Getzlaf on Setting Franchise Record: 'I'm Really Glad it Happened Here'

The last thing in the world Ryan Getzlaf wanted was a big fuss.
On the cusp of breaking the Ducks franchise record for career points, he admitted being "uncomfortable" about all of the extras that went with it. But when it finally happened, it all seemed worth it.

Sunday afternoon, midway through the third period of a tie game with the Montreal Canadiens, Getzlaf made a beautiful touch pass that led to a Troy Terry breakaway goal to give the Ducks the lead in an eventual 4-2 victory. It was the 989th career point for Getzlaf, eclipsing the record held by fellow Ducks legend and former teammate Teemu Selanne.
Terry himself jumped into Getzlaf's arms just before teammates spilled off the bench to join the celebration. Cheers rained down from a jubilant crowd that included 13 Getzlaf family members.

"It means a lot," Getzlaf said on the live broadcast after being named the game's First Star. "Having my kids and my wife and mom here, obviously doing it at home here is the best. This is where I wanted this to happen, and I'm very grateful it was able to."
He was just as happy to get it all over with, he admitted. "This whole process has been a little bit weird," Getzlaf said. "You guys have been around me long enough to know the numbers thing makes me a little uncomfortable. I don't really like to talk about it. It's not really about that. But I get to enjoy it now.
"My wife and I talked the other night, and I had to ask her, 'Stop talking about it please.' It's weird to have to make sure my kids are at the games when they have lives too. But it means the world to me to have them all here, and we're able to do it in front of our fans. That's a big step for us, and I'm really glad it happened here in this building. That was a great thing for me."
Getzlaf was just as humble talking about how the record play developed, even though most people watching saw it simply as yet another dazzling pass among the countless feeds he's made in a decorated 17-year career in Anaheim.
"First, I was out of position. I was supposed to go back and swing with Timmy in the corner," admitted Getzlaf, using the nickname teammates have bestowed upon Troy Terry. "But I saw Sonny [Milano] going to build speed, and obviously those guys are a lot speedier than me. I actually like to push up the wing there, and I saw Timmy with all the speed through the middle, and I just kind of had to read where that d-man was going to be, and I was able to touch it to him going through the middle."

Terry was thrilled to be the beneficiary, though he claimed he got so caught up in the moment, "I forgot that I even scored it. It was just so cool for me. As soon as it happened, just to jump into his arms like that, it was a special moment. Selfishly, it was probably one of the coolest moments of my hockey career and something I'll remember forever."
Terry says part of the reason is that he looks up to the Ducks captain just like a young Getzlaf used to admire Selanne.
"The way he talks about Teemu and what he did for Southern California hockey, and how much he learned from him, it was wild for me to listen to him talk about someone meaning that to him, because that's exactly what he was to me," says the 24-year-old Terry. "Just having that guy to look up to, it's so cool he was able to break his record. Last year was tough on everyone, but the way that he would come into the rink every day, the way he treats his family, the way he treats everyone around the rink and everyone in the organization, he has the utmost respect for everyone. He doesn't have to demand respect. He's just really the perfect role model and someone I've got very close with and developed some chemistry on the ice with."
That's the type of mentality Getzlaf says he learned from nine seasons as a teammate of the Finnish Flash.
"Teemu was a mentor for me when I came in, to have a guy of his stature as a teammate," Getzlaf said. "I got to sit beside him in the locker room, and I learned a lot of things away from the game from Teemu that people don't see, how to conduct yourself, deal with the fans, deal with the media and deal with the day-to-day grind. This is a tough league, and I got to watch Teemu enjoy it at an age when most of us can't skate anymore. I was fortunate to play with a lot of great players, and Teemu was definitely one of them that I looked up to."
The Ducks will honor Getzlaf for passing Selanne on Friday night vs. Arizona at Honda Center, which promises to be just another special moment in the careers of both Anaheim legends.
"It's amazing these moments like this," Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. "You can go through a whole career as a player and coach, and moments like this are few and far between. You'll get a handful of them if you're lucky. To have the privilege to work beside him and be one of his coaches, it's an incredible night for everyone. Ryan makes it a special night for everyone."