Vatrano thriving with Ducks heading into 1st NHL All-Star Game

WASHINGTON -- Frank Vatrano signed a three-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks in 2022 because he saw an opportunity with a young, rebuilding team.

The 29-year-old forward never expected it would lead him to playing in the 2024 Honda (U.S.)/Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Feb. 3.

“It’s an honor, something I never thought I would accomplish in my career,” Vatrano said last week. “To be a part of that, I’m excited for that. Guys in that room helped me to get to the point where I’m at right now, so if it wasn’t for those guys in that room, I wouldn’t be in that position I’m in.”

Vatrano earned his way; he was leading the Ducks with 21 goals and 33 points in 46 games this season heading into their home game against the Buffalo Sabres at Honda Center on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+). He is on pace to shatter his NHL career highs of 24 goals, set in 2018-19 with the Florida Panthers, and 41 points, set last season with Anaheim.

Vatrano just wishes it was accompanied by more victories for the Ducks (15-30-1).

“I think individual success is great, but you can, obviously, enjoy it a lot more when teams are winning and whatnot,” he said. “We’ve been in some tight games this year and lost a lot of one-goal games, and there were games I wish I could’ve been a difference-maker and help the team out and win.”

Vatrano has done his part with a team-leading four game-winning goals. He also leads the Ducks with eight power-play goals and 11 power-play points, already topping his previous NHL career highs of five power-play goals and nine power-play points from last season, and has two short-handed goals, matching his NHL best from 2019-20 with the Panthers.

Thriving from the additional ice time that comes with playing in all situations, Vatrano is averaging 18:18 per game, a jump from his NHL career-high average of 16:40 last season.

“It’s been fun seeing him have a great year so far and he certainly deserves the All-Star nod from our group,” linemate Adam Henrique said. “That was a nice surprise for him and group.”

The surprise was delivered by Vatrano’s wife, Rebecca, and their 9-month-old daughter, Ophelia. They were waiting for him in the Ducks locker room following practice Jan. 4 with Ophelia wearing a onesie that read, “My Daddy is an NHL All-Star.”

“That was awesome,” Vatrano said. “I think my wife held the secret for a couple days, so I was surprised. I didn’t know. Honestly, I didn’t expect it at all and to get the news from them makes it extra special.”

Rebecca and Ophelia will be among the group of about 20 friends and family members that will join Vatrano in Toronto. Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, a longtime friend who played with Vatrano with the Ducks last season, said the All-Star Game selection is a just reward for a player who paid his dues with humility.

“He’s a very quiet guy, he puts his head down and goes to work,” Shattenkirk said. “He doesn’t look for recognition. My heart burst when I saw the video of Rebecca and Ophelia there to announce it. Well deserved.”

In his ninth NHL season, Vatrano appreciates the significance of being in the company of the League’s best players at the All-Star Game. The native of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, played alongside a host of future NHL players, including Ducks goalie John Gibson, with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (2010-2013), but went undrafted before signing with the Bruins in 2015 following his sophomore season at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

“Always my goal was to play in the NHL and, as you get older and older, not in this league, just in college, you can see how close you are,” Vatrano said. “Once you get here, I think anyone can play one game, but the hardest thing is to stay. So, for me, it was always just wanting to be an every-day NHLer and there were a lot of humps that I had to overcome to be an everyday guy, but once I got there, I knew I wasn’t going to lose it.”

Vatrano, who has 244 points (144 goals, 100 assists) in 528 NHL regular-season games across nine seasons, played mostly on the third line with the Bruins (2015-2018) and Panthers (2018-2022) before being traded to the New York Rangers before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. He excelled in a bigger role with the Rangers, getting 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 22 regular-season games and 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games during a run to the Eastern Conference Final.

When Vatrano became an unrestricted free agent after that season, he wanted more.

“I was at the point in my career where I was coming off a good playoff run with the Rangers and playing a top-six role at the highest level you can play at in the NHL in the Stanley Cup Playoffs,” he said. “Once you do that and you play in the playoffs and you succeed, you kind of roll with it. I saw the opportunity in Anaheim and, knowing I could play a top-six role there and more minutes, penalty kill, power play, that was my decision to make, and I love it here.”

Vatrano has made the most of the opportunity and, in the process, helped set the standard for the Ducks’ younger players such as Leo Carlsson, 19; Mason McTavish, 20; Pavel Mintyukov, 20; and Trevor Zegras, 22, with his work ethic.

“Ultimately, your best coaches are the players that do things repeatedly well that you can show on video, and he practices hard,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. “Some guys pick and choose when they work. He doesn’t. He works hard all the time. If you can get guys to use him as a role model just in the compete level alone, you’re going to be way ahead of the game.”

NHL.com staff writer Amalie Benjamin contributed to this report