ANAHEIM -- When Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf played in the 2009 All-Star Game, he got to start with teammates Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Scott Niedermayer at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
It was a sentimental moment for Giguere, a Montreal-area native, and the last All-Star Game for Niedermayer, who retired the next season.
With Giguere and Niedermayer retired, the Ducks have been Getzlaf's team since he succeeded Niedermayer as captain in 2010.
After an initial struggle with the leadership role, Getzlaf has owned it the past two seasons and will play in the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Sunday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus (5 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports), his third All-Star Game. He will also be an assistant captain for the 2015 NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft presented by DraftKings on Friday (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports).
Getzlaf, tied for third in the NHL in assists (35) and seventh in points (50), is making another case for the Hart Trophy after his runner-up finish last season. He picked up the slack with 19 points in 14 games when linemate Corey Perry was out with a knee injury and mumps.