Anaheim Ducks Overcome 15 Hour Travel Delay Before New York Game

A disrupted cross-country flight left the Anaheim Ducks with little time to recover before their New York road game, after mechanical problems and a last-minute airport change stretched their journey to 15 hours on Sunday, October 18, 2026. The team reached its hotel early Monday and still completed a morning skate at Madison Square Garden ahead of facing the New York Rangers.

According to NHL.com and The Associated Press, published by TSN, the Ducks began their trip from Southern California at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time. Their original departure was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, but the aircraft was rerouted to Los Angeles International Airport.

Players, coaches and staff boarded a bus at 10:30 a.m. to reach LAX. They boarded the aircraft around 11:30 a.m., only to remain grounded for nearly six hours because of mechanical problems. The team eventually transferred to another plane and departed at 6:05 p.m. Pacific Time.

The replacement aircraft landed at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey at 1:45 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday. With little traffic on the drive into Manhattan, the Ducks arrived at their hotel around 2:30 a.m., according to NHL.com.

Head coach Joel Quenneville acknowledged the demanding journey after the team returned to the ice for its scheduled morning skate.

"It was a long shift," Quenneville said.

The team used the extended wait to watch football and spend time together. According to the Associated Press report, the coach followed NFL RedZone coverage while younger players organized card games during the delay.

"You spend tons of time with each other, and something like yesterday could be one of those moments where it could bring everybody together," Quenneville said.

The coach also emphasized the team's readiness to continue its schedule despite the disruption.

"They handled it like pros, and so here we are today. Let’s play hockey," Quenneville said.

Defenseman Jackson LaCombe described the uncertainty surrounding the original flight, although the players eventually found ways to occupy their time together.

"We watched football, snapped cards around a bit," LaCombe said.

He said the shared experience helped the group remain in good spirits while waiting for another aircraft.

"Honestly, just good with it the whole time. It was good camaraderie hanging with the guys," LaCombe said.

LaCombe also described the atmosphere during the prolonged wait and explained why the players did not allow the setback to dominate their attention.

"It kept the spirits high," LaCombe said.

The defenseman added that the players appreciated having football available during a Sunday travel disruption.

"It was good," LaCombe said.

Despite uncertainty about when the team would reach the New York area, LaCombe said the players accepted the situation rather than dwell on it.

"For sure," LaCombe said.

He acknowledged that the group initially lacked information about the delay.

"We had no idea what was going on for a bit," LaCombe said.

After finally arriving in New York, the defenseman said the team needed to focus on the game instead of the difficult trip.

"It was definitely different, but nothing you can do about it, obviously," LaCombe said.

His response reflected the team's approach to a disruption beyond its control.

"It happens. Just have to forget about it and go play," LaCombe said.

Forward Cutter Gauthier said watching football helped the players pass the time while they waited for the replacement aircraft.

"We watched a lot of football games," Gauthier said.

The forward explained that the games provided a distraction during the lengthy delay.

"Pretty much every single one of them. That killed our time nicely," Gauthier said.

Gauthier also acknowledged that the circumstances were unusual for the team but said complaining would not improve its chances in New York.

"Definitely a first," Gauthier said.

He said the players had little opportunity to prepare for such an unexpected interruption.

"I mean, you can't really prepare for anything like that. It was unfortunate. But if we (whine) and complain about it it's not going to help us win a game tonight. We're past that and we're focused on New York tonight," Gauthier said.

Rookie Roger McQueen, who made his NHL debut the previous week, said the players tried to make productive use of the waiting time.

"Tried to enjoy it on the bus with the guys, play some cards," McQueen said.

The rookie described a mixture of card games and time spent on phones as the hours passed.

"A lot of phone (time). But we tried to play some cards. Didn’t really finish any of our games — well, actually, one of them.

No, it was good. Some more time with the guys. Delays aren’t fun, but you take what it is," McQueen said.

Defenseman Nick Jensen said the players recognized the scale of the travel problems but were determined to move forward.

"I think we hit everything yesterday," Jensen said.

He also described the team's determination to approach the upcoming game without treating the journey as an excuse.

"We’re ready to go," Jensen said.

Jensen said the players were prepared to compete despite the circumstances surrounding their arrival.

"There’s something to the mentality where it’s just like, ‘We’re here, let’s do this.’ Like, it doesn’t matter. We’re showing up. Yeah, yesterday wasn’t fun, but we made it, we’re a good team and everyone’s kind of in the same position," Jensen said.

Forward Frank Vatrano said getting onto the ice was preferable to remaining in the hotel after the overnight arrival.

"It's better than just sitting in your bed all day," Vatrano said.

He said the morning session gave players an opportunity to move around before the game.

"Tried to get out here and move around," Vatrano said.

Quenneville said the team completed a reasonable practice despite the disrupted schedule and expected the players to be ready for the contest.

"I thought we had a decent practice out here today, (so) let's come ready to play tonight," Quenneville said.

The coach reiterated that the team intended to compete rather than allow the journey to determine its performance.

"They handled it like pros, and so here we are today. Let's play hockey," Quenneville said.

The Ducks' road trip includes games against the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers before the team returns to Southern California. Captain Mikael Granlund described travel disruptions as part of professional hockey, according to the Associated Press report.