Ducks Season-Opening Notes for 2020-21

THE 2020-21 SEASON: The Anaheim Ducks open the 2020-21 regular season against the Vegas Golden Knights Thursday, Jan. 14 at T-Mobile Arena (7 p.m. PT, Prime Ticket, AM 830)...with an all-time record of 973-804-278, the Ducks enter 2020-21 just 27 wins shy of 1,000 all-time wins…Thursday will mark 309 days since Anaheim's last game, Mar. 11, 2020 vs. STL at Honda Center…tomorrow's contest also marks 316 days since the Ducks' last road contest, Mar. 4, 2020 @ COL…Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf comes into the new campaign 23 points shy of tying Teemu Selanne (988) for Anaheim's all-time points record and 35 points shy of becoming the first player in Ducks history to record 1,000 points with the franchise.

OPENING NOTES: Thursday night marks the 21st time in franchise history the Ducks will open a season on the road and first at Vegas...Anaheim has won a club record three straight season openers dating to 2017-18, including Oct. 5, 2017 vs. Arizona (5-4), in addition to wins on Oct. 3, 2019 vs. Arizona (2-1) and Oct. 3, 2018 at San Jose (5-2)…Thursday marks the first-ever time the Ducks will open a season with two straight road contests against a single opponent to begin a campaign…the Ducks also begin their season against a Pacific Division opponent for the fourth consecutive season.
CONDENSED SEASON:The 2020-21 NHL season will consist of an intradivision, condensed 56-game schedule concluding May 8…the Ducks will participate in the newly formed West Division this season, which also includes the Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights…it marks the first occasion Anaheim will share a division with both Minnesota and St. Louis…each team in the West Division will play every other team eight times to minimize team travel as much as possible.
PULLING FROM THE PAST:In the last shortened NHL season in 2012-13, the Ducks won the Pacific Division, finishing second in the West and third in the NHL (30-12-6)…the .688 winning percentage overall and on the road (identical) were the best in club history…the Ducks began the season 22-4-4 (48 points), tied for the best start in franchise history (2006-07, 21-3-6, 48 points)…Anaheim also had a franchise record 13 straight home wins from Jan. 26-Mar. 20, 2013.
FOLLOW THE LEADER: Ryan Getzlaf enters the 2020-21 season ranked fourth among NHL leaders with 309 primary assists since 2009-10, fourth in overall assists (459) since 2010-11 and eighth in points (926) since 2006-07…he leads the NHL in all-time OT assists (24) and is fourth all-time in OT points (34)…among active players, Getzlaf ranks eighth in scoring (965) while he leads the 2003 NHL Draft class in all-time points-per game (.92), assists, PPP (324), and ranks second in plus/minus (+130)…he is the all-time franchise leader in assists (691), OT goals (10), EVP (625), PPA (245), plus/minus (+130) and games played (1,053), while ranking second in points (965) and PPP (326)…he is currently in his 16th NHL season and his franchise-leading 11th as Anaheim captain.
CAPTAIN ASSIST:In 2019-20, Ryan Getzlaf led Anaheim in assists for the 13th straight season (2007-present, tied for the longest streak in NHL history…Getzlaf is one of two players in NHL history to do so with a single club (also Anze Kopitar, 2007-present), and one of four players to lead their respective team in assists for 13 seasons…Getzlaf and Kopitar equaled the NHL record set previously by Wayne Gretzky (1979-92) and Joe Thornton (2002-16).
FRESH FACES:
HOW THE DUCKS WERE BUILT:Anaheim's 2020-21 season-opening roster includes 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders.
Returning players from 2019-20 (18):
Nicolas Deslauriers - LW (acquired from Montreal in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft)
Cam Fowler - D (drafted by Anaheim in the first round (12th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft)
Ryan Getzlaf - C (drafted by Anaheim in the first round (19th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft)
John Gibson - G (drafted by Anaheim in the second round (39th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft)
Jani Hakanpaa - D (signed as a free agent, July 3, 2019)
Danton Heinen - RW (acquired from Boston in exchange for Nick Ritchie, Feb. 24, 2020)
Adam Henrique - C (acquired from New Jersey with Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 third-round draft pick in exchange for Sami Vatanen and a conditional draft pick, Nov. 30, 2017)
Jacob Larsson - D (drafted by Anaheim in the first round (27th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft)
Hampus Lindholm - D (drafted by Anaheim in the first round (6th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft)
Isac Lundestrom - C (drafted by Anaheim in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft)
Josh Manson - (drafted by Anaheim in the sixth round (160th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft)
Sonny Milano - LW (acquired from Columbus in exchange for Devin Shore, Feb. 24, 2020).
Ryan Miller - G (originally signd as a free agent, July 1, 2017)
Rickard Rakell - LW (drafted by Anaheim in the first round (30th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft)
Carter Rowney - C (signed as a free agent, July 2, 2018)
Jakob Silfverberg - RW (acquired from Ottawa with Stefan Noesen and a first-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft in exchange for Bobby Ryan, July 5, 2013)
Sam Steel - C (drafted by Anaheim in the first round (30th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft)
Troy Terry - RW (drafted by Anaheim in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft)
Acquired in offseason (2):
Derek Grant - C (signed as a free agent, Oct. 9, 2020)
Kevin Shattenkirk - D (signed as a free agent, Oct. 9, 2020)
TAXI SQUAD:
For the 2020-21 season, the taxi squad can be a minimum of four and a maximum of six players. Players on the Ducks taxi squad will remain separate from the 23-man roster and travel with the team in case an emergency recall as needed.
The Ducks six-man taxi squad includes three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender:
David Backes - C (acquired from Boston with Axel Andersson and a 2020 first-round pick for Ondrej Kase, Feb. 21, 2020)
Max Comtois - LW (drafted by Anaheim in the second round (50th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft)
Vinni Lettieri - RW (signed as a free agent, Oct. 10, 2020)
Kodie Curran - D (signed as a free agent, June 1, 2020)
Andy Welinski - D (signed as a free agent, Oct. 10, 2020)
Anthony Stolarz - G (signed as a free agent, July 3, 2019)
MILESTONES WITHIN REACH:
Nicolas Deslauriers - 24 games to 400 NHL games
Cam Fowler - 21 games to 700 NHL games
Ryan Getzlaf - 9 assists to 700 NHL assists, 23 points to tying Teemu Selanne (988) for Anaheim's all-time points record, 35 points to 1,000 NHL points and 47 appearances to 1,100 NHL games
John Gibson - 13 appearances to 300 NHL games
Derek Grant - 36 games to 300 NHL games and 54 appearances to 200 games as a Duck
Adam Henrique - 8 assists to 200 NHL assists, 14 goals to 200 NHL goals, 22 points to 400 NHL points and 35 games to 700 NHL games
Max Jones - 11 games to 100 NHL games
Hampus Lindholm - 6 points to 200 NHL points
Josh Manson - 3 points to 100 NHL points, 15 games to 400 NHL games
Ryan Miller - 2 wins from tying Dominik Hasek (389) for 14th place on the NHL's all-time wins list for goaltenders and 13 wins to 400 NHL wins
Rickard Rakell - 1 PPG from passing Andy McDonald (28) for eighth on the franchise's all-time PPG list, 17 points to 300 NHL points and 53 games to 500 NHL games
Kevin Shattenkirk - 21 games to 700 NHL games
Jakob Silfverberg - 8 appearances to 500 NHL games, 48 points to 300 NHL points and 56 appearances to 500 games as a Duck
Sam Steel - 13 games to 100 NHL games
Troy Terry - 19 games to 100 NHL games
Head Coach Dallas Eakins - 16 games to 200 NHL games coached
Team - 27 wins to 1,000 all-time wins