ANAHEIM, California, 27 February 2005 — Technology entrepreneur Henry Samueli and his wife, Susan, have reached an agreement to buy the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim National Hockey League team from the Walt Disney Company, Samueli said Friday.
“We are absolutely delighted that we were able to reach this important agreement with The Walt Disney Company,” said Samueli, who co-founded the Broadcom Corporation and serves as chairman and chief technical officer of the Irvine, California, company that produces broadband communications semiconductor chips. Apparently unfazed by the fact that the NHL is in the midst of a labor dispute that saw the 2004-05 season canceled, Samueli was enthusiastic about the future of the team.
“I believe in doing things right, and we fully intend to bring together the top talent and resources, both on and off the ice, to ensure that the Mighty Ducks team remains among the best managed, admired and most successful professional hockey franchises in North America,” he said.
The sale must still be approved by the NHL’s board of governors. Samueli’s company already operates the Arrowhead Pond, the Mighty Ducks’ home arena.
The Samuelis said their connection with Pond made the acquisition of the Mighty Ducks a natural progression.
“Since Susan and I also own the management company that operates the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, the Mighty Ducks’ home ice, acquiring the team was a natural next step, one that we are convinced will benefit both entities, especially the fans in Orange County,” Samueli said. Inspired by the Disney movie of the same name, the Mighty Ducks entered the league in 1993 and set an NHL record for most road wins in an inaugural season with 19.
They made their first postseason appearance in 1997 and reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2003, taking the eventual champion New Jersey Devils to a deciding seventh game.
“Our primary goal in creating the Mighty Ducks was to make another major professional sports franchise a large part of the spirit and fabric of the city of Anaheim and Orange County,” Disney CEO Michael Eisner said.
“We are all proud of the team’s accomplishments, including its Western Conference championship and its berth in the Stanley Cup finals in the 2002-03 season.
“We are confident that Henry and Susan Samueli will bring continued success to the Ducks and we will remain among the biggest fans of the team going forward.”
