Getzlaf has a few thoughts about Ducks' next captain
VOORHEES, N.J. >> When the Ducks arrive at training camp in September, they'll be tasked with something they haven't done since the 2010-11 season. They must select a new team captain for the first time since Ryan Getzlaf inherited the “C” from a retiring Scott Niedermayer.
Who will it be?
It's been a burning question since Getzlaf announced Tuesday he would retire at season's end.
There are several possibilities, including Cam Fowler and Adam Henrique.
Or the Ducks could go without one for the time being, relying on two, three or more who would serve as rotating assistant captains. Other teams have done that and managed to handle the leadership business just fine, breaking with a wellestablished tradition that predates the franchise.
Only a handful of players have served as the Ducks' captain since the team began play in 1993-94, none longer than Getzlaf. Troy Loney, Randy Ladouceur, Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Steve Rucchin, Chris Pronger and Niedermayer had the job before Getzlaf took on the role.
Kariya, Selanne, Pronger and Niedermayer are Hall of Famers.
“I got to learn from some of the best in the business and I had lots of support around me, especially when I was young,” Getzlaf said, referring specifically to Pronger and Niedermayer. “It's a tremendous honor to be a captain in this league. I didn't take that lightly when it was given to me.”
Getzlaf couldn't (or wouldn't) say who might be named captain after he plays his farewell game April 24 against the St. Louis Blues at Honda Center. If he had a favorite, he wasn't going to share his opinion after the Ducks practiced at the Philadelphia Flyers' suburban training facility Friday.
Certainly, no one could say with any degree of certainty who might want the job. Or who might still be on the roster after Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek completes his first offseason in his new job. It's also unclear what role, if any, Getzlaf might have in picking his successor.
“I believe there are a couple of guys who would be comfortable doing that,” Getzlaf said without naming names.
Fowler, who joined the Ducks as an 18-year-old in 2010-11 and has only known Getzlaf as his captain, could be one. Fowler and Henrique, another possible candidate for the captaincy, have been among the rotating assistant captains the past few seasons and have assumed leadership roles.
It's a difficult but rewarding job, according to Getzlaf.
“There are all kinds of learning curves to it,” he said. “I've had to change over the years, had to relearn how to lead three years ago when the league started changing and players were changing, all that kind of stuff. If you don't say you're learning, you're not really doing anything.
“It's a matter of trying to understand your teammates and what's going on. It's not going to change who I am or the way I go about things. I never looked at it like a burden. It wasn't like anything that changed me. One hundred percent, when you look back on history at the guys who have worn it and what they've done for the game, it's definitely an honor.”
Getzlaf will be missed, to the point of being all but irreplaceable, according to Fowler. It might mean the Ducks don't have a captain for next season. Or, at least, no one who wears the “C,” as Getzlaf has with such distinction for 12 years during his 17-season, Hall of Fame-caliber career.
It might even be beneficial to play without a captain in 2022-23 and beyond.
“I think it's going to be more of a collective leadership thing once Getzy hangs them up,” Fowler said. “That's a big hole to fill and it's not going to take one person to do that. It's going to be myself, `Rico' (Henrique), `Shatty' (Kevin Shattenkirk), guys who have been around a while to help fill the gaps there.
“For myself, personally, I'm just going to go about my business as I always have and try to lead on the ice — that's more what I bring to the table — and be a teammate to all these guys. They know they can rely on me in all situations. That will be my main focus moving forward.”
Getzlaf skated with his teammates Friday, but said he was unsure if he could play today against the Flyers. He said he believed he would play “at some point on the trip” to face the Flyers, Hurricanes, Panthers and former teammate Corey Perry and the Lightning.
He's been sidelined for 13 of the past 15 games because of a foot injury.