| NAME: |
Ryan Getzlaf |
| NHL/AHL: |
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim / Portland Pirates |
| POSITION: |
Center |
| HT: |
6-3 |
| WT: |
213 |
| BIRTHDATE: |
May 10, 1985 |
| BIRTHPLACE: |
Regina, Saskatchewan |
| DRAFTED |
2003 NHL Draft, 1st round, 19th OA |
| SHOOTS |
Right |
The new twin towers will not peak over the skyline of Manhattan, but they could be doing serious damage out in the NHL West. Ryan Getzlaf joins Ducks star Corey Perry (No. 1) as the one-two punch in Anaheim.
When you watch Ryan Getzlaf play, see how well he skates, how smoothly he passes, how slippery are his maneuvers, and how deft is his touch around the net, there is one thing that can escape your notice:
How big he is.
Getzlaf, who advertises as 6-3, 213, has a small man's skills in a strong safety's body, using all of them to great effect.
Having honed his game during a seven-week sojourn to Portland earlier in the season, Getzlaf, who piled up 33 points (8 g, 15 a) in 17 games with the Pirates, is back with The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, probably for good.
"He went down to the AHL and really tore it up," said Ducks GM Brian Burke. "Obviously he's not having the same success here, but we believe he's going to be a really solid NHL player, in the not too distant future."
Most of those set ups in Portland were polished off by linemate Corey Perry.
Perry (MLN FAB50 2006 No. 1), is six days younger than Getzlaf. They shuttled Anaheim to Portland back to Anaheim in preparation for greatness.
"If they're going to be dominant offensive players in this league," said Burke, "they have to dominate at every level. They dominated in junior. I told them that the only way they'd get back here is if they dominated down there."
To say Getzlaf dominated in the AHL might be a gross understatement.
That was especially true back on Dec. 17, when he scored three goals and set up three more in a 9-5 trouncing of the Albany River Rats.
Each of his tallies came from his favorite place on the firing line, the left circle. He's flat out deadly from that range.
"I just find those little areas," Getzlaf said. "I'll continue to do that if the guys want to do the work down low."
One opposing AHL coach, after finding Getzlaf's line all but impossible to defend against said, "I still don't know why he's here."
He isn't anymore. Short of leading the Pirates on a Calder Cup parade down Congress Street, Getzlaf has already proven that there's nothing left for him to do in Portland. His development from here on out will come on the fly with the Ducks.
"We know that he's a talented player," said Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle, "(by) the things he's been able to accomplish at the American Hockey League level. But this is a different level. It's a much faster paced game, here. You've got bigger, stronger athletes playing it. There's an adjustment period."
Chances are, it will be the opposition that will be forced to adjust to Getzlaf, and soon. He joins teammate Corey Perry in our first team back-to-back 1-2 knockout punch at the top of the FAB50 Hockey 2006 rankings.
