Ryan Getzlaf has had 15 years full of incredible moments with the Anaheim Ducks. The staff at Pucks of a Feather relives their favorite memories of the captain in anticipation of his 1,000th game.
After a disappointing defeat in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim drafted Ryan Getzlaf with their 19th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Since then, he has gone on to break several records with the Anaheim Ducks. He leads the team in total career assists, he is the longest-tenured captain in franchise history, and tonight, he will be the first player to play 1,000 games with the Ducks.
We’ve had 15 incredible seasons full of memories with the Anaheim Ducks captain. Some of us remember him from the early days when he led the team to a Stanley Cup in just his second season with the team. There are others of us who can recall his most recent triumphs. The staff at Pucks of a Feather took a few moments today to relive our favorite Ryan Getzlaf memories in anticipation of his 1,00th game.
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Reliving our Favorite Ryan Getzlaf Memories
Alan Negrete: One of my favorite memories is when Getzlaf helped Derek Stepan get out of nearby scrap. He showed what a true leader should do, whether it’s his team or the opponent. He knew what the right thing to do was, and he did it without hesitation.
Jonathan Morris: Ryan Getzlaf vs Joe Thornton in the 2009 Western Conference Quarter-Finals. I loved watching the two captains just throwing down at the faceoff dot. It was gnarly.
Jordan German: The first goal in the Comeback on Katella. I was out rollerskating that night, and I had ended up listening to the radio broadcast of the game, but I shut it off after we were down for so long. When I came back towards the end of the night, I heard the call of Getzlaf scoring the goal, and knowing that it was the captain, I knew the team might have some rally left in them. That’s why I love that specific goal, it was Getzlaf that picked up the whole team to start that amazing comeback.
Ciara Durant: This might be an odd memory to some, mainly because it’s not one of the moments Getzlaf is typically recognized for. On February 12, 2013, Anaheim faced off against the Chicago Blackhawks and won 3-2 in the shoot out. This was the first Ducks game I ever watched.
Normally, I associate this game with Corey Perry because he scored the winning goal in the shootout, but if not for Ryan Getzlaf’s game-opening goal in the second period, I don’t know if I would have continued watching the game for very long. There are so many other wonderful memories I have of our captain, but that specific goal will always stand out to me as a big reason I am an Anaheim Ducks fan.
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