Elite Six: Ryan Getzlaf
There are certain players in junior that people stop and say ‘this kid is going to be something special one day’ every time they hit the ice.
These words were echoed numerous times, more so during the NHL lockout season of 2004/05 when then Hitmen captain Ryan Getzlaf was under a bigger spotlight of a packed Saddledome crowd.
The Regina native spent four seasons with the Hitmen from 2001-2005, becoming captain in 2004, where he had a career year statistically, racking up 75 points (28 goals, 47 assists) during the regular season. For career totals with the Hitmen, Getzlaf finished with 95 goals, passing the 25-goal mark in three of the four years, to go along with 120 assists. His offensive output in the Dub was rewarded when he was named to the WHL First All-Star Team in 2003/04 and the Second All-Star team the following year.
Although he never had won the Ed Chynoweth Cup during his time in Calgary, he was able to taste playoff action every year and finished with post-season totals of 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points. He was also a part of the all-star laden 2005 Team Canada world junior hockey championship roster, winning the gold medal and ending the tournament with 12 points, (3 goals, 9 assists)
After being selected in the first round, 19th overall, by the Ducks in 2003, Getzlaf didn’t have to wait long to earn a full-time slot on the main roster. He played 17 games in the AHL in his rookie year, before skating in 57 contests with the Ducks and finishing the season with 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) during the 2005/06 season. There was no sophomore slump the year after, as his point production saw a significant jump playing in all 82 games, reaching the 25-goal plateau for the first time and adding 33 assists for 58 points. And then playoffs came around and Getzlaf, just 22, didn’t crack under the pressure and led the Ducks in scoring for the post-season with 17 points (7 goals, 10 assists) and finished fifth in overall playoff scoring. The end result would be a 4-1 series win over the Ottawa Senators and the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup.
Since then, Getzlaf has emerged as one of the top players in the NHL, and was rewarded for his leadership on the ice and in the dressing room for the Ducks, being named team captain in 2010 as a 25-year-old. In twelve seasons with the Ducks he has tallied 236 goals and 578 assists for 814 points, and also has two Olympic gold medals from 2010 and 2014 to add to his impressive resume.
Getzlaf remains a part of the Hitmen organization, as he helped set up Getzlaf Gamers along with his former billet Scott Lorenz, and TELUS, partnering with the Hitmen and Kids Up Front by sending 20 different groups of 10 kids to attend 20 Hitmen home games in the TELUS suite. Not to mention, he was the very first inductee into the Forever a Hitmen club, being honoured with a banner commemorating his junior days raised to the Scotiabank Saddledome rafters in 2015.
