducks only made it past round two once in 2003.
The Ducks had an era of pure California dominance ranking up there with the 1971-1975 Oakland A’s (five straight AL West pennants), the 2013-2018 Los Angeles Dodgers (six straight NL West pennants), and the 2014-2019 Golden State Warriors (five straight Pacific Division championships.) In total, they’ve claimed six Pacific Division titles with Henry Samueli at the helm, compared to the zero titles that Eisner and Disney won.
Even looking at their three years missing the playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks did not dip under 80 points, and they have maintained decent placement in the Western Conference. Eisner’s ownership saw eight whole seasons without even making the playoffs through his eleven seasons in charge. Twice they found themselves at the bottom of the Pacific, and even once at the bottom of the Western Conference (2000-2001).
Drafting A New Generation
In drafting, Eisner’s GMs drafted thirty-nine players that played at least one game with the Ducks out of 101 players drafted. Henry’s GMs in Brian Burke and Bob Murray have drafted forty players that have played at least one game for the Ducks out of 105 players drafted. It looks more even than it actually is, however, as Henry’s GMs have drafted more players that have played more games with Anaheim. The two GMs under Samueli have drafted incredible talents like John Gibson, Cam Fowler, Rickard Rakell, Maxime Comtois, Max Jones, and etc.
Bringing Home the Medals
The last area to look at for Samueli is the awards his teams have brought home compared to Eisner’s teams. Overall, Samueli has been in charge of the Ducks for nine trophies/awards to his team and/or players (Including a Stanley Cup and a Clarence S. Campbell Bowl), while Disney was in charge for five (the main award being the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl.) Samueli had four NHL All-Rookie Team players, while Disney only had one.
Fifteen Mighty Ducks players were NHL All-Stars, while twenty Anaheim Ducks have been NHL All-Stars (including head coach Randy Carlye in 2008.) The only area that Disney has Henry beat is in the NHL First and Second Team All-Stars, in which Disney has five players to Samueli’s four. So, with that exception, Henry Samueli has Michael Eisner beat in every category except one.
Quiet Face In A Big Pond
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Aside from a nasty suspension from the NHL in 2008, Henry Samueli has been a quiet name in California sports that has produced a huge set of numbers. He’s propelled his team into the California sports history books with five-straight Pacific Division titles, he brought California its first Stanley Cup, and his management team has created one of the finest prospect pools in the NHL. Alongside that, the Samuelis have created school programs to go back into the Orange County community, and have been charitable to CHOC, the Children’s Hospital in OC.
Despite the past two seasons being less than positive, Henry and his wife Susan have run the Anaheim Ducks with plenty of passion and love, even giving three Anaheim Ducks/Mighty Ducks legends their own banners and ceremonies at the Honda Center. Love them or hate them, it’s a hard point to argue that the Samuelis haven’t been great owners for the Anaheim Ducks over the last 14 years.
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