ANAHEIM – What was once seen as something that would eventually happen became reality Sunday night, and Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf wore proof of that change when he took the ice in the exhibition finale against the Kings.

Getzlaf was selected captain earlier in the day and showed he was comfortable wearing the “C” letter on his sweater as he scored a goal and set up Teemu Selanne’s overtime winner that allowed the Ducks to end the exhibition season with a 3-2 victory at Honda Center.

Getzlaf, 25, becomes the eighth captain in franchise history and succeeds Scott Niedermayer, who held that role for four of his five seasons before announcing his retirement in June.

“I’m extremely honored to be that with the room that we have here,” Getzlaf said, noting that he’s “following in some pretty good footsteps.”

“It could have easily been on a few jerseys tonight,” he added.

The organization long has groomed him for the captaincy and it took a large step toward that in making him alternate captain last season. But this decision was left to a vote by the players instead of Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, who usually made the final call.

The other leading candidates were Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne, who will hold the alternate roles. Koivu and Selanne referred to the role as being a challenge that Getzlaf is now ready for.

“Sometimes it might kind of bring a bit more pressure but in Getzy’s case, it’s a good thing,” Koivu said. “One thing he has to remember is that he got named and voted as a captain because of who he is and what he’s done. And the personality that he has.

“He can’t change anything. He has to be himself. And that’s going to be enough.”

Said Selanne: “I honestly think it’s Getzy’s time.”

There were sure signs of that Sunday as he flashed the kind of ability that put together team-leading campaigns of 82 and 91 points in 2007-08 and 2008-09 before he slipped to 69 points last season in what was an injury-plagued year.

Early in the third period, Getzlaf put a perfect stretch pass off the boards to a streaking Matt Beleskey, who got off a shot that Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier stopped. Brendan Mikkelson jumped on the rebound and nicely fed Getzlaf for a 2-0 lead.

Like they often did last season, the Ducks couldn’t handle prosperity as Justin Williams scored a shorthanded goal with 4:10 remaining and Brad Richardson deflected in Jack Johnson’s wrist shot from the point to tie the game with 2:43 left.

But the Kings, who didn’t dress Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Ryan Smyth, were whistled for too many men on the ice 40 seconds into overtime and Getzlaf deftly put the puck in the perfect spot for Selanne to hammer in a one-timer.

Carlyle acknowledged that symbolic move of the team transitioning from Niedermayer to Getzlaf and said the vote shows that the big center has the players’ support.

“This is another step in the maturity process of a Ryan Getzlaf, not only within our team but within the league,” Getzlaf said. “We know that there’s young captains around. We know that there’s young players that play prominent roles. He’s expected to play a very prominent role for our hockey club.”

Getzlaf said the role won’t change the way he plays on the ice.

“You don’t become the captain and then change what you’re doing,” he said. “It’s like becoming the president and changing everything that you campaigned about. It’s just a thing that you grow into and I was lucky enough to be honored with it today.”

PROGRESS MADE

The Kings were shorthanded but that didn’t stop the Ducks from feeling as if they made some progress toward the end of a skittish camp full of changes and experiments.

A beleaguered penalty-killing unit erased all six Kings power plays while goalie Jonas Hiller looks like he’s in top form as he made 41 saves.

But Carlyle pointedly noted that “we still haven’t created our own identity.”

“There’s times that we play well and we play the way we can,” Koivu said. “But I think we’re missing the consistency right now that we’re looking for. It’s still early.”

CUTS LOOM

The Ducks will need to trim two more forwards by the Wednesday’s deadline in order to get to the league maximum of 23 and Carlyle said “this is always a tense time for some players.”

Center Ryan Carter could be put on waivers again, as he was during the summer. Josh Green, Maxime Macenauer and Dan Sexton could also be on the bubble.