Steve Yzerman

Steve Yzerman (born May 9, 1965 in Cranbrook, British Columbia), is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

Steve started out playing in the juniors with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) from 1981 to 1983. He had 91 points in 56 games in his second year with the Petes, but his numbers were far from what a future NHL phenom would have had because Peterborough rolled four lines (equal playing time for all four lines).

Related Topics:
Peterborough Petes - OHL

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jim Dellevano, the Wings GM at the time, had orignally set his sights on Pat LaFontaine for the 1983 draft. LaFontaine was taken 3rd by the Islanders, so with the 4th overall pick the Wings selected Yzerman, and have been reaping the rewards ever since. After being drafted, the Red Wings feared he would be too small to compete in the NHL, measuring only 5'11 and 185 pounds. Detroit was fully prepared to send him back to Peterborough for another year of junior hockey. When Yzerman arrived at training camp in 1983, "he immediately was our best player," Dellevano recalled. In his first professional season, Yzerman tallied 39 goals and 87 points, and finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1986 he was named captain, the youngest player to ever be named captain in the team's then 60-year history, and has held the title ever since. During the 1988-1989 season Yzerman recorded a phenomenal 155 points, a total that only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have surpassed. In 1997, Yzerman led Detroit to its first Stanley Cup in 42 years by sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers in 4 straight games. The following year Detroit repeated the feat, taking four in a row from the Washington Capitals. Yzerman handed the Cup first to Vladimir Konstantinov, a Red Wing defenseman who had been injured severely in a car accident a year earlier.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On November 26, 1999, Steve became the eleventh player in NHL history to score 600 goals.

Related Topics:
November 26 - 1999

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2001-2002, Steve re-aggravated a long time knee injury, forcing him to miss 30 regular season games. Playing on one good knee, he led Detroit to its 3rd Stanley Cup in 6 years, scoring 23 points in 23 games, just missing the playoff MVP award.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The following summer Yzerman underwent knee realignment surgery, a procedure reserved mostly for the elderly. Yzerman missed 66 games and received a standing ovation from the home crowd when he returned in mid-April, even registering an assist. Yzerman is believed to be the only athlete to successfully make a return to his sport after having the surgery.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the 2004-05 season was wiped out by the lockout, Yzerman's future was in doubt. But on August 2, 2005, he signed a one-year deal with the Wings, ensuring that Detroit would have the same captain for the 19th consecutive season.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On the international scene he has won an Olympic Gold Medal in 2002 with the Canadian national men's hockey team.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yzerman is a notable graduate of Bell High School in Nepean, Ontario.

Related Topics:
Bell High School - Nepean, Ontario

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~