Anaheim Duck's Ryan Getzlaf and His Hockey Career

Ryan Getzlaf is most famously known for being on of the alternate captains for the pro hockey team, the Anaheim Ducks. Of course, every hockey player has to start somewhere before they can make it to the National Hockey League. Ryan Getzlaf was born in hockey's homeland, Canada. Getzlaf was born in Regina, Saskatchewan on May 10, 1985, making him 24 years old. He currently weighs 221 pounds and is 6 feet 3 inches tall. Ryan Getzlaf played in the WHL (Western Hockey League), one of the three leagues which makes up the CHL (Canadian Hockey League) and one of the most competitive leagues in the country. Ryan Getzlaf's first season in the WHL was played in 2001-2002 with the Calgary Hitmen.

While in the WHL, Ryan Getzlaf was awarded the Top Draft Prospect award in 2003, the year which he was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks. He was also selected to play on the WHL All Star team in both 2004 and 2005. In 2004 and 2005 he also played for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships, and won a gold medal in 2005.

Ryan Getzlaf was drafted to the NHL by the Anaheim Ducks in 2003, in which he was drafted 8th overall. He remained in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen until the 2004-2005 season when he was assigned to play with the Anaheim Duck's affiliate AHL (American Hockey League) team, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, where he finished out the rest of the season. In the following 2005-2006 season, Ryan Getzlaf was called up by the Anaheim Ducks to play in the NHL and played 57 games with them throughout the season. He was sent back down to the AHL to play with the Portland Pirates for two months before being called back up to the Anaheim Ducks during the 2005-2006 season. In the 2006-2007 season, Getzlaf played all the regular season games (82) with the Ducks, the year which the team won the Stanley Cup for the first time in the history of the team. He is currently still a member of the Anaheim Ducks.

While in the NHL, Ryan Getzlaf has been selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game in 2008 and 2009. In both of the All Star Games he was selected as a starting player. He also holds the Anaheim Duck record for the most assists scored in one game, having five assists in a single game. He also played for Team Canada in the World Championships, in which Team Canada won a silver medal.

ref-www.nhl.com