Anaheim Ducks Top 5 All-Time Americans
In their relatively brief history, the Anaheim Ducks have managed to feature some of the best American-born players of the last three decades. Although they all hail from the same nation, these players all made their respective marks on the franchise in their own unique ways. Let’s take a look.
5. Ryan Kesler
One of the splashiest trade acquisitions in franchise history, Kesler’s arrival provided the franchise with the elusive second line center it had been seeking to lighten the load on captain Ryan Getzlaf’s shoulders. The Livonia, Michigan native’s impact was immediately felt in his first season with the club, as he registered 20 goals and 47 points and was a key contributor in a memorable run to the Western Conference Final.
In the following two campaigns, the irreverent pivot would go on to finish second and third in Selke voting, respectively, forming one of the very best shutdown lines in the league centering Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim would once again reach the Conference Final in 2017, after which hip ailments unfortunately curtailed his career. Although his Ducks’ tenure was not lengthy, it coincided with one of the most successful stretches in franchise history.
4. Guy Hebert
The original Duck. After a successful collegiate career and a brief stint in the St. Louis Blues’ system, Hebert became the first official member of the franchise as the then-Mighty Ducks’ made him their top pick in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft. The Troy, New York native provided steady goaltending as the nascent club tried to find its footing in the early years, garnering Vezina votes along the way. Despite playing in a much less successful Ducks’ era, Hebert still sits second all-time in franchise shutouts.
Hebert would lead the Mighty Ducks to their first ever playoff series win, posting a shutout at home in a Game 7 series clincher against the Phoenix Coyotes. Anaheim would go on to suffer a sweep at the hands of the dominant Detroit Red Wings in the following round, but pushed them to overtime in three of the four games, with a memorable triple OT Game 2 in Detroit. Hebert cemented his Ducks’ legacy during that run, posting an outstanding .929 save percentage. Oh, and he had one of the sharper goalie masks in club history as well.
3. Bobby Ryan
The second-overall pick in the 2005 NHL draft, Ryan put his stamp stamp on franchise history thanks to an elite set of hands and a lethal shot. In his first full season as a Duck at 21-years old, he tallied a monstrous 31 goals and 57 points in only 64 games played, quickly establishing himself as a premier offensive threat from the wing.
To boot, the Ducks dominated the shot clock with him on the ice that year, to the tune of an impressive 57.3 percent shot attempt share. Ryan finished second in Calder voting, far out-pacing the rest of the rookie skaters in that class. The Cherry Hill, New Jersey native would go on to amass three consecutive thirty-plus goal seasons, with some of the most memorable highlights in franchise history. In only 6 seasons with the club, Ryan managed to climb up to seventh all-time in team scoring.
2. John Gibson
Still only 26, it feels like Gibson has almost seen it all in his relatively brief career, having already led Anaheim to a Conference Final finish in 2017 and leading the franchise in all-time save percentage. He backstopped Team USA to World Junior gold in both the U-18 and U-20 versions of the tournament, and was immediately thrown into the NHL playoff fire at only 20 years of age with just 3 NHL regular season games to his name.
Since then, all Gibson has done is become one of the best goaltenders in the entire league, if not one of the best ever. In the last decade, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native finished second only behind the great Henrik Lundqvist in terms of goals-saved above expected, which is even more impressive considering his career began in 2013 and that his early seasons were marred with injury troubles. Those health concerns are now well in the past, as he has posted 50-plus starts in each of his last three campaigns. He may top this list when it’s all said and done.
1. Cam Fowler
Before even mentioning his NHL accomplishments, it should be noted that Fowler was a World Junior champion with Team USA at both the U-18 and U-20 levels. The 12th overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft, Fowler cracked the lineup at only 18 years of age, posting 40 points in 76 games as a teenage defenseman.
Thanks to one of the most artful skating strides in recent memory, Fowler has been a mainstay on the Anaheim blueline for the last decade despite never having a consistent defense partner. With that elite ability to carry the puck up ice, the 28-year old is the highest scoring American in franchise history with 301 points. He showed no signs of slowing down in a rebuilding 2019-20 season, and should remain a key cog on the back-end for years to come.