It hasn’t been a season that you’d expect from a team that has one Stanley Cup under its belt. With a shambolic 35-37-10 record and 80 points in the 2024-25 season, the Anaheim Ducks have missed the playoffs for the seventh straight time. And yet, the Western Conference powerhouse still has something to smile about, when many of its peers have, some of whom have even clinched a berth in the postseason.

Back in February, the hockey community was elated to learn that Altitude TV was once again on its way back to the Comcast network. That only meant one thing: teams like the Colorado Avalanche were looking at a massive increase in the viewership numbers. However, most other didn’t follow the same strategy, which ultimately led to a sharp decline in digital audience numbers in the US. Thankfully, though, the Anaheim Ducks had a very different story to tell.

An article by Sports Business Journal’s Austin Karp from April 21 reveals how several NHL franchises in the US saw a drop in game audiences this season. The phenomenon was observed for both RSN (regional sports networks) as well as for over-the-air distributions. Surprisingly, the Anaheim Ducks were one of the teams that reported massive gains in their numbers.

As per the article, the Ducks saw a 75% increase in their game audiences. The hockey team moved from its longtime RSN partners, FanDuel Sports Network SoCal, to a new hybrid model of over-the-air (KCOP) and Victory+, which helped with a significant jump of close to 6,000 homes per game in LA.

The article further notes that the San Jose Sharks, who also missed the playoffs after finishing at the bottom of the Western Conference, were the team that saw the biggest increase in digital audience after the Anaheim Ducks. Moving to NBC Sports Bay Area from a local RSN helped the NHL side witness a 42% increase. Alex Ovechkin’s “Gr8 Chase” also helped the Monumental Sports Network gain from the hype, as the Caps saw a 41% increase in their audiences. The Colorado Avalanche’s smart move to Altitude brought them a 40% boost in digital viewership.

On the other hand, 6x Stanley Cup winners, the Chicago Blackhawks, were the team that saw the biggest decline in their numbers. After leaving NBC Sports Chicago for the new RSN, Chicago Sports Network, the Hawks reported a sharp 78% decline with a loss of approximately 40,000 homes. Quite a blow for any team that’s considered an NHL elite, indeed. The New York Rangers also seemed to suffer from their poor performance. Despite being the best-performing side in the 2023-24 season, the Rangers finished this one with a dismal 39-36-7 record and were ousted from playoff contention. Unsurprisingly, their viewer base also reflected an equally poor show to rally behind the limping team, and New York’s viewership dwindled by 49%.

However, while the Anaheim Ducks might have some silver lining to make their season somewhat salvageable, they also need to address their problems ASAP!

Can the Anaheim Ducks turn things around next season?

The Ducks’ playoff dreams crumbled when they lost to Calgary on April 4. But signs of a possible poor end to their campaign were probably evident as soon as the regular season began. In the first month of the 2024-25 season, Anaheim posted a disappointing 5-8-2 record, and red flags were raised. Things didn’t get any better as the team continued to struggle to find the back of the opponents’ nets throughout the season.

An average of 2.69 goals per game put them in 27th spot in the NHL, tied with the Hawks. If these weren’t enough, the Anaheim Ducks’ leading scorer, Troy Terry, only managed to bag 52 points in 70 games. Thankfully, Leo Carlsson’s 21 points in 21 games since February helped make things look somewhat better. But the latest blow came just days ago.

The Anaheim Ducks’ head coach, Greg Cronin, was fired on April 19, just after two seasons as the franchise’s boss. “Today was a very tough day for this to happen,” the general manager said in an official statement, while also noting that Croni helped the team in many ways by “laying a solid foundation for all our young players and even our veterans, which has been very important“.

However, as they say: Onward and upward! The only way now is forward. How do you think the team can build on the foundation that is being left behind by the former coach? Tell us!