The Anaheim Ducks’ captain Ryan Getzlaf has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2021-2022 season. Getzlaf has been the captain of the Ducks since 2010.
BREAKING: Anaheim Ducks legend and long-time captain Ryan Getzlaf will retire at the end of the season, capping a career that spanned 17 seasons and included both a Stanley Cup championship and two Olympic gold medals.https://t.co/1CAERjOMYB
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 5, 2022
Ryan Getzlaf To Retire At Season’s End
Getzlaf, 36, will retire as the Ducks’ all-time leading scorer in both the regular season and the playoffs. The Ducks selected him 19th overall in 2003, and he won a Stanley Cup with the organization in 2007.
Getzlaf spent time with both the Portland Pirates and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks before joining Anaheim full time in the 2006-2007 season, along with current Tampa Bay Lightning forward Corey Perry. Getzlaf and Perry led the way to the Cup Finals where they squared off against Ottawa.
While Perry was bought out in 2019, Getzlaf has been loyal to the Ducks, mentoring plenty of rookies throughout the years, even the current Ducks wave of youth featuring guys like Trevor Zegras, Max Comtois, Troy Terry, and Jamie Drysdale.
His entire 17-year career has been spent in Anaheim. He’s played in 1,150 games, scoring 282 goals and putting up 731 assists to total 1013 points. In the playoffs, he’s played in 125 games and racked up 120 points (37 goals and 83 assists). He’s also posted an impressive 137 minutes in penalties.
What This Means For The Ducks
This is officially a ‘changing of the guard’ for Anaheim. The last of the 2007 Stanley Cup winning team is officially done. However, this is not extremely surprising. At his old age, Getzlaf seemingly was going to retire in the next few seasons. Especially as the Ducks come out of a rebuilding phase, Getzlaf’s role of mentoring the younger players is all but over. While Anaheim fans are surely sad to see their longtime veteran and captain retire, they have a bright young future ahead of them.
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