Ducks' Owners Revel in Stanley Cup Afterglow

These are good times for Henry and Susan Samueli, owners of the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.

Fresh off the team's title run, the Broadcom Corp. chairman and his wife were in town last night for the National Hockey League's season-launch party co-hosted by Esquire Magazine at the publication's Central Park North triplex.

The Stanley Cup was there at its glittering best as the Samuelis beamed nearby.

Photo of Henry Samueli with Stanley Cup by REUTERS/Mike Blake/Landov

"It's been amazing for me and for us,'' Henry Samueli said. "We've sold more than 15,000 season tickets at the Honda Center this season, and we're practically sold out for every game. The support has been tremendous."

The Samuelis bought the hockey team from the Walt Disney Co. for $75 million in June 2005. They also own the company the operates the Honda Center, which has a capacity of 17,174. They are part of the new wave of team owners for the league, which endured a season-destroying labor dispute in 2004-05 to restore financial order to the sport.

The Samuelis were wise in that they already controlled the arena, and once labor peace was reached in the summer of 2005, sponsors emerged and fans returned with enthusiasm to the Honda Center.

Forbes now values the Ducks at $157 million, according to its latest team valuation report.

Not a bad return in just over two years.