ANAHEIM — Trevor Zegras, a 20-year-old rookie center, stepped behind the lectern and in front of the klieg lights first Wednesday, taking off his cap and apologizing for his sweating mane of hair. He smiled broadly, laughed and spoke of his sense of anticipation hours before his first NHL opening night.
Ryan Getzlaf, a 36-year-old veteran center, went next. He didn’t have a cap to remove. His cleanly shaved head glistened in the harsh light shining upon him. He smiled broadly, laughed and spoke of his sense of anticipation hours before his 17th NHL opening night.
“I’m definitely excited,” Zegras said. “It’s the first time with fans (in the stands) in a while for me and a bunch of the other guys, too. It’s going to be a little new playing a team out of the division (the Winnipeg Jets) in a while. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect. I assume it’s going to be awesome.”
Getzlaf shared Zegras’ enthusiasm, eager for a fresh start.
“Very exciting,” said Getzlaf, the Ducks’ longest-serving captain, having held the job since 2010-11. “After coming off the year we had last year, with no fans, kind of a rough season, that kind of stuff, all of it points positive now. We’re looking to get back out there now with the fans.
“It’s fun watching some of these (young) guys and the development they had last year and the expectations going into this year, to see how they handle all that stuff. I’m already excited right now. To be able to go out there and play the game we love in front of people, and enjoy the whole process, it’s going to be great.”
Zegras went into the Ducks’ season-opening game against the Jets with 13 points in 24 games, which meant he was still classified as a rookie in the eyes of the NHL. Getzlaf went into it with 982 points, six shy of Hall of Fame right wing Teemu Selanne’s franchise record, in a team-record 1,101 games.
Zegras, 6-feet, 185 pounds, hails from Bedford, New York.
Getzlaf, 6-3, 228, is from Regina, Saskatchewan.
No two men could represent the two ends of the Ducks’ 2021-22 spectrum more than Zegras and Getzlaf. Zegras is the face of the franchise’s future, and maybe its present, too. Getzlaf is the face of the team’s past, and maybe its present, too, given his long-term impact and significance.
HONORARY DUCK
Luke Gane, a special education teacher at Westminster High School, was honored as the 21st Duck, as “someone who embodies characteristics such as great perseverance, character, courage, inspiration or a person who is making significant contributions to our community.”
Gane was a football player at Edison High School in Huntington Beach when he was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia in 2008, which required a bone marrow transplant. Jacob, his youngest brother, was a match. After a lengthy hospital stay, Luke recovered and subsequently dedicated his life to helping others.