Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman (born May 9, 1965) is a
Canadian-AmericanA Canadian-American is an American of Canadian descent. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in, Canada, and then relocated to the United States.Since...
member of the
Hockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
who played his entire
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league as a joint venture for its self perpetuating membership of 30 franchised member clubs located in the United States and Canada...
(NHL) career with the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings is a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL....
. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. Yzerman led the Wings to three
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club cup trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion. It has been referred to as The Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championships (1997, 1998 and 2002; Yzerman also won a 4th Stanley Cup as the Red Wings Vice President of Operations in 2007–08). In
20022002 Winter Olympic Games Ice hockey games were held at the E Center and Peaks Ice Arena in Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host United States in both games.-Men:Source:...
Yzerman won an Olympic gold medal as a member of Canada's national hockey team. This makes him one of only three players to win an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year (
Ken MorrowKenneth Arlington Morrow is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman and currently serves as the New York Islanders' director of pro scouting...
and
Brendan ShanahanBrendan Frederick Shanahan is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey winger free agent in the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, Shanahan has also previously played with the St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red...
are the others). Prior to the 1986–87 season at the age of 21, Yzerman was named
captainIn ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey.-Responsibilities and importance:...
of the Red Wings and continuously served as captain until his retirement two decades later. Yzerman retired as the longest-serving captain of any team in North American major league sports history. Once voted to be the most popular athlete in
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
sports history, locals often simply refer to Yzerman as "The Captain."
Yzerman won numerous awards during his career, including the
Lester B. Pearson AwardThe Lester B. Pearson Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. The Lester B. Pearson Award has been awarded 38 times to 22 different players since its beginnings in 1971...
in 1989, the
Conn Smythe TrophyThe Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 44 times to 38 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as the Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in
1998The 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1998 following the 1997–98 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
, the
Selke TrophyThe Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season.It has been awarded 31 times to...
as the league's best defensive forward in 2000, and the
Bill Masterton Memorial TrophyThe Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...
for perseverance in 2003. He was a ten-time NHL All-Star, a
First Team All-StarThe NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.-From 1931–40:-From...
in 2000, and a member of the
All-Rookie TeamThe NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...
in 1984.
On July 3, 2006, Yzerman officially retired, finishing his career ranked as the
sixth all-time leading scorer in NHL history and on September 25, 2006 was named as a team vice president. His jersey #
1919 is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number.In English speech, the numbers 19 and 90 are often confused. When carefully enunciated, they differ in which syllable is stressed: 19 vs 90...
, was officially retired on January 2, 2007 during a pre-game ceremony at
Joe Louis ArenaJoe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...
in Detroit.
He currently serves as Vice President/Alternate Governor of the Red Wings, having been immediately added to the front office upon his retirement.
On November 4, 2008 Steve Yzerman was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
Yzerman was appointed Executive Director of Team Canada on October 7, 2008.
Early Years
Yzerman was born in
CranbrookCranbrook, British Columbia is a city in southeast British Columbia, seat of the Regional District of East Kootenay. As of 2006, Cranbrook's population is 18,947, and the metro population is 27,229....
,
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
, but grew up in
Nepean, OntarioNepean was a city / local municipality adjacent to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada until it was amalgamated with the 10 other municipalities that formed the Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton in 2001 to become the new city of Ottawa. However, the name Nepean continues in common usage in reference...
(a suburb of
OttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada and a municipality within the Province of Ontario. Located in the Ottawa Valley in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, the city lies on the southern banks of the Ottawa River, a major waterway forming the local boundary between the Provinces of Ontario and...
, now a district in that city) where he attended
Bell High SchoolBell High School is a high school in the Bells Corners region of Ottawa.The school was established in 1962 by the Carleton Board of Education as a public high school, and named after Richard E. Bell...
and played for his hometown
Nepean RaidersThe Nepean Raiders are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team from Nepean, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Junior A Hockey League. The town of Nepean was granted expansion after the Cornwall Royals and the Hull Hawks left the CJHL for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
Junior A hockey team. After one season with the Raiders, the
Peterborough PetesThe Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...
of the
Ontario Hockey LeagueThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
drafted him, and he played
centerThe centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
for the Petes from 1981 to 1983.
The
1983 NHL Entry DraftThe 1983 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1983. The NHL Entry Draft is the primary means by which players arrive in the National Hockey League. The St. Louis Blues did not to participate in this draft, shortly after the league blocked the franchise's...
was the first for
MikeMichael "Mike" Ilitch Sr. , is an entrepreneur and owner of the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers. In addition to his sports ownerships, he is the founder and owner of Little Caesars Pizza since 1959, which has become an international fast food franchise...
and Marian Ilitch, who had purchased the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 1982. Looking to inject some excitement into a once-proud franchise,
Jim DevellanoJames "Jimmy" Devellano currently serves as the senior vice-president of the Detroit Red Wings National Hockey League team and vice-president of the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team....
, the Red Wings' then-general manager, wanted to draft
Pat LaFontainePatrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
, who had grown up outside Detroit and played his junior hockey in the area. However, when the
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
took LaFontaine third overall, Devellano settled on Yzerman, drafting him fourth overall.
Standing 5 foot 11 inches and weighing just 160 pounds, the Red Wings were prepared to send Yzerman back to Peterborough for another year, but "after one (training camp) session, you knew he was a tremendous hockey player," said
Ken HollandKen Mark Holland is a retired Canadian professional goaltender and current general manager and executive Vice President of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Holland was drafted in the 12th Round, 188th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft...
, the current Red Wings general manager who was a minor league goaltender for the Wings during Yzerman's rookie training camp. Yzerman tallied 39 goals and 87 points in his rookie season, and finished second in Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) voting. That season, Yzerman also became the youngest player in an All-Star Game at the age of 18.
Becoming a Leader
On October 7, 1986,
Jacques DemersJacques Demers is a Canadian former head coach for the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League. He is currently an analyst for the Montreal Canadiens games on RDS...
, who was the Red Wings coach at the time, named Yzerman captain of the team, making him the youngest captain in the team's history. Demers said he "wanted a guy with the Red Wings crest tattooed on his chest." The next season, Yzerman led the Wings to their first division title in 23 years.
During the 1988–89 season Yzerman recorded 155 points (65 goals/90 assists), a total that only
Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently a part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League...
and
Mario LemieuxMario Lemieux, CQ is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2005...
have surpassed. Yzerman finished third in regular season scoring behind Lemieux and Gretzky, won the
Lester B. Pearson AwardThe Lester B. Pearson Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. The Lester B. Pearson Award has been awarded 38 times to 22 different players since its beginnings in 1971...
(MVP as voted by the NHLPA), and was a finalist for the Hart Trophy (MVP as voted by the NHL writers).
When
Scotty BowmanWilliam Scott Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit...
took over as coach in 1993, Yzerman initially chafed under Bowman's stern coaching style. Bowman, for his part, felt that Yzerman wasn't concentrating enough on defense; Bowman had long expected his forwards to be good back-checkers as well. Relations between the two became so strained that at one point, the Red Wings seriously considered trading him to the
Ottawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. However, Yzerman gradually became a better defender, and is now considered one of the best two-way forwards in the history of the game.
In 1995, Yzerman led Detroit to its first
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club cup trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion. It has been referred to as The Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals series since 1966, but the Red Wings were swept by the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Before the start of the 1995–96 NHL season, Yzerman's leadership was called into question and soon he had to deal with rumors that he was about to be traded to the
Ottawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, a deal that never materialized. Detroit would finish the season with an NHL-record 62 regular season wins and were heavily favored to win the Stanley Cup. Yzerman scored perhaps the most memorable goal of his career in the 1996 playoffs, beating
St. Louis BluesThe St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues," and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
goalie
Jon CaseyJon Casey is a retired American ice hockey goaltender.Jon Casey was born in Grand Rapids Minnesota to James and Colleen Casey. He is the second of four children....
with a slap shot from the blue line to win the Western Conference Semifinals in double overtime of Game 7. However, the Red Wings would fall short of their ultimate goal, losing in six games to the
Colorado AvalancheThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1996 and 2001. The franchise was founded in...
in the Western Conference Finals.
The Glory Years
In 1997, Yzerman would put to rest all doubts of his ability to lead a team to a championship as Detroit won its first
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club cup trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion. It has been referred to as The Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 42 years by sweeping the
Philadelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Part of the 1967 NHL Expansion, the Flyers were the first non-Original Six to win the Stanley Cup,...
. The following year Detroit repeated the feat, sweeping the
Washington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup title. Yzerman earned the
Conn Smythe TrophyThe Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 44 times to 38 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as playoff MVP. He handed the Cup first to wheelchair-bound
Vladimir KonstantinovVladimir Konstantinov is a former professional hockey player who played his entire NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, he had played for Soviet club HC CSKA Moscow...
, who had been severely injured in a car accident just six days after the Cup victory in 1997.
On November 26, 1999, Yzerman became the 11th player in NHL history to score 600 goals. In 2000, he made the
NHL All-Star First TeamThe NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.-From 1931–40:-From...
and won the
Frank J. Selke TrophyThe Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season.It has been awarded 31 times to...
.
In
2001–02The 2001–02 Detroit Red Wings season was the 76th National Hockey League season in Detroit, Michigan. The Wings scored 116 points, winning the Central Division, their third Presidents' Trophy, and home ice throughout the playoffs....
, Yzerman re-aggravated a knee injury, forcing him to miss 30 regular season games. Yet, he still finished sixth in team scoring. Yzerman's knee greatly pained him during the
2002 Stanley Cup PlayoffsThe 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championships of the National Hockey League was played from April until June. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes four games to one to clinch the 10th championship in their history. It was the Hurricanes first ever appearance in the championship...
, but this didn't stop him from leading the Red Wings from an early 2-0 deficit in their opening round series to defeat the
Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and St. Louis Blues en route to Detroit's sixth playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche to decide the Western Conference Championship. Detroit defeated Colorado in a seven game series and moved on to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they defeated the
Carolina HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
to win their 10th Stanley Cup championship in their history. Rather than raising the Stanley Cup first, Yzerman passed the Cup to coach Scotty Bowman, who announced his retirement following the game.
Late career
That fall, Yzerman underwent a knee realignment surgery known as an
osteotomyAn osteotomy is a surgical operation whereby a bone is cut to shorten, lengthen, or change its alignment. It is sometimes performed to correct a hallux valgus, or to straighten a bone that has healed crookedly following a fracture. It is also used to correct a coxa vara, genu valgum, and genu varum...
, a procedure usually reserved for the elderly. He missed the first 66 games of the
2002–03 seasonThe 2002–03 Detroit Red Wings season was the 77th National Hockey League season in Detroit, Michigan. The Wings scored 110 points, winning the Central Division, but just one point behind the Dallas Stars for the Western Conference's first seed....
, but got an assist in his first game back on February 27, 2003.
On May 1, 2004, Yzerman was hit in the eye by a deflected slapshot from the stick of teammate Matthieu Schneider in a playoff game against the
Calgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the Calgary...
, breaking his orbital bone and scratching his
corneaThe cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is approximately 43...
. He underwent eye surgery following the incident, and was sidelined for the rest of the 2004 post-season. The eye injury also forced Yzerman to miss the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Fellow Canadians Joe Thornton (then of the Boston Bruins) and Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche), who each wore the number 19 for their respective NHL clubs and who were now eligible to wear it for team Canada due to Yzerman’s enforced absence, both refused the number out of respect for their injured countryman. Yzerman returned in the 2005–06 season, following the lockout, wearing a face shield.
On August 2, 2005, Yzerman signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings, which would be his last signed as a player. On March 31, 2006 he scored his 691st NHL career goal, passing
Mario LemieuxMario Lemieux, CQ is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2005...
for 8th place all-time. He scored his final NHL goal, the 692nd of his career, on April 3, 2006, in a game against the Calgary Flames.
On July 3, 2006, Yzerman announced his retirement. Shortly afterwards
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. It has over 3 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the United States. It was the first magazine with circulation over one...
published a special commemorative edition dedicated to Yzerman entitled "Yzerman: A Salute to Stevie Y" which featured Yzerman's first appearance on the cover of
Sports Illustrated.
Yzerman currently holds the NHL record (19 seasons/20 years) as the longest serving captain of a single team. In addition to being eighth all-time in regular-season goals and sixth in overall scoring, Yzerman finished his career seventh all-time in regular season assists, and eighth in all-time playoff scoring. He ranks second in nearly every significant offensive category in Red Wings history behind
Gordie HoweGordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a retired professional ice hockey player from Canada who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
except assists; Yzerman has 1,063 assists to Howe's 1,020. Only Howe and
Alex DelvecchioAlexander Peter Delvecchio, born December 4, 1931 in Fort William, Ontario, is a former ice hockey player and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame....
played more games as a Red Wing.
Recent Years
On September 25, 2006, the Red Wings named Yzerman a team vice president and alternate governor. He is now a key assistant in the team's hockey operations.
On January 2, 2007, the Red Wings retired Yzerman's jersey #19, before a game against the
Anaheim DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. As an additional honor the captain's "C" was added to the corner of his banner to forever commemorate him as "The Captain". The official retirement ceremony was hosted by Yzerman's long-time friend, former NHL goalie and
ESPNESPN is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day....
hockey analyst
Darren PangDarren Pang is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played his professional career with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League....
and featured such Red Wing luminaries as
Gordie HoweGordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a retired professional ice hockey player from Canada who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
,
Ted LindsayRobert Blake Theodore "Ted" Lindsay is a former professional ice hockey forward who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks. During his playing career, he helped to organize the National Hockey League Players' Association. He scored over 800 points in his career, won the Art Ross...
,
Alex DelvecchioAlexander Peter Delvecchio, born December 4, 1931 in Fort William, Ontario, is a former ice hockey player and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame....
(the three still-living Red Wings players to have their uniform numbers retired by the team), and
Scotty BowmanWilliam Scott Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit...
. For the ceremony, the active Red Wings players wore Yzerman throwback jerseys representing the Red Wings, Team Canada (Canada won gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City
Winter Olympic GamesThe Winter Olympic Games is a winter multi-sport event held every four years. They feature winter sports held on snow or ice, such as Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, bobsledding and ice hockey. Cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and...
), the Campbell Conference All-Star team and the
Peterborough PetesThe Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...
. Former teammate Vladimir Konstantinov attended the ceremony, walking across the ice for the first time without a wheelchair since his last game in the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
On January 30, 2007, Hockey Canada named Yzerman the general manager of Team Canada for the
2007 IIHF World ChampionshipThe 2007 IIHF World Championship were held between April 27 and May 13, 2007 in Moscow, Russia. It was the 71st annual world championship event run by the International Ice Hockey Federation...
in Moscow (April 27-May 13), where they beat Finland with a score of 4-2 on Sunday May 13 to win the Championship. Yzerman is one of the most powerful figures in Red Wings history and NHL history, and is considered a hero outside hockey as well. On January 2, 2007, Yzerman was presented the key to the city of Detroit by Mayor
Kwame KilpatrickKwame Malik Kilpatrick is the former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. When elected at the age of 31, he was the youngest mayor in the history of Detroit. Kilpatrick's tenure as mayor, from 2002 until 2008, was plagued with controversies which included allegations of marital infidelity, conspiracy,...
at a luncheon prior to the jersey retirement ceremony. On January 13, 2007, Michigan governor
Jennifer GranholmJennifer Mulhern Granholm is a Canadian-born American politician, former Attorney General of Michigan, and the current Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, Granholm became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor John...
(incidentally another
Canadian-AmericanA Canadian-American is an American of Canadian descent. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in, Canada, and then relocated to the United States.Since...
) visited Detroit and the
Joe Louis ArenaJoe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...
and proclaimed the day as "Steve Yzerman Day” in the state of Michigan. On January 11, 2008, when the Red Wings visited Ottawa to play the Senators, Yzerman was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. Yzerman received another honor when he was inducted into the
Michigan Sports Hall of FameThe Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports people. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, president of the Greater Michigan Foundation Donald Weeks, general manager of the...
on February 11, 2008. Yzerman was voted as the NHL's greatest captain by the fans in the 2008–09 season.
On June 23, 2009, it was announced that Yzerman will be inducted into the
Hockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
. He will be honoured during the November 6-9 induction weekend alongside his former Red Wings teammates
Brett HullBrett Andrew Hull is a former NHL player and the current Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The Golden Jet." He played...
and
Luc RobitailleLuc Robitaille is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and honoured member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. During his 19-season National Hockey League career, Robitaille won a Stanley Cup in 2001–02 with the Detroit Red Wings, and played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers,...
.
Front Office
He currently serves as Vice President/Alternate Governor of the Red Wings, having been immediately added to the front office upon his retirement. In 2009 he was named Executive Director of Team Canada for the 2010 Olympic Games.
Personal
Yzerman and his wife Lisa Brennan (born 17 June 1965) were married on June 10, 1989, and have three daughters, Isabella Katherine (born 23 February 1994), Maria Charlotte (born 21 April 1998), and Sophia Rose (born 14 May 1999). They reside in
Bloomfield Hills, MichiganBloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,940...
. Yzerman has acquired
naturalized United States' citizenshipNaturalization is the acquisition of citizenship or nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born....
, due to his many years of residence in Michigan.
Not far from where Steve Yzerman grew up, the Nepean Sportsplex named one of its indoor ice surfaces the Steve Yzerman Arena in 1997 in his honour. This is the home rink of the CJHL's
Nepean RaidersThe Nepean Raiders are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team from Nepean, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Junior A Hockey League. The town of Nepean was granted expansion after the Cornwall Royals and the Hull Hawks left the CJHL for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
, the Tier II Junior "A" team Yzerman played on during the 1980–81 season. The Raiders currently play in the Yzerman Division.
The
CJHLThe Central Junior A Hockey League is a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey league operating in eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada and are members of the Canadian Junior Hockey League...
divisions have been renamed the Robinson and Yzerman divisions after two of its' most prominent alumni, Yzerman and
Larry RobinsonLarry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently a special assignment coach for the New Jersey Devils.- Playing career :Larry Robinson played Junior 'A' hockey with the Brockville...
.
Yzerman's feature has been included on the tickets for the
Ice hockey eventsIce hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held at General Motors Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds....
at the
2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, will be held February 12-28 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler nearby...
in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The city is bounded by English Bay, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, the city of Burnaby, and the University Endowment Lands. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a...
. He also is the person for the ice hockey pictorgram at those same games.
Awards and achievements
- NHL All-Star Roster - 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2000
- NHL First Team All-Star, Centre - 2000
- Lester B. Pearson Award
The Lester B. Pearson Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. The Lester B. Pearson Award has been awarded 38 times to 22 different players since its beginnings in 1971...
- 1989
- Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 44 times to 38 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
- 1998
- Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season.It has been awarded 31 times to...
- 2000
- Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club cup trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion. It has been referred to as The Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Champion- 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008 (Executive)
- Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...
- 2003
- Lester Patrick Trophy
The Lester Patrick Trophy has been has presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside...
- 2006
- Sixth in NHL history in points, eighth in goals and seventh in assists
- First in Red Wings history in assists; second in points and goals; third in games played
- Longest-serving captain for a team in league history
- Number (19) retired with Detroit Red Wings - 2007
- Number (19) retired with Canadian Men's National Team - 2005
- Named Vice President of Detroit Red Wings - 2007
- Named General Manager of Team Canada - 2008
- Was Ranked #6 in The Hockey News The Top 60 Since 1967 - The Best Players of the Post Expansion Era
- Inducted into Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame - January 11, 2008
- Inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame February 11, 2008
- Inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It was located in Toronto from 1955 and is not currently opened to the public, its collection stored in the...
- 2008
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
- 2009
Career statistics
| |
|
Regular season |
|
Playoffs |
| Season In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1st through October 1st; in European football , it is generally from August until May In an...
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G A goal in ice hockey provides a team with one point. Unlike in American football, where a touchdown is scored if any part of the football crosses any part of the goal line, in ice hockey the entire puck must completely cross the goal line for a goal to be awarded.-Method of scoring:The object of...
|
A In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
|
Pts Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player who either scores a goal or earns an assist during a game. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
|
PIMA penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes during which the player can not participate in play...
|
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 1981–82 |
Peterborough PetesThe Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...
|
OHLThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
|
58 |
21 |
43 |
64 |
65 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
16 |
| 1982–83 |
Peterborough Petes |
OHL |
56 |
42 |
49 |
91 |
65 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
| 1983–84 |
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings is a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL....
|
NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league as a joint venture for its self perpetuating membership of 30 franchised member clubs located in the United States and Canada...
|
80 |
39 |
48 |
87 |
33 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
| 1984–85 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
80 |
30 |
59 |
89 |
58 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
| 1985–86 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
51 |
14 |
28 |
42 |
16 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 1986–87 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
80 |
31 |
59 |
90 |
43 |
16 |
5 |
13 |
18 |
8 |
| 1987–88 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
64 |
50 |
52 |
102 |
44 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
| 1988–89 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
80 |
65 |
90 |
155 |
61 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
2 |
| 1989–90 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
79 |
62 |
65 |
127 |
79 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 1990–91 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
80 |
51 |
57 |
108 |
34 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
4 |
| 1991–92 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
79 |
45 |
58 |
103 |
64 |
11 |
3 |
5 |
8 |
12 |
| 1992–93 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
84 |
58 |
79 |
137 |
44 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
4 |
| 1993–94 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
58 |
24 |
58 |
82 |
36 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
| 1994–95 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
47 |
12 |
26 |
38 |
40 |
15 |
4 |
8 |
12 |
0 |
| 1995–96 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
80 |
36 |
59 |
95 |
64 |
18 |
8 |
12 |
20 |
4 |
| 1996–97 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
81 |
22 |
63 |
85 |
78 |
20 |
7 |
6 |
13 |
4 |
| 1997–98 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
75 |
24 |
45 |
69 |
46 |
22 |
6 |
18 |
24 |
22 |
| 1998–99 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
80 |
29 |
45 |
74 |
42 |
10 |
9 |
4 |
13 |
0 |
| 1999–00 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
78 |
35 |
44 |
79 |
34 |
8 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
| 2000–01 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
54 |
18 |
34 |
52 |
18 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2001–02 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
52 |
13 |
35 |
48 |
18 |
23 |
6 |
17 |
23 |
10 |
| 2002–03 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
16 |
2 |
6 |
8 |
8 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| 2003–04 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
75 |
18 |
33 |
51 |
46 |
11 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
| 2004–05 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
season not played due to 2004–05 NHL lockout |
| 2005–06 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
61 |
14 |
20 |
34 |
18 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| OHL totals |
114 |
63 |
92 |
155 |
130 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
6 |
16 |
| NHL totals |
1514 |
692 |
1063 |
1755 |
924 |
196 |
70 |
115 |
185 |
84 |
International play
Played for
CanadaThe Canadian national ice hockey team is the national men's ice hockey team of Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by...
in:
- 1983 World Junior Ice Hockey World Championships (bronze medal)
- 1984 Canada Cup
The 1984 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played during the first three weeks of September 1984. The best-of-three final took place between Canada and Sweden, with Canada winning two games to nil...
(champions)
- 1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....
- 1998 Winter Olympics
-Men's tournament:1998 was the first year that the modern NHL took a break to allow its players to participate in the Olympics, allowing the United States and Canada to field teams with professionals of top calibre, as the European teams had been doing since the IIHF first allowed professionals...
- 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympic Games Ice hockey games were held at the E Center and Peaks Ice Arena in Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host United States in both games.-Men:Source:...
(gold medal)
International statistics
| Year |
Team |
Event |
|
GP |
G |
A |
P |
PIM |
| 1983 |
Canada |
WJC |
7 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
| 1984 |
Canada |
CC The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions, between 1976 and 1991. Canada won the tournament four times, while the Soviet Union captured the championship once...
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1985 |
Canada |
WC |
10 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
| 1989 |
Canada |
WC |
8 |
5 |
7 |
12 |
2 |
| 1990 |
Canada |
WC |
10 |
10 |
10 |
20 |
8 |
| 1996 |
Canada |
WCHThe World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991. The tournament has occurred twice, with the United States winning in 1996 and Canada winning in 2004...
|
6 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
| 1998 |
Canada |
Oly.The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. These Games marked the return of the Winter Olympics to Japan since the 1972 Winter Olympics, when the games were held in Sapporo...
|
6 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
| 2002 |
Canada |
Oly.The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States...
|
6 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
| Int'l totals |
57 |
25 |
30 |
55 |
30 |
Yzerman was considered a leading candidate for the captaincy of Team Canada in 1998, along with
Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently a part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League...
and
Ray BourqueRaymond Jean Bourque is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player and Hockey Hall of Famer who currently holds the records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League , and has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played...
. Yzerman had led the Detroit Red Wings to the Stanley Cup during the previous season and he was one of the longest serving team captains. However, General Manager
Bobby ClarkeRobert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke but referring to himself as Bob Clarke, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an Executive with the team...
instead selected
Eric LindrosEric Bryan Lindros is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was the first overall pick in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He retired in November 2007, after playing the 2006–07 season with the Dallas Stars.-Personal life:...
.
In late 2005, after Yzerman ruled himself out of a third Olympic appearance, Wayne Gretzky announced that no one would ever again wear jersey #19 for Team Canada, in Yzerman's honor.
See also
External links