Ryan Getzlaf was born May 10, 1985 in Regina, Saskatchewan. The first round, 19th overall selection of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Getzlaf is a graduate of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen.
An offensively gifted forward, Getzlaf played four seasons with Calgary tallying 215 points (95-120-215) and is a two-time member of Canada's World Junior team. A silver medalist in 2004 and gold medalist in 2005, Getzlaf finished second in tournament scoring with 12 points (3-9-12) in six games.
In 2005-06, Getzlaf made his NHL debut with Anaheim and spent the majority of the season with the club while seeing limited action with the AHL's Portland Pirates. In his second NHL season, Getzlaf appeared in all 82 games with the Ducks and was a key contributor to the powerplay. In the postseason that year, he led all Ducks in scoring with 7 goals, 10 assists for 17 points en route a Stanley Cup championship.
Getlaf's career continued on the upswing following the Ducks' Stanley Cup Championship. He posted seasons of 82 and 91 points respectively to establish himself as on of the game's elite centres.
Aside from his World Junior Championship experiences, Getzlaf represented his homeland at the 2008 World Championships and again in 2010 when he was part of the Canadian team that captured gold on home soil at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
