Former Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf will make his international coaching debut as an assistant with Team Canada at the 2027 World Juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer.
“This is just another stepping stone, another learning experience for me,” the veteran of 1,157 NHL games told TSN. “I think I have a lot of things I’ve been able to gain obviously over my career ... I can help these kids. I’ve been sitting in their seat before. I’m just excited to get back into the game.”
Getzlaf, who retired as a player in 2022, worked alongside Hockey Canada management at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, the 2025 World Championship and the 2026 Olympics as a player relations advisor.
Getzlaf spent the 2023-24 season as a development coach with the Ducks. What is drawing the 41-year-old from Regina to coaching?
“Just being back down in the locker room,” he said. “There’s nothing that’s better than sitting in a locker room with guys going to battle and having an understanding of what it takes to sit in that seat. I’m excited to kind of share some of that and get back to that camaraderie down there.”
Getzlaf will work under head coach Misha Donskov and alongside fellow assistants Drew Bannister, Brad Lauer and Jim Hulton.
Canada is looking to win gold at the under-20 event for the first time since 2023 in Halifax when Connor Bedard led the way to the top of the podium. After falling in the quarter-finals in 2024 and 2025, Canada lost in the semifinals in 2026 before salvaging a bronze medal.
Getzlaf won World Junior gold in 2005 and was part of Canada’s Olympic champion teams in 2010 and 2014. He also helped Canada claim the 2016 World Cup title. He’s hungry to win again.
“It’s as high as it’s ever been,” Getzlaf said of his motivation. “I took a lot of pride in playing for Canada and when we put that jersey on, [it’s] very well-known that it’s gold medal or bust. I think that every time we approach those tournaments that’s what we expect. I would love to be part of getting it back there. Obviously, the 4 Nations, we had success, which was great, but we need to get back on that international stage and get back to winning ways.”
Getzlaf lifted the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007 while playing under Randy Carlyle. He also learned from coaches like Dallas Eakins and Bruce Boudreau during his 17 seasons in Anaheim.
“You learn from everybody,” Getzlaf said. “You learn different things. I mean, I had some great coaches over my career. Dallas was a very, very good communicator. He talked a lot with me. Randy was a little more hard-nosed, but, at the same time, fair. And then Bruce was kind of an enjoyable guy and we had a blast. So, you take little bits and pieces. I look at it almost like a leadership role. I watched Scott Niedermayer lead and Chris Pronger and Teemu Selanne and I kind of took my style away from some of their stuff as well as being yourself.”
So, what is Getzlaf’s coaching style?
“We’ll find out, I guess,” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t know if I have a style yet. I haven’t really experienced that. But I think that I’m just going to be myself. That’s it. I think one of the biggest issues you can have as a coach is trying to be something you’re not and players will see that right away. I address it almost like being a leader in the locker room. It’s going to be the same kind of concept where I want to be able to sit with guys, joke around, be able to tell them things that I know when they’re doing wrong and [hear] things that they’re going to be able to share with me that will help our group.”
A guiding principle will be openness to new ideas and different viewpoints.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is nobody knows everything,” Getzlaf said. “And, as a coach, you don’t know everything. You’re going to learn stuff from the kids, and I think you have to be present right now and be a communicator. This is a day and age where these kids want a lot of information and they want to talk about things and you gotta be approachable.”
Getzlaf and the rest of the staff will get to work next week when Hockey Canada holds a summer camp for World Junior hopefuls in Windsor, Ont., which will include games against the United States, Finland and Sweden.
