Ducks captain, two-time Olympic gold medallist Ryan Getzlaf to retire after season

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf will retire at the conclusion of the regular season, ending his 17-year NHL career spent entirely with one club.

The 36-year-old Getzlaf made his announcement Tuesday. The Ducks (28-31-12) have 11 games left in what's almost certain to be their fourth consecutive non-playoff season.

Getzlaf has been one of the top playmaking centres in hockey for most of his career, scoring 1,013 points in 1,150 games since his NHL debut in October 2005 with the then-Mighty Ducks. A sublime passer with remarkable vision on the ice, he became Anaheim's career franchise scoring leader last Oct. 31, and he became the 92nd player in league history to score 1,000 points on Nov. 16.

He is a Stanley Cup champion, a two-time Olympic gold medallist for Canada, a three-time NHL all-star and the runner-up for the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP in 2014.

Despite missing 22 games with various injuries this season, Getzlaf is tied for fourth on the Ducks' roster in scoring with three goals and 28 assists. He has at least 25 assists for the 16th time in his 17 seasons even though he sat out most of the past month with a lower-body injury.

Getzlaf's decision is the second landmark of a new era for the Ducks, one of the Western Conference's most consistently successful teams of the 21st century before the past four seasons. Bob Murray, Anaheim's general manager since 2008, resigned last November after being accused of repeated verbal abuse of team employees.

Getzlaf has remained a beloved figure among Orange County fans who adore his playmaking abilities and revere his loyalty to their often-overlooked club. He expressed that loyalty again last season when he declined to be traded to a contender to chase a late-career