Whether it was with the Vancouver Canucks or Anaheim Ducks, Ryan Kesler was a fan favorite in the NHL for 15 seasons. Between 2003 and 2014, Kesler was one of the most consistent Canucks players with multiple 70-point campaigns and a key to one of the most successful runs Vancouver has ever seen.
Ahead of the 2014-15 season, Kesler was traded to the Ducks where he would spend the final five year of his NHL career. After 1,001 games played between the Canucks and Ducks, Kesler shouldn’t have many regrets, but he did admit to one mistake in his player career.
Kesler stated during an interview with Donnie and Dhali that he wishes he could have retired as a member of the Canucks.
“Now that I’m retired and looking back on it, I left to win a Cup,” Kesler said. “I can say I honestly regret that now.”
The Ducks made the playoffs four times during Kesler’s five-year run in Anaheim, but never made it to the Stanley Cup Final. The only time Kesler made it that far in the postseason was in 2011 with the Canucks.
The Boston Bruins defeated the Canucks in seven games in the Final, and it ended up being the closest the Kesler ever got to hoisting the Stanley Cup.
It’s always fair for players to chase championships, it’s why they play the game. Kesler believed the Ducks would give him a better chance of glory and he took it.
Looking back, it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference which team Kesler played with to end his career. The Ducks haven’t made the playoffs since Kesler was there and the Canucks have only made it three times since he left. Two of those trips for the Canucks came after Kesler hung up the skates in 2019.
The Vancouver organization recently signed a pair of Kesler’s Canucks teammates to one-day deals so they could officially retire as Canucks. Kevin Bieksa and Alex Edler were given those honors, is Kesler next in line for that opportunity?
“I would love that,” Kesler said. “My heart’s definitely still here in the city.”
Kesler says he and the Canucks have a better relationship than when he left in 2014, and is hopeful that new bond can produce something special for him.
“I would love to retire a Canuck one day.”
Kesler played his final game in the NHL in March of 2019 as a member of the Ducks before undergoing career-ending hip resurfacing surgery that offseason.
In 1,001 career games played, Kesler scored 258 goals and 315 assists for 573 total points. He played a heavy game with 1,285 recorded hits between 2007 and the end of his playing days, and tacked on 920 career penalty minutes.
Kesler was a fan favorite during his time in Vancouver, and he still holds the Canucks and the city in a special place.
