Ryan Getzlaf had four points Sunday in his final NHL game before the Olympics. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)Ryan Getzlaf has been cleared to play for the Canadian Olympic team, Hockey Canada announced Monday.
The big forward suffered a sprained left ankle last week during a game between his Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings. He missed Anaheim's next two games, leading to speculation that Team Canada executive director Steve Yzerman could elect to replace him with fellow forward Jeff Carter before the Monday afternoon deadline for submitting final rosters.
But Getzlaf responded to doubts about the health of his ankle by recording two goals and two assists in Sunday night's 7-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. The impressive performance gave him 61 points — the 18th-highest total in the NHL this season.
After the game, Getzlaf joined Ducks teammates Corey Perry and Scott Niedermayer on a charter plane arranged by Hockey Canada to transport them from Edmonton to Vancouver. Carter arrived earlier in the day, but will now be idle during the NHL's Olympic break, which extends through Feb. 28.
Canada plays its first game on Tuesday against Norway.
