Ryan Getzlaf

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

As a junior, Getzlaf played four seasons with the Calgary Hitmen and was twice named to a Western Hockey League (WHL) all-star team. Internationally, he has represented Canada on numerous occasions. Getzlaf was a member of the 2005 World Junior Championship squad considered the greatest in Canadian history, and won a silver medal at the 2008 IIHF World Championship. A two-time Olympian, Getzlaf played with Canadian teams that won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games.

In Their Own Story

The 2007 playoffs were a defining moment for Getzlaf. As part of the "kid line," he led all Ducks players in scoring with 17 points, setting a franchise playoff record at the time. The team defeated the fourth-seeded Ottawa Senators in five games to claim their first Stanley Cup. Years later, during the 2008–09 season, Getzlaf shattered his own records by dishing out a franchise-record 66 assists and recording 14 assists in 13 playoff games against Detroit, finishing sixth overall in post-season scoring. His resilience was tested repeatedly. In December 2010, he suffered multiple nasal sinus fractures from a puck to the face but returned to play. In 2014, just seconds into the playoffs, he blocked a shot with his face, suffering lacerations and bruises before returning for Game Two after missing two games due to an upper-body injury. On March 8, 2013, he reached his 500th career point with an assist on a Bobby Ryan goal against Calgary. These moments of physical sacrifice and statistical milestones defined his tenure as the Ducks' captain.

Reader's Guide

Getzlaf was born May 10, 1985, in Regina, Saskatchewan. He is the younger son of Steve and Susan Getzlaf, and has an older brother, Chris. He attended Robert Usher Collegiate in Regina. Growing up in an athletically minded family, both Ryan and Chris were encouraged to play several sports, particularly hockey and football. Chris focused on football and ultimately joined their hometown Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League as a slotback. Ryan played tailback in football, and represented Saskatchewan as a catcher in a national youth baseball tournament, but focused on his hockey career when he was 5. While a member of the Regina Bantam AAA Rangers in 2000, Getzlaf was drafted into the Western Hockey League (WHL) by the Calgary Hitmen with the 54th pick in the 2000 WHL Bantam Draft. He made his junior debut in 2001–02 and recorded 18 points in 63 games. He nearly quadrupled his offensive production as a 17-year-old in 2002–03 by scoring 29 goals and 68 points. His performance made him a top prospect for the 2003 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft; the NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Getzlaf as the fifth best North American skater in the draft and he was taken in the first round, 19th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The Mighty Ducks returned Getzlaf to the Hitmen for the 2003–04 season. He recorded 75 points in just 49 games and was named to the WHL's first all-star team. Due to the 2004–05 NHL lock-out, Getzlaf was again returned to Calgary for his fourth season of junior hockey. He was named team captain, but was briefly stripped of the title by the coaches after earning several misconduct penalties for arguing with the officials. The captaincy was restored after a couple weeks, and Getzlaf moderated his interactions with referees. He also missed time during the season after suffering a concussion as a result of a hit by Dion Phaneuf of the Red Deer Rebels. Getzlaf finished the regular season with 54 points in 51 games, and after the Hitmen were eliminated from the WHL playoffs, was assigned to the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League (AHL) for their own playoff run. Getzlaf appeared in 10 post-season games for Cincinnati in his professional debut. He recorded one goal and four assists. Getzlaf made the Mighty Ducks' roster out of training camp and began the 2005–06 season in Anaheim; he made his NHL debut

Did You Know?

• Getzlaf won a silver medal at the 2008 IIHF World Championship, not gold.
• On December 28, 2010, Getzlaf suffered multiple nasal sinus fractures from a puck strike, not a fractured orbital bone.
• Getzlaf set a franchise record with 66 assists in the 2008–09 season.