Disney Finds Buyer for the Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif., Feb. 25 - The Walt Disney Company agreed to sell the Anaheim Mighty Ducks to the billionaire Henry Samueli and his wife, Susan. Samueli's company operates the Arrowhead Pond, the Mighty Ducks' home arena.

The deal, announced Friday by Samueli, is subject to approval by the National Hockey League. It will not, however, be on the agenda when the board of governors meets Tuesday in New York, said Bill Daly, the chief legal officer for the N.H.L.

Despite the lockout that forced the cancellation of the hockey season, the pending sale is not expected to be different from any past sales. Samueli said in a telephone interview that the deal with Disney was struck "pretty much independent of what's going on between the league and the players."

Samueli's initial offer to Disney was reportedly in the $50 million to $60 million range. Disney paid $50 million for the Ducks to join the N.H.L. as an expansion franchise in 1992. It has had the team on the market for years. The Ducks went to the Stanley Cup finals in the 2002-3 season, losing to the Devils in seven games.