Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf announces he’ll retire following the 2021-22 season

After 17 seasons in the NHL, Ryan Getzlaf is hanging up his skates.

The Anaheim Ducks announced on Tuesday that the team’s captain will be retiring at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Thank you, Captain. #FlyTogether https://t.co/36YM5HiEXQ

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 5, 2022

Getzlaf was drafted by the Mighty Ducks in the first round of the 2003 draft. He made his debut with the team in 2005-06 and helped the Ducks win their first Stanley Cup in 2006-07. Getzlaf was named captain in 2010 after Scott Niedermayer retired.

The eight-year, $66-million deal Gezlaf signed back in 2013 expired this past offseason but he returned to the Ducks on a one-year contract. Back in November, Getzlaf reached the 1,000-point plateau. He is one of just 46 NHL players to record 1,000 points with a single franchise.

“It’s been an honor to play in the NHL and spend my entire professional career with one organization,” Getzlaf said through the team’s press release. “None of this would have been possible without my family, who offered unwavering love and support each step of the way.”

A Stanley Cup winner and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Getzlaf is very likely to wind up in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He’ll also surely have his number retired by the Ducks, as he’s their franchise leader in games played with 1,150 and points with 1,013.

Getzlaf’s last home game in Anaheim will be on April 24 as the Ducks host the St. Louis Blues. His final game will take place in Dallas on April 29.