The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ducks star Getzlaf shows he’s a team player to the end
Ryan Getzlaf skated in with the puck on his stick and a clear path to goal. With an entire building practically begging him to shoot, the Anaheim Ducks’ longtime captain glanced left, spun right and feathered a breathtaking, behindthe-back pass to trailing teammate Adam Henrique, who did not miss.
The final point of Getzlaf ’s 17 NHL seasons both epitomized and punctuated everything that made him one of the greatest playmaking centers of his era and a monumental player in California hockey.
Nearly every time when he could have gone for personal glory — whether in trying to score more goals, or in leaving the struggling Ducks for a better team late in his career — Getzlaf chose his teammates first. He refused to change his style or his address, and Anaheim returned his love yet again when he finally said farewell.
Getzlaf got his 737th career assist on that pass to Henrique with 2:41 to play, stylishly wrapping up a career spent entirely with the Ducks in a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night.
Getzlaf finished his prolific career with 1,019 points, the 88th-most in league history — but few of those points will be more memorable than his final assist. Getzlaf broke in practically unmarked on St. Louis goalie Ville Husso, but in keeping with the pass-first philosophy that defined his career, he found a creative way for the Ducks to score.
“Absolutely not,” Getzlaf said when asked if he considered a shot. “There wasn’t a chance in my mind I was shooting that puck. It’s funny how those things fall into your lap and happen that way. I couldn’t ask for a better way to finish it.”
The standing-room-only crowd at Honda Center repeatedly roared for Getzlaf from his first step on the ice to his final, teary departure. After the final whistle, he stepped under a spotlight on the center circle in the darkened arena and gave his thanks to the fans and his family while both teams looked on.
“That was more than I could have ever imagined,” Getzlaf said. “I couldn’t ask for more.”
Henrique got the honor of converting Getzlaf ’s final assist, but it came laden with pressure.
“I was a little nervous,” Henrique said. “I was thinking he’s in a spot (where) he should shoot, but it’s Getzy, so of course he makes a spin-o-rama pass right on the tape. I just tried to be ready for it and not think too much. It’s special to be a part of that.”
Getzlaf, 36, is the Ducks’ franchise leader in points, assists, playoff scoring and games played, and he served as the Ducks’ captain for 12 seasons. An often-brilliant passer with impressive ice vision and a mean streak, he became the 92nd player in NHL history to score 1,000 points last November — and only the 45th to do it with one team.
With their playoff hopes already dashed, the Ducks turned their home finale into a tribute game for Getzlaf. Thousands of fans lined up outside two hours before the arena doors opened.
Getzlaf won’t play in the Ducks’ final two games.