Regina’s Ryan Getzlaf to retire at end of NHL season

Regina product Ryan Getzlaf is calling it a career.

The 36-year-old Getzlaf — one of only 13 hockey players ever to win two Olympic gold medals and a Stanley Cup title — announced his retirement Tuesday. He’s to play his final NHL regular-season game April 24, when his Anaheim Ducks play host to the St. Louis Blues.

“It’s been an honour to play in the NHL and spend my entire professional career with one organization,” Getzlaf said in a statement on the Ducks’ website. “None of this would have been possible without my family, who offered unwavering love and support each step of the way.”

Getzlaf, whom the Ducks selected in the first round (19th overall) of the 2003 NHL draft, has been the team’s captain for the past 12 seasons.

He’s the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in both the regular season (1,013 points) and the playoffs (120), and has appeared in a team-record 1,150 regular-season games. He’s one of only 46 NHL players ever to record 1,000 points with one team.

A three-time NHL all-star, Getzlaf helped the Ducks win the 2007 Stanley Cup championship. He represented Canada nine times in his career, winning gold medals at the 2003 under-18 world championship, the 2005 world junior tournament, the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

He has three goals and 28 assists in 49 games this season, during which he has dealt with injuries.