The 2021-22 NHL season will be Ryan Getzlaf’s last in the NHL. The longtime Anaheim Ducks’ captain announced on Tuesday that he is retiring at the conclusion of this season, ending a 17-year career that was spent entirely in Anaheim.
Getzlaf was drafted by the Ducks in the first round of the 2003 NHL draft (No. 19 overall) and went on to become one of the best players in franchise history.
His last home game with the Ducks will be on April 24 against the St. Louis Blues. Anaheim concludes the regular season on April 29 against the Dallas Stars.
“It’s been an honor to play in the NHL and spend my entire professional career with one organization,” Getzlaf said in a statement released by the team. “None of this would have been possible without my family, who offered unwavering love and support each step of the way. Thank you to our owners, Henry and Susan Samueli, for leading an organization committed to success on the ice, but more importantly, to making a positive impact in our community and to those in need.
“A special thanks to the general managers, coaches, support staff, teammates, and of course, our fans. Playing for the Ducks and living in Orange County is a dream for an athlete, and much of that is because of you. Thank you all.”
Getzlaf is the franchise’s all-time leader in several major categories including regular season games played (1,150), assists (731), total points (1,013), postseason games (125), postseason goals (37), postseason assists (83), and postseason total points (120).
He has three goals and 28 assists for 31 total points in 49 games this season.
Getzlaf played a key role in the Ducks’ 2006-07 Stanley Cup run, finishing that postseason with 17 points in 21 games, including two goals and two assists in the Stanley Cup Final series against the Ottawa Senators.
He was also a runner-up for the Hart Trophy during the 2013-14 season.
Along with being one of the best players in Ducks history, he is also one of the best playmakers in league history. His 731 assists rank 51st on the NHL’s all-time list. Only Sidney Crosby, Joe Thornton, Nicklas Backstrom, and Patrick Kane have more since the start of the 2005-06 season when Getzlaf made his NHL debut.
The 2003 draft was a franchise-changer for the Ducks as they selected both Getzlaf (No. 19) and Corey Perry (No. 28) in the first-round. Together that duo went on to dominate for aa decade-and-a-half in Anaheim.
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.