Ducks Notes Leading Into 2017-18 Home Opener

READY TO LAUNCH: The Ducks open their 24th NHL season on Thursday, October 5 against the Arizona Coyotes at Honda Center beginning at 7:05 p.m. PT…the Ducks enter the 2017-18 regular season having won five consecutive Pacific Division titles, reached the Western Conference Final in two of the last three seasons, qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 10 of the last 12 seasons, and posted four straight seasons with 100-plus points…Anaheim is the seventh different team in NHL history to win five consecutive division titles, joining the Colorado/Quebec franchise (9 straight from 1995-03), Montreal (8 from 1975-82), Detroit (8 from 2001-09), Edmonton (6 from 1982-87), Dallas (5 from 1997-01) and Vancouver (5 from 2009-13)…the Ducks are also the only team to win the Pacific Division five consecutive years since its creation in 1993-94…Anaheim has eclipsed 100 points in four consecutive seasons, joining the Chicago Blackhawks as the only teams to accomplish the feat.

FOR OPENERS:The Ducks begin the 2017-18 regular season with four straight games at Honda Center, marking their longest season-opening homestand since 1993-94 when they began their inaugural NHL campaign with five consecutive home games…the Ducks have opened the regular season at home on four previous occasions, including Oct. 8, 1993 vs. Detroit (7-2 loss), Oct. 6, 2000 vs. Minnesota (3-1 win), Oct. 6, 2006 vs. Los Angeles (4-3 win) and Oct. 3, 2009 vs. San Jose (4-1 loss)…this month is Anaheim's third October in the last five seasons where the club has played five home games or more (overall home record of 9-0-1).
CENTER OF ATTENTION: Ryan Getzlaf enters his 13th NHL season with Anaheim and his eighth as captain…Getzlaf is the first player in franchise history to lead the team in scoring (15-58=73) for five straight seasons, doing so in 2016-17 with 15-58=73 points in 74 games…Getzlaf is one of three NHL players (Backstrom and Karlsson) and the only Western Conference player to record 50 assists in the each of the last two seasons.
BEHIND THE BENCH:The winningest coach in Ducks history, Randy Carlyle is now in his ninth season as the head coach of the Ducks (2005-2012 seasons & 2016-present)…last season in his return to Anaheim, he led the club to its fifth straight Pacific Division title with a 46-23-13 record, 105 standings points and a .640 winning percentage…Carlyle then led Anaheim to the conference finals for the third time (2006, 2007 & 2017) in his Ducks tenure…he also led the team to their first-ever Stanley Cup Championship in 2007…the Ducks have qualified for the playoffs in six of seven of Carlyle's full season with the team…he owns an all-time record of 410-283-93 record with Anaheim and Toronto (2011-15)…on Mar. 12, 2017 vs. Washington, he became the 36th NHL head coach all-time to reach the 400-win milestone…Carlyle (1,055 games played/786 games coached) and Bob Pulford (1,079 GP/829 GC) are the only two people in NHL history to play 1,000 career NHL games and serve as head coach for 750 career contests.
HOW THE DUCKS WERE BUILT: Anaheim's 2017-18 regular-season roster of 22 includes 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders…the Ducks have five first-round draft picks on the active roster, including Andrew Cogliano (25th overall by EDM in 2005); Cam Fowler (12th overall by ANA in 2010); Ryan Getzlaf (19th overall by ANA in 2003); Corey Perry (28th overall by ANA in 2003); and Nick Ritchie (10th overall by ANA in 2014)...a look at how the roster was built:
Returning players from 2016-17: 21
Kevin Bieksa - D
Jared Boll - RW
Andrew Cogliano - LW
Patrick Eaves - RW (Injured)
Cam Fowler - D
Ryan Getzlaf - C
John Gibson - G
Korbinian Holzer - D
Ondrej Kase - RW
Ryan Kesler - C (Injured)
Hampus Lindholm - D (Injured)
Josh Manson - D
Brandon Montour - D
Corey Perry - RW
Rickard Rakell - C
Nick Ritchie - LW
Logan Shaw - C
Jakob Silfverberg - RW
Sami Vatanen - D (Injured)
Antoine Vermette - C
Chris Wagner - C
Arrived via free agency/trade: 4
Francois Beauchemin - D
Derek Grant - C
Ryan Miller - G (Injured)
Dennis Rasmussen - C
In the system: 1
Jaycob Megna - D
2016-17 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Anaheim Ducks clinched the 2016-17 Pacific Division for the fifth straight season with a 46-23-13 record and 105 points…the Ducks were the seventh different team in NHL history to win five consecutive division titles, joining the Colorado/Quebec franchise (9 straight from 1995-03), Montreal (8 from 1975-82), Detroit (8 from 2001-09), Edmonton (6 from 1982-87), Dallas (5 from 1997-01) and Vancouver (5 from 2009-13)…Anaheim was also the only team to win the Pacific Division five consecutive years since its creation in 1993-94…the Ducks eclipsed 100 points for the fourth consecutive season, joining the Chicago Blackhawks as the only teams to accomplish the feat.