New Name Coming for Mighty Ducks

As originally reported by the Web site SportsLogos.Net on Wednesday, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim confirmed on Thursday that they will be known as the Anaheim Ducks following the completion of the current NHL season.

Nearly two thirds of fans surveyed said they supported the switch.

The unconventional name, placing the team nickname first followed by “of Anaheim,” was chosen by Disney chairman Michael Eisner when the team entered the league in 1993. The team was named after the Disney childrens’ movie “The Mighty Ducks.”

At the time, the choice was ridiculed by hockey purists, including original Ducks’ head coach Ron Wilson, who asked, “How can they do this in the National Hockey League?”

The change came after months of research by a public relations firm.

“While there was support for keeping the current name, the majority of those surveyed, nearly two thirds, supported some sort of name change,” David Paine, CEO of PainePR, said in a release. “At the same time, the research found strong support generally for preserving the history of the team in some way.”

“In selecting the name the Anaheim Ducks,” said Ducks owner Henry Samueli, “we are respecting the heritage of a tremendous organization that has been a very important and visible part of the community, not to mention Western Conference champions and a Stanley Cup finalist.”

Two-time Mighty Duck Teemu Selanne was happy with the name change.

“It’s really good that the new owners are going to keep the same Ducks name. People know the Ducks are from Anaheim. The Ducks were part of the original name. Maybe the ‘Mighty’ was more about the Disney side of it.

“Anaheim Ducks feels great.”

The team’s logos and uniforms are also expected to change.

“The process is still very much underway and we do not expect to be ready to make any further announcements until the end of the season,” Samueli stated.