Double-Amputee, 16, Joins Anaheim Ducks on Ice For Season Opener

ORANGE COUNTY, CA -- A 16-year-old double amputee joined the Anaheim Ducks on the ice at Honda Center tonight before their 2-1 season-opening victory over the Arizona Coyotes.

Lera Doederlein was the ``21st Duck,'' an honor going to a Ducks fan who embodies perseverance, character courage, and inspiration or is making significant contributions to the community.

This is the fourth consecutive year a ``21st Duck'' has joined the team on the ice for its home opener. The name comes from the NHL's limit of having 20 players in uniform for a game.

Lera was born in Russia and adopted when she was 21 months old. She wore leg braces and used crutches most of her life because of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, congenital joint contracture, in both legs.

After several surgeries and facing life in a wheelchair, Lera decided to take control of her mobility in 2017 and elected to have a double above-knee amputation.

Shortly after her surgery, Lera was shown the sport of sled hockey at a sport amputee clinic and quickly fell in love with the sport. Lera moved from Arizona to San Diego last year and joined the San Diego Ducks sled hockey team.

She scored 10 of the team's 19 goals, leading it to the USA Hockey Disabled Hockey Festival's national championship.

In July Lera was selected as a member of the U.S. women's development sled hockey team.

Lera took to the ice Thursday on her sled, wearing a Ducks uniform with the No. 21 jersey.

Lera is dedicated to finding and creating her own way in sports as a bilateral amputee as well as advocating and serving as an ambassador for adaptive sports. She has started hand cycling to keep cross-training during the hockey off-season and was selected to the first U.S. women's national hand cycling team. She also enjoys adaptive surfing.