Getzlaf Announces Retirement from NHL After the 2021-22 Season

Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf today announced his retirement from the NHL at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. His last home game will take place Sunday, April 24 when the Ducks host the St. Louis Blues at Honda Center (5:30 p.m. PT).

Getzlaf, 36 (5/10/85), is Anaheim's all-time leading scorer in both the regular season and playoffs, and joins a group of 11 other players in NHL history to have captained the same team for 10 years and scored 1,000 points. He is also one of 13 players in hockey history to win two Olympic gold medals and a Stanley Cup championship, and one of 46 NHL players to record 1,000 points with a single franchise (more than 7,400 players have played in the NHL to date). He currently ranks in the top 100 on the NHL's all-time points (88th) and assists (51st) list, and is one of 56 players in NHL history to record 700 assists.
"It's been an honor to play in the NHL and spend my entire professional career with one organization," said Getzlaf. "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 helped the Ducks to a 2007 Stanley Cup as the leading scorer during the championship run (7-10=17), and is the longest-serving captain in Anaheim history (12 seasons, 2010-present). Getzlaf has appeared in a franchise-record 1,150 career NHL games with the Ducks, scoring 282-731=1,013 points with a +105 rating and 954 penalty minutes (PIM). On Oct. 31, 2021, Getzlaf earned a primary assist, surpassing Teemu Selanne to become Anaheim's all-time leading scorer (279-710=989).
"We are so proud of everything Ryan has accomplished in an amazing 17 years playing for the Ducks," said Ducks Owners Henry and Susan Samueli. "While we will all remember his leadership qualities on the ice, it is his community-first approach that has cemented his legacy in Orange County. In addition to spearheading the Ducks Learn to Play Program and numerous other organizational charitable initiatives, he launched his own such event with the Annual Getzlaf Shootout to benefit CureDuchenne, raising over $4.27 million to date.
"Congratulations, Ryan. You've been our leader, our soul and our captain, leaving an indelible mark on our franchise that Ducks fans around the world will never forget."
Getzlaf became the 92nd player in NHL history to record 1,000 points (280-720=1,000) Nov. 16 vs. Washington. He was the 39th player (seventh active) all-time to record his first 1,000 points all with the same club and the 45th player in NHL history to record 1,000 points with a single franchise. Of the 29 retired players to record their first 1,000 points with a single franchise, 26 have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame (an additional 10 players, including Getzlaf, are not yet eligible).
Selected by Anaheim in the first round (19th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft, Getzlaf also leads Anaheim in all-time assists, even-strength points (659), overtime goals (11) and power-play assists (254). He ranks second among franchise leaders in power-play points (340), plus/minus (+105) and PIM (954), is third in game-winning goals (57) and fourth in goals. Among players selected in 2003, Getzlaf has the highest points per game (.88), most assists (731) and power-play points (340), and the highest time on ice per game (19:29) among forwards.
Getzlaf also scored 37-83=120 points with a +12 rating and 137 PIM in 125 career postseason games, leading the club in all-time playoff scoring, goals and assists. He led the 2007 Stanley Cup team in postseason scoring with 7-10=17 points and also set a Ducks record for most points in a single playoff season in 2015 (2-18=20).
A three-time NHL All-Star (2008, 2009, 2015), Getzlaf leads the NHL in all-time overtime assists (24), while he leads the 2003 NHL Draft class in points per game (.88), assists and power-play points. He ranks fifth among NHL leaders in assists since entering the league in 2005-06. He led Anaheim in assists for 13 straight seasons (2007-20), one of two players in NHL history to do so with a single club (also Anze Kopitar, 2007-present).
A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Getzlaf represented Team Canada at nine international tournaments in a span of 14 years (2002-16), recording 20-47=67 points in 60 tournament contests. He helped his country to five gold medals, including the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games, 2016 World Cup of Hockey, 2005 World Junior Championship and 2003 U-18 World Championship. He also earned silver medals at the 2008 World Championship and 2004 World Junior Championship while appearing at the 2012 World Championship and 2002 U-17 World Hockey Challenge.
Getzlaf appeared in 233 career Western Hockey League (WHL) games with the Calgary Hitmen from 2001-05, scoring 95-120=215 points with a +46 rating and 354 PIM. He also scored 28 points (12-16=28) in 31 WHL Playoff contests. On Jan. 18, 2015, the Hitmen inducted Getzlaf as the inaugural member of the "Forever A Hitmen" program with a permanent banner in the rafters at Scotiabank Saddledome. As part of the WHL's 50th season in 2016, Getzlaf was selected as a Top 50 WHL Player of All-Time, ranking 25th in the league's placement.