Home Leagues Can Brian Dumoulin break the Ducks’ No. 6 curse?

Can Brian Dumoulin break the Ducks’ No. 6 curse?

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Before Brian Dumoulin, it was Jamie Drysdale. And before him, it was Erik Gudbransson. And before him, it was Simon Despres. And before him… you get the point.

In switching his jersey number from No. 8–off-limits because it hangs in the rafters of Honda Center—to No. 6, Dumoulin becomes the latest blueliner to have the upside-down version of the number nine on the back of his sweater.

Dumoulin is also the 12th defenseman to wear No. 6 for Anaheim. The number has failed to eclipse three seasons as a player’s number of choice before they leave the organization in one way or another.

Apr 5, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Seattle Kraken defenseman Brian Dumoulin (8) moves the puck against <button class=

The first player ever to wear No. 6 for the Ducks in franchise history was Sean Hill, who the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim took in the 1993 expansion draft. Hill spent one calendar year with the Mighty Ducks before being traded to the Ottawa Senators. In his sole season with the Mighty Ducks, Hill had 27 points in 68 games while playing a role on special teams.

The second player in Ducks history to wear No. 6 was Don McSween, who signed with the team during the middle of the 1994-95 season. He had 12 points in 32 games that season and scored two game-winning goals. However, he suffered a severe injury in his left wrist during a fight with Keith Tkachuk in January 1995. That injury effectively ended McSween’s NHL career.

Doug Houda was the third player to wear No. 6 in Ducks history. He was acquired from the New York Islanders in February 1998 along with Travis Green and Tony Tuzzolino in a deal that sent J.J. Daigneault, Mark Janssens and Joe Sacco back the other way. Houda would play in 24 games for the Mighty Ducks before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings that October.

Jan 20, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Bruins assistant coach Doug Houda watches his team skate in warm-ups prior to the game against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Bruins defeated the Stars 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY SportsJan 20, 2015; <button class=

Selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1998 NHL Draft, No. 5 was Vitaly Vishnevski’s primary jersey number of choice during his tenure as a Mighty Duck. But he did wear No. 6 during his rookie season.

Known for his physical play along with bone-crushing hits and hip checks, Vishnevski spent parts of six seasons with the Mighty Ducks––and played in every game of their run to the 2003 Stanley Cup Final––before being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in August 2006.

Jason Marshall would return to the Mighty Ducks during the 2005-06 season via free agency after spending the first six full seasons of his NHL career with them from 1995-2001. In his final season in the NHL, Marshall played in 23 games for the Mighty Ducks, serving as a depth defenseman.

Nathan McIver and Kurtis Foster took the mantle next on the run of No. 6 defensemen, but neither stuck around for very long. McIver played 18 games during the 2008-09 season and Foster appeared in just nine games during the 2011-12 season before being traded away.

Ben Lovejoy is the longest-serving member of the No. 6 defenseman club in Ducks franchise history, wearing the number for parts of three seasons with the team. Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in February 2013 for a 2024 fifth-round pick, Lovejoy formed a strong partnership with Cam Fowler on the Ducks’ top defensive pair.

October 26, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) is hit by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Ben Lovejoy (6) during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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Lovejoy would be traded back to the Penguins in 2015 in exchange for Simon Despres, who was the next defenseman to wear No. 6 for Anaheim. Despres initially wore 24 before switching to 6 for the 2016-17 season. However, Despres would only play one game as Anaheim’s No. 6 after suffering a concussion in the first game of the season. It was his third head injury and second concussion in 12 months.

Despres would be bought out by the Ducks after the 2016-17 season––less than two years after he signed a five-year extension––with the Ducks needing financial flexibility to sign several of their young defensemen the following season.

No. 6 would be the third jersey number change for Erik Gudbranson in just one season as a Duck after switching from 44 to 66 and then finally to 6. Gudbranson, like Lovejoy, was acquired from the Penguins in an in-season trade in October 2019 and also primarily played alongside Fowler.

Jan 17, 2020; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Erik Gudbranson (6) celebrates his first period goal against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

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Gudbranson appeared in 44 games for the Ducks before the season was cut short due to COVID-19, racking up 91 penalty minutes and somehow even earning himself a Lady Byng vote in the process. He would be traded to the Ottawa Senators in October 2020.

The most recent defenseman to wear No. 6 for the Ducks was Jamie Drysdale, whom the Ducks fittingly drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft. Drysdale began his Ducks career wearing no. 34, but switched to No. 6 before the 2022 season.

Drysdale never quite found his footing with the Ducks after debuting in the NHL at age 18 during the 2020-21 season. He played alongside steady veterans in Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler during his Ducks tenure, but always seemed to be one step away from putting everything together.

Dec 27, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale (6) celebrates his goal scored against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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His 2022-23 season was derailed by a torn labrum that he suffered just 10 games into the season and a contract dispute and another injury muddied his 2023-24 season. He was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers this past January for Cutter Gauthier, a deal that caught many by surprise and ultimately led to something deeper when it was discovered that Gauthier had a falling out with the Flyers’ brass.

A new chapter for Dumoulin brings with it a new jersey number. “I wasn’t going to ask Teemu (Selanne) what his price was for that, I don’t think I could afford it,” Dumoulin said with a laugh during an interview with Ducks Stream’s Alexis Downie.

“I’ve only worn single digits,” Dumoulin said. “I wore No. 4 in high school, wore No. 2 in college, wore No. 8 in the pros. Might as well check off No. 6 too.”

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