For most sports fans, the dream is a deep postseason run. But for a specific subset of Anaheim Ducks supporters, the sudden arrival of “bonus hockey” has created a very modern, very first-world problem: it is suddenly impossible to plan a vacation.
“It was a lot easier to plan your vacations,” Kozo Shimano remarked on Friday before Game 3 of the Ducks’ second-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Shimano, a long-time fixture at the Honda Center, wasn’t complaining. Rather, he was savoring the irony of a success that had been nearly a decade in the making.
His friend and suitemate, Ed LeBeau, shared the sentiment with a laugh. For years, the rhythm of the season was predictable—a grueling 82-game stretch that usually ended in a quiet spring. “It used to be 44 games and go play golf,” LeBeau said. “Now it’s 44 games and bonus hockey. I’ll take this.”
The atmosphere at the Honda Center on Friday was a mixture of disbelief and vindication. This run—the team’s first postseason appearance since 2018—was not widely predicted. While some optimistic observers pointed to a new coaching regime and a surge of young talent as signs of a turnaround, few imagined a first-round victory and a competitive second-round series would be on the table this season. What was intended as a transitional year, a stepping stone toward a brighter future, has instead accelerated that timeline, bringing the window of contention wide open much sooner than expected.
The ‘Gluttons for Punishment’
For the fans who weathered the lean years, the current success feels less like a surprise and more like a reward for stubbornness. The drought since 2018 was not merely a lack of trophies; it was a period where the team rarely even flirted with a playoff spot. Yet, for some, the struggle was part of the bond.
Irene and Ross Amador of Irvine are the embodiment of that persistence. For Irene, the connection to the team is generational; her family held tickets for the Mighty Ducks’ inaugural season in the 1990s. Despite the team’s struggles over the last several seasons, she remained a season ticket holder, a decision she describes with a self-aware smile.
“I’ve always been a glutton for punishment,” Irene Amador said. “But when you love a team… My thing is supporting a team and staying with them.”
That loyalty is a common thread among the crowd. Linda and Robert Pagan, who make the regular trek from Torrance to Anaheim, have occupied the same seats—Section 414, Row B—for years. When asked if they ever considered walking away from a franchise that hadn’t delivered in so long, Robert Pagan’s answer was immediate.
“Never,” he said. “We were here when they won the Stanley Cup in 2007 and in all the good years that followed. We weren’t going anywhere. This organization is full of classy people. And now they’re looking really good again.”
The Psychology of the Drought
The emotional weight of the current run is best understood by those who remember the heights of the early 2000s. Kozo Shimano has been with the franchise since the beginning, witnessing the first playoff series, the first time the team advanced, the 2003 trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and the ultimate triumph of the 2007 championship. For a long time, the postseason wasn’t a miracle—it was the expectation.
When the decline began, the experience shifted from celebration to a test of endurance. “Those bleak years, it was sad,” Shimano said. “You know they’re trying and they can’t win as many games as they used to.”
For fans like Ed LeBeau, who lives just seven minutes from the arena in Santa Ana’s Floral Park neighborhood, the draw wasn’t always the win-loss column. Sometimes, the allure was simply the possibility of witnessing a singular moment of brilliance—even if it came from a visiting superstar on an opposing team. It was a battle against “FOMO,” the fear of missing out on the one game that might change the narrative.
The current resurgence is being fueled by a blend of youth and leadership. As Linda Pagan noted, the roster is “so young and so talented,” creating a sense of optimism that extends beyond a single series. The “bonus hockey” isn’t just about the games currently being played; it’s the evidence that the rebuilding process has actually worked.
Ducks Postseason Evolution: A Timeline of Patience
| Era/Year | Status | Fan Experience |
|---|---|---|
| 1993–2002 | The Ascent | Inaugural excitement and first playoff breakthroughs. |
| 2003–2007 | The Golden Era | Stanley Cup Final (2003) and Championship (2007). |
| 2018 | The Last Hurrah | The final playoff appearance before a multi-year drought. |
| 2019–2025 | The Rebuild | A period of “bleak years” and rebuilding the core. |
| 2026 | The Return | Surprise second-round run against Vegas Golden Knights. |
A Return to the Ritual
The energy surrounding the Honda Center has returned to a fever pitch, characterized by the small, chaotic details of hockey culture. On Friday, fans arrived in full regalia—some wearing duck noses, others posing with stuffed Wild Wing mascots in the corridors. The sound of the Bear Brass band performing for the incoming crowds added a celebratory layer to the tension of a second-round series.
For Shimano, there is also a practical victory in the run. As a holder of an all-event suite, the playoffs are included at no extra cost—a benefit he admits he hadn’t been able to utilize for a very long time.
The series against the Vegas Golden Knights remains the immediate focus, but for the fans in Section 414 and the suites, the result of any single game is secondary to the fact that they are here at all. The “punishment” of the last several years has ended, replaced by the inconvenient, wonderful chaos of a team that refuses to go home.
The Ducks and Golden Knights continue their second-round battle, with the next game scheduled to determine if Anaheim’s “bonus hockey” extends further into May. Official updates and ticket availability can be monitored via the Anaheim Ducks official website.
Do you think the Ducks have the depth to make a deep run this year? Share your thoughts in the comments or share this story with a fellow long-suffering fan.
