After retiring from the NHL at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, the only question surrounding the retirement of Ryan Getzlaf’s number 15 by the Anaheim Ducks was not a matter of “if”, but “when”. While we speculated earlier this summer, that Getzlaf would be among the next Ducks alumni to have his number retired by the franchise, his close association with Corey Perry and the veteran winger’s drive to stay the NHL, seemed to have put Getzlaf’s ceremony into a holding pattern. However, that date has finally been set, as the Anaheim Ducks announced today that Getzlaf’s number would be retired on January 30th, 2027.

Number 15 goes into the rafters on Jan. 30 and we celebrate the legacy of our 2007 Stanley Cup team on Jan. 28.

Don’t miss our Legacy Nights!

Details ⬇️https://t.co/nQZLXtZ40h

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 1, 2026What took so long?

Honestly, who knows. Getzlaf has been operating in background of the NHL in some capacity or another, since his retirement from Anaheim. This summer though, Getzlaf’s name reemerged, as he was highlighted as an assistant coach for Team Canada in upcoming World Junior Championship. Outside of waiting for Perry to hang up the skates so the ‘twins” could have their jerseys retired together, the Ducks appeared to have been simply waiting for the right moment. With the 20th anniversary of the Ducks’ Stanley Cup win on the horizon, in which Getzlaf was a key cog for the infamous “kid” line, 2027 was a logical choice. The fact that Getzlaf’s jersey retirement night and the Stanley Cup team reunion are happening against the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively, who were fierce rivals during the last hurrah of the Getzlaf era, is both bittersweet and appropriate.

A call that Getz will remember for the rest of his life 🧡 pic.twitter.com/VwOCXTmQQv

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 1, 2026Greatest Duck ever?

Getzlaf spent all of his 17 NHL seasons in Anaheim and was the captain for 11 of those seasons. In terms of franchise records, Getzlaf is first in games played (1,157), first in points (1,019), first in assists (737), and fourth in goals (282). While his play certainly tapered off in the twilight of his career, as the Ducks were fully engrossed in a rebuild, Getzlaf’s vintage style was on full display during the Ducks’ run in the 2017 playoffs and arguably, not only his last great performance, but the Ducks franchise as a whole. With 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) in 17 games and averaging 24:10 of ice time, Getzlaf was in the early conversations for the Conn Smythe, before the Ducks bowed out to the aforementioned Predators in the Western Conference Finals.

Personal thoughts

I loved Getzlaf as a player for the Anaheim Ducks, as he oozed captain material. His large frame and uncanny playmaking ability was truly a one of one combination. Getzlaf brought so many good memories to Ducks fans, me included, and his steady stewardship of the franchise helped the team stay at the forefront of hockey discourse for the better part of a decade. I have a jersey that Getzlaf signed years ago at one of the Ducks’ home openers and has been relegated to the crevices of my closet, since his retirement. Hopefully, I can dust it off one more time and make the cross-country trek to So Cal in January and celebrate with the rest of Orange County, as 15 gets raised next to 8, 9, and 27.

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