Ducks legend Scott Niedermayer will join FOFH Anaheim
Ducks legend to participate in ceremonial puck drop as NHL alumni take on members of Naval Special Warfare Sept. 19 at Great Park Ice
IRVINE, Calif. — Sept. 17, 2026 — Hockey Hall of Famer and Anaheim Ducks legend Scott Niedermayer will join former Ducks defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski and Warrior For Life Fund founder and Executive Director Ryan Croley for the ceremonial puck drop at Face Off For Heroes Anaheim, Saturday, Sept. 19 at Great Park Ice in Irvine.
The appearance adds another chapter of Anaheim hockey history to an afternoon that will bring together 16 former NHL players and members of Naval Special Warfare for a special game supporting Warrior For Life Fund and the military community.
Niedermayer captained the Anaheim Ducks to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship in 2007 and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The four-time Stanley Cup champion was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013, and his No. 27 hangs in the rafters in Anaheim.
He will be joined at center ice by Vishnevski, who spent seven seasons in the Ducks organization, and Croley, a retired Navy SEAL who founded Warrior For Life Fund after experiencing firsthand the role hockey and community can play in maintaining connection and resilience following military service.
The ceremonial puck drop will launch a matchup featuring NHL and Anaheim Ducks alumni against active-duty and veteran members of the Naval Special Warfare community.
Among the announced NHL alumni playing or coaching are Kevin Bieksa, Vitaly Vishnevski, Guy Hebert, Jean-François Jomphe, Corey Tropp, Steve Heinze, Jamie Huscroft, John Blue, and Ben Scrivens, with additional former NHL players joining the lineup.
Warrior For Life Fund created the event series to bring professional hockey alumni, service members, veterans, military families and local communities together through fellowship, remembrance and the shared culture of a team.
Proceeds and awareness generated through Face Off For Heroes help support Warrior For Life Fund programs focused on mental health, brain health, physical performance, recovery and community engagement for active-duty service members, veterans and their families.
Warrior For Life Fund’s relationship with hockey has continued to grow nationally through its partnership with the National Hockey League and the NHL Foundation, while its programs have expanded beyond the rink to address the broader needs identified within the military community.
EVENT INFORMATION
- Face Off For Heroes Anaheim
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 2:00 p.m.
- Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena
888 Ridge Valley
Irvine, California
Tickets and information:
Face Off For Heroes Anaheim on Eventbrite
The event is presented by the NHL and held in partnership with the Anaheim Ducks and Anaheim Ducks Alumni Association. A portion of general admission ticket sales will also benefit local youth hockey.
ABOUT WARRIOR FOR LIFE FUND
Warrior For Life Fund strengthens the lives of active-duty service members, veterans, and their families by fostering connection, resilience, and recovery through innovative programs focused on mental health, brain health, physical performance, and community engagement. Through evidence-based care, peer support, and team-building experiences, we help warriors thrive during and after military service.
Media inquiries:
jayme@warriorforlifefund.org
For more information, visit www.warriorforlifefund.org.
