Chris “Muggsy” Aldrich interview
Chris “Muggsy” Aldrich has been an integral part of the Anaheim Ducks organization since 2009. His career began as an equipment manager in the AHL with the Maine Mariners and Providence Bruins, before earning a promotion to the Boston Bruins in 1997. Aldrich remained in Boston until 2007, later spending a few seasons back in the AHL before joining the Ducks. Since then, he has served as an assistant equipment manager, a role he held until his promotion to head equipment manager in 2018, a position he continues to hold today. On April 9, 2023, Muggsy experienced his 2,500th game as an equipment manager, signifying the long tenure he has spent in the NHL. We caught up with Muggsy ahead of the 2025–26 season to talk about his journey, experiences, and the excitement surrounding another year of Ducks hockey.
Q: What was your relationship to hockey prior to becoming an equipment manager?
A: I was a hockey fan. One of my high school friend’s dad drove the bus for an AHL team and I got to attend games for free a lot. I also played pond hockey with my friends growing up in Maine and a few games on an actual team in middle school.
Q: What skills and/or experiences helped you the most in preparing for this career?
A: I started working when I was 9 years old as a paper delivery boy. I had to deliver papers no matter if it was raining, snowing, or a hurricane. It taught me work ethic and working everyday no matter the circumstances. Even shop class in middle school and high school helped me learn to repair things. Even home economics class taught me sewing. There is a lot of sewing involved in hockey- making name plates and repairing jerseys.
Q: When did you decide to become an equipment manager?
A: When I graduated high school. I could have gone into the fire service or work in hockey. I decided to work in hockey. I was a stick boy for a team in high school, so I was around it already.
Q: Why did you choose to become a hockey equipment manager over other sports?
A: It is the only sport I liked and I had a connection to hockey when my friends got me a job as a stick boy on game nights to start.
Q: What is your favorite part about being an equipment manager?
A: That I get my summers off. LOL. I like the routine of packing and unpacking gear and even the late nights. I like to see how long it takes to unpack and pack the gear. How quick and efficient I can be.
Q: What is your least favorite part about being an equipment manager?
A: Training camp. When you have 60 plus players and have to manage the gear, sticks, where to put them in the dressing rooms. It can be very hectic. It is also hard being away from my family during all the travel. I miss out on a lot of school events and sports for my son.
Q: Where does the nickname "Muggsy" come from?
A: My Uncle Clair gave it to me when I was just learning to walk. I ran into a doorway and ended up with black eyes. My Uncle Clair looked at me and said I looked like Muggsy, who was a character on a show. He was a robber that used to wear black around his eyes and rob people. Ever since I was a toddler that nickname stuck.
Q: You have been with the Anaheim Ducks for a long time. What has been your favorite part of the organization?
A: Seeing hockey grow in California. The Ducks are very good at involving the community and growing the game of hockey in a warm climate. It is amazing how many rinks they have now and how many people play hockey because of the Ducks and their influence.
Q: What is your favorite moment since joining the Ducks organization?
A: The outdoor game at Dodgers Stadium was a favorite. It was an amazing experience. My family got to skate on the ice the day before the game, my son got to play in the stick hockey game on the side rink and it was a fun experience being outside in LA for hockey. It was cool to sharpen skates in the dugout of a baseball stadium.
Q: Which player do you enjoy working with the most and why?
A: Overall, it would be Glen Murray from when I worked with the Boston Bruins. I had him as a rookie and for a lot of years in minors and pros. It was cool to watch him develop from an 18 year old kid to one of the best goal scorers in the league for 3 plus years with the team. He was a great person and to this day always remembers me. A very genuine person. Current player would be Lukas Dostal from the Ducks. I like his witty banter and we like to joke around. He can dish it out and take it. He is an unbelievable person. Great attitude and work ethic.
Q: How taxing is the travel time on the road? How have you become accustomed to it over the years?
A: It is a lot worse on the west coast than the east coast. The travel has been much worse with Anaheim than Boston. The flights are much longer. It makes for a lot more hours on the road. Also, we cannot fly into John Wayne Airport because of the curfew after games. We have to land in Ontario or LAX for most of our flights and then travel back to Anaheim or Irvine. It makes the travel a lot worse not having a local airport that we can always go to. The hours can be long and definitely not a lot of sleep, but you get used to it. I sleep a lot on days off and in the summer.
Q: How hard is it to balance family life with your work schedule every year?
A: There is not much family life to be honest. The hockey schedule always comes first. If I am home it is an added bonus, but my family has gotten used to me not being around from August to May (roughly). There are not a lot of days off, but it is nice when we do have them. I try to help out around the house when I am home and make sure to attend events or have a date night. It is nice having summers off at least. That is when we vacation and spend time together.
Q: Who on the Ducks has the strangest gear-related superstition?
A: Killorn squirts water into his mouth before each period and spits it on his stick blade
Q: What’s one thing that equipment managers do that people might be surprised to learn?
A: Having to sew. We use sewing machines, sewing awls, and can do need and thread repairs on the fly.
Q: What is the best prank you have seen pulled off in the locker room, either on yourself or on a player/coach?
A: One of the players had us sew another player's car keys into his pocket so he couldn't get them out.
Rapid-Fire Questions:
Q: Favorite food?
A: Chicken Parm
Q: Favorite city to visit during the season?
A: Tampa Bay
Q: Favorite rink to visit?
A: Edmonton
Q: On travel days, do you sleep or stay awake?
A: Stay awake
Q: Favorite all-time player for the Ducks?
A: Teemu Selanne
