Getzlaf talks new role with Ducks in Q&A with NHL.com

In NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Sitting Down with …" we talk to key figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice. Today, we feature Anaheim Ducks all-time leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf.

NASHVILLE --Ryan Getzlaf was walking around Bridgestone Arena at the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday, getting the lay of the new land he is starting to traverse.

For starters, Getzlaf and his family, which includes his wife, Paige, and kids, Ryder, Gavin, Willa and Mac, were still settling in from their recent move to the Nashville area from Southern California.

Getzlaf was also starting in his new role with the Anaheim Ducks as their player development coordinator, having been named to the position on Tuesday, one day prior to his former team selecting center Leo Carlsson with the No. 2 pick.

Carlsson is eventually supposed to be Anaheim's new Getzlaf, which isn't an easy spot to be in for the 18-year-old, having to try to measure up to a franchise icon who ended his career as the Ducks' all-time leading scorer with 1,019 points (282 goals, 737 assists) in 1,157 games.

But part of Getzlaf's job with the Ducks now will be getting Carlsson to excel the same way he did for 17 seasons in Anaheim before retiring after the 2021-22 season. And it's a job he's excited about at this point in his life.

Getzlaf stopped to talk with NHL.com at the draft on Wednesday, discussing what he did this past season, what he wants out of his new job with the Ducks, and why he and his family moved to Nashville.

What did you do this past season?

"I did a lot with my kids. They're 12, 10, 9 and 6. I coached baseball, I drove around, I played a lot of golf. I actually watched quite a bit of hockey, which is weird for me. I don't usually watch hockey, but I've been getting into it a lot more. I was just around. It was fun to just relax and not have the world weighing on your shoulders."

Which kid is the baseball player?

"My first two both play baseball. Well, all my boys do. My little guy does, too. But I was helping coach the second one. First base coach. Assistant coach. I don't deal with all the drama, I just get to be out there. It was good to be around the kids. Obviously, you miss a lot when you're in this profession, and just being around was awesome."

But you're dipping your toes back into it in player development. What enticed you to do that?

"Well, honestly, I felt like it was kind of the next progression. I have always liked the management side of things and trying to understand it all. I think that I've basically been mentoring for the last couple years. In the last couple years of my career, we had a lot of young players come through, and I had to deal with different things. This seems like a good fit to help our organization moving forward as well as myself, too, to learn how this stuff works."

It's a lot of young players, in fact, and does that make it feel like your new role is enhanced because the Ducks aren't a team that is ready to win now, you're trying to build for the future?

"Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun. We've got a unique opportunity to learn as I grow here with (director of player development) Jim Johnson and the whole staff. We're at a time now with our team that we're building to that next step. I'm excited to get to work with these kids and share experiences."

Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 pick, is 6-foot-3 and a center. Does he remind you of somebody?

"Yeah. Ha. He's a big kid. It's great. I got to meet all these kids that we just drafted, meet their families, and you definitely get a unique perspective when you meet families and everybody because we meet the families first and then the kid comes in. You see where they came from and all that stuff. I'm excited about it."

Could you one day see yourself running a draft table as a GM?

"I don't know. I'm going to see how it goes. We'll see how this year goes and take it from there."

Do you miss it?

"I don't miss playing. I was definitely ready to retire. I never had that itch where I wanted to put my gear back on. But I do miss being around the guys, being around the game a little bit and having an impact, having something to do. And that's why I feel like at this point I can help and make a difference."

What about your living situation now?

"I moved to Nashville. We live here now, south of Nashville. We bought a house here a year and a half ago, so we have all of our stuff. It was easy."

What made you move?

"That was in our plans all along at the end of my career. There's multiple reasons why, but we're excited. I have to travel for work anyway, so it doesn't matter where I am, but this is more central. I'm going to be going about once a month to go see some of our prospects, and we'll just build from there. But I want to be around for my kids, too. That was the ultimate decision in me retiring, to be around for their growth. These are the years where I'd like to be around more than not."

You were also drafted here in Nashville 20 years ago. Does it bring back memories?

"It was pretty crazy walking in and seeing it all, seeing what these kids are going through."

What is different about the draft now from 20 years ago?

"Well, the kids got to pick their walkup songs I heard, so that's a lot different. My son texted me and asked, 'Did you pick your walkup song?' I was like, 'No bud, we didn't have that back then.' But it's still the same thing. It's about the excitement for these kids and their families."

Do you have a level of excitement, too, that's different, kind of feeling like a rookie again getting into a new career, albeit in the same line of work?

"I do and it's funny because even the staff and things around are different when you walk around the building. I've known everybody in our organization for 19 years, and now I have to figure out what everybody does on a daily basis. I see some of the staff and who they take care of and what they do. That's been cool."