Photo credit: NHL

Former Anaheim Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf has left the team to join the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

The announcement came from the NHL itself. Getzlaf, who has two Olympic gold medals, will team up again with George Parros, another ex-Ducks player who works there.

It’s not yet clear what Getzlaf’s exact role will be, but Parros mentioned today that Getzlaf’s playing experience will be very useful to the department.

«We are thrilled to welcome Ryan as the newest member of our department,» Parros said. «His accomplishments on the ice speak for themselves: he won at every level and was widely respected for being a hard-nosed and highly-skilled Player and effective leader. From his rookie NHL season in 2005 until his recent retirement, he lived and played through many of the changes our game has seen, which will provide our group with unique and valuable perspective moving forward.»

Getzlaf won a Stanley Cup and retired after the 2021-22 season, he returned to Anaheim in June 2023 as a player development coordinator.