3 Former Anaheim Ducks Mean Business

The steakhouse menu features dishes such as “The Lord Stanley cut” steak and “Selanne’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese”. Selanne double-dipped into the restaurant business when he opened The Penalty Box, a low-key American food joint. Unfortunately, The Penalty Box has since closed, but Selanne’s culinary legacy lives on in Laguna Beach.

Kent Huskins

Kent Huskins spent eight seasons in the NHL and multiple seasons with various teams in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played with the Ducks from 2006-2009, also becoming a Stanley Cup Champion in 2007. After leaving Anaheim, the defenseman had stints with the San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, and Philadelphia Flyers organizations before leaving professional hockey in 2015.

In 2018, Kent and his wife, Bri, opened Huskins Coffee Company, with locations in both Newport Beach and Santa Ana, both just a few miles from Anaheim. Huskins has a degree in business administration and a love of coffee, so opening a coffee roastery and shop was the perfect business venture for him.

The coffee shops’ interiors pay homage to Huskins’ hockey background, featuring themed decor, including vintage sticks. “We wanted to include a hockey component without looking like a sports bar, and I think we accomplished that,” said Huskins in an interview with Orange Review. The shop’s menu contains tons of options for coffee and non-coffee drinkers alike, and the company aims for quality over quantity. The aptly named “Hometown Latte” is infused with maple syrup imported from Huskins’ hometown of Almonte, Ontario. Huskins Coffee has been a perfect venture for the former defenseman in his retirement.

Emerson Etem

Emerson Etem spent four seasons as a winger in the Ducks organization, bouncing between the NHL and the team’s AHL affiliates, the Norfolk Admirals and (later) San Diego Gulls. He also spent partial seasons with the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks, as well as a handful of minor league teams, before retiring from professional hockey in 2020.

The following year, Etem joined the business side of hockey and purchased the Anaheim Avalanche of the United States Premier Hockey League, a junior development league. He relocated the team to his hometown of Long Beach and dubbed them the Long Beach Shredders. Etem served as part-owner, head coach, and general manager of the team.

The Shredders were sold to Curtis Fisher and Josh Fitzgerald in 2024 and were rebranded as the Long Beach Bombers. No sweat for Etem, though, as he was hired by his former hockey club and now serves as the Ducks’ color analyst on their radio broadcast, Ducks Stream. He is entering his second season as a broadcaster.

While many players opt to stay in hockey after retirement, players like Selanne and Huskins have shown that there are many paths to success off the ice. Etem, on the other hand, has stayed true to his skills and found his niche within the sport. You can visit Selanne Steakhouse, Huskins Coffee, or listen to Ducks Stream to keep up with these former Ducks and their successes.