Ducks Staying In Anaheim Through 2048

The Ducks are staying in Anaheim. According to the Associated Press, Anaheim City Council has approved a new deal that will extend their current agreement with the team through 2048, with five more five-year options thereafter. The Honda Center that the Ducks play out of is owned by the city, and will now have long-term security with their biggest tenant.

It’s great news for the team even as they struggle through this season, dealing with injuries to almost all of their key players once again. The Ducks are 8-9-5 as they go into action tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, and sit fifth in the Pacific Division. While they are technically just five points out of first, the team has struggled to create offense all season and currently have the second worst goal differential in the league.

All is not lost though, and there will certainly be better times to come before this new agreement expires. The team is waiting for the next wave of talent to come, and players like Sam Steel, Max Comtois, Isac Lundestrom and Josh Mahura have already shown they can handle at least spot duty at the NHL level. All four of those players are still under the age of 21, and should mature and develop together as the old guard leave.

Since their inaugural season in 1993-94, the Ducks have reached the playoffs in 14 of 24 seasons including two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals. They took home the ultimate prize in 2007, and have missed the postseason tournament just twice since. That’s an incredible run of success for any franchise, and the news today just solidifies their place as one of the secure organizations in the league.