A hockey hall of fame player amid a roomful of hockey hall of fame potential?

Previous

Next

View Large

Steve Yzerman's career statistics with the Detroit Red Wings and the class he brought to the game made the Nepean-raised player a cinch for induction even though he admits it feels strange to be considered a hall of famer.

Photograph by : Windsor Star

ARTICLE TOOLS

• Printer friendly
• E-mail

Font:

• *
• *
• *
• *

Steve Yzerman says it didn't even cross his mind back in 2001-02 when his Detroit Red Wings boasted one of the most dominant lineups in National Hockey League history.

"People talked about how many potential hall of fame guys were on that team, but players don't sit around ever and discuss, 'Well, I think we're all going into the hall of fame.'

"No one sat around and thought this was going to be our legacy," said Yzerman who heads into the hockey hall of fame Monday night in Toronto with fellow inductees Brian Leetch, Lou Lamoriello, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille -- the latter pair part of that Wings' Stanley Cup winner in '02.

"Oh boy, it just gave us scoring depth," said Yzerman on Tuesday when asked about the additions of Robitaille, a former player with the Hull Olympiques, and Hull, who'd both signed as free agents in the off-season.

"It became particularly evident in the playoffs. You had Brett on one line, Luc on another, Sergei (Federov) and Brendan (Shanahan) on another and then (Kris) Draper, (Kirk) Maltby, (Darren) McCarty line at the time. We really had balanced scoring and I think that was the difference playing Colorado in the semis and then ultimately Carolina (in the final)."

Yzerman's career statistics and the class he brought to the game made him a cinch for induction.

Not many resumes read better than his -- Stanley Cup champion in 1997, '98, and 2002; 10-time NHL all-star; Lester B. Pearson Award (1989); Conn Smythe winner (1998); Bill Masterton winner (2003); Olympic gold medal (2002).

"It was a real thrill to get the call last year, but up until that point it was something that wasn't my decision and I didn't sit around thinking about it.

"It does feel strange. I'm not used to it. I guess officially I'm not even in there yet, but, it does feel strange to be considered a hall of famer because growing up and really being in the league, you run into the hall of famers, you see them on TV and it's a pretty awesome group."

Leetch said earlier on Tuesday that Yzerman was one of the best all-around players he faced.

"He wasn't one of the guys you worried about that when the puck bounced behind you -- like a (Pavel) Bure trying to get after it -- but his ability to go laterally and do it at faster speeds than others, as well as that stickhandling, you know he used to be able to hang onto that puck for long times and make great plays.

"He could do everything at a very high skill level, that's for sure."

Yzerman has shown another ability to stickhandle after his on-ice career ended in 2006.

As general manager of Team Canada for the upcoming Vancouver Winter Games, hardly a minute goes by without someone whispering advice or firing a question his way regarding the roster.

Yzerman's proven quite adept at revealing very little in the detail department. One question thrown his way during Tuesday's conference call concerned netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, who has become something of a media darling with his strong start in Pittsburgh.

"I won't say who has the inside track on being the starter, because we don't need to at this time, and I don't think that's really determined ..."

One question the Nepean-raised centre didn't have trouble nailing down took Yzerman back a few years -- to the 1983 NHL entry draft. After the first two selections -- Brian Lawton by Minnesota then Sylvain Turgeon to Hartford -- speculation was the then-storied New York Islanders were eyeing Yzerman, a star with the OHL's Peterborough Petes.

Yzerman said he was ready, too.

"It's hard to predict," he said with a laugh. "I wore No. 19 because I was a (Bryan) Trottier fan and, not that I really cared where I was drafted, but certainly the thought was there that maybe I'll go to the Islanders and play on the same team with Trottier and (Mike) Bossy one day.

"They took Pat (LaFontaine) ... and I never looked back."

After 1,514 games and three Stanley Cups, it's not likely the Red Wings did either.