Steve Yzerman

Stephen Gregory Yzerman ( born May 9, 1965 in Cranbrook, British Columbia) is a former Canadian ice hockey player. In 1983, he played for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League and won in his 23 year career three times the Stanley Cup, the Olympic gold medal in 2002 as well as several individual awards. Through his 20-year tenure as captain in Detroit, the longest in the history of the NHL, he was regarded throughout the league as a leader and was nicknamed " The Captain ". Since May 2010 he has been general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. Between 2006 and May 2010, he worked among others as Vice President of the Detroit Red Wings and also worked on various official posts for the Canadian national team.

3.1 As a player 3.1.1 International

4.1 International

5.1 NHL
5.2 Detroit Red Wings

Career

The beginning

Steve Yzerman began his career in 1981 in the Canadian Junior Football League OHL with the Peterborough Petes. In his first season he scored 64 points in 58 games. The brand he could improve it to 91 points in the year. Due to his good performances he was pulled from the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft in 1983 at position four.

The Red Wings, who are among the Original Six, made at the time through a difficult phase. In the past 17 years they reached the playoffs only twice and were far from the splendor of bygone years. That should change with Steve Yzerman.

His first NHL game he played on 5 October 1983, scoring his first goal. In his first season he led the categories most assists (48) and points (87 ) for NHL rookies. From the Sporting News newspaper he was awarded " Rookie of the Year." After the Red Wings had missed the playoffs five times in a row, they succeeded in the catchment Yzermans debut season.

The rise

1986/87 was Steve Yzerman as a 21 -year-old the youngest captain for the Detroit Red Wings. In the 1988/89 season Yzerman presented with 155 points ( 65 goals, 90 assists) a personal record. For his great performance this season, he was awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award as the best player in the NHL. But on a team's success, he had to wait some time.

In 1993, Scotty Bowman as coach in Detroit. Bowman had already won with Montreal and Pittsburgh six Stanley Cups and should re -established in the playoffs Red Wings lead to winning the Stanley Cup. Yzerman was frustrated in 1993 when he was the leader in Detroit, the great success but still failed to produce an extremely congested the hopes of the fans, and thus the pressure on him. Among other things, it was discussed whether we should transfer him to another team. Bowman finally put the game out of Yzerman. While he primarily on the offensive set accents in the first ten years of his career and was one of the best scorers, let him Scotty Bowman play a lot more defensive. While this decreased its yield points, but he developed into one of the best two-way forwards the league and the game of the team was thus more effective.

On the way to the Stanley Cup

1994/95 stretched their listed by Yzerman Red Wings for the first time the hands after Stanley Cup, as they clearly lost in the finals against the New Jersey Devils in four games.

But in 1997 it was finally time for " The Captain ", as Yzerman was called, won with the Detroit Red Wings for the first time the Stanley Cup after 40 years. In the following season, 1997/98, the Red Wings were able to repeat the success and Yzerman won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player in the playoffs. Yzerman had 24 points in 22 playoff games considerable share of the success.

2000 still followed the award for best defensive forward with the Frank J. Selke Trophy.

Injury problems and successes

2000/ 01 he fell at the end of the season because he broke his leg, but he fought back and at least could still do a playoff game.

In 2002, Yzerman had injury problems again. Among other things, he was diagnosed that barely cartilage were present on one knee. Teammates watched him as he took a first step in climbing stairs with the healthy leg and the injured leg pulled behind. Despite the pain he could lift the Stanley Cup in 2002 again into the air and was 23 points even one of the top scorers of the Red Wings in the playoffs. In the same year he won the gold medal with Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games.

Due to the fact that despite the injury and everything was practically won the Stanley Cup on one leg, he was honored in 2003 with the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the player who by perseverance, dedication and fairness in and around the Hockey stood out.

2002/ 03 he had to undergo knee surgery and could therefore complete only 16 games. The following year he suffered during the playoffs an eye injury.

The farewell

It was in the autumn of 2005 that he waives participation in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Then said Wayne Gretzky, Team Manager of Team Canada that the number 19 of the Canadian teams will no longer be awarded in honor of Steve Yzerman.

In the 2005/06 season, the Red Wings were graduating to the championship title as they the regular season as the best of the 30 teams as the top favorite. But already in the first round of the playoffs, the dream of a fourth Stanley Cup was over within ten years. Detroit failed because of the Edmonton Oilers after 6 games with 2-4.

Steve Yzerman ended on 3 July 2006 his impressive career at the age of 41 years. For 20 years he led the Detroit Red Wings as a captain on the ice and was thus longer than any other player in the history of the NHL captain of a team.

No player may be related to the resurgence of Red Wings so much in context, such as Steve Yzerman. He came in 1983 to the Red Wings, who had just missed the playoffs for the fifth time in a row. With Steve Yzerman this happened only twice. Under his leadership, the team established in the nineties again at the top of the NHL and could win the Stanley Cup again.

Honors after the End of career

On 6th November 2006 was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy Steve Yzerman, which is awarded for outstanding service to the sport of ice hockey in the United States or the NHL.

A banner was on 2 January 2007 prior to the game against the Red Wings Anaheim hanged with his number 19 on the hall ceiling at Joe Louis Arena in a ceremony in honor of Steve Yzerman. In addition to the number 19 and his name is also a " C" can be seen on the banner because it " The Captain " was for many years. At the ceremony, and former Red Wings player and Hockey sizes were present, such as Gordie Howe, Mike Vernon, Larry Murphy, Brett Hull, Alex Delvecchio, Vladimir Konstantinov, Ted Lindsay, Bob Probert and Igor Larionov. The number 19 is assigned to no more players the Red Wings.

On January 13, 2007 prior to the game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm declared at Joe Louis Arena on January 13, Steve Yzerman Day throughout Michigan. More honors followed on 12 January 2008 with the entry into the Sports Hall of Fame of Yzermans hometown Ottawa and on 11 February 2008 with induction into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2009 he was honored with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Involvement in the management

As of 25 September 2006, Steve Yzerman Vice - President of the Detroit Red Wings, where he worked on the side of general manager Ken Holland.

On 30 January 2007, the Canadian Hockey Association Hockey Canada announced that Yzerman will act as general manager of the national team at the World Cup in Russia. Team Canada won the first game of the tournament against Germany in late April just under 3-2, played better and better in the following games and finally won the world title, Yzerman was able to never win as a player. Also in the 2008 World Championship in Canada took over Steve Yzerman the post of General Manager. He was joined there as assistants former team-mate Luc Robitaille and Doug Armstrong. Again it was possible to put together a good team and Team Canada went to the finals, where they were, however, inferior to the Russian national team after extra time.

In October 2008, the Canadian Hockey Association decided that Yzerman Executive Director of the Canadian National Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in his own country to be. In this position he is responsible for the organization of the team and the selection of coaches and players for the Olympic tournament.

Since 25 May 2010, Steve Yzerman General Manager and Vice President of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Quotes

"Hey what the face of the Detroit Red Wings for the past 20 years and will be remembered as one of the best players and leaders did ever played the game of hockey. ( He was the face of the Detroit Red Wings in the last 20 years and will be remembered as one of the best players and leaders that there has ever been in the sport of ice hockey ) "

Awards and achievements

As a player

Internationally

As a functionary

2007 Gold medal at the World Championships (General Manager of Canada )
2008 Silver medal at the World Championships (General Manager of Canada )
2008 Stanley Cup win with the Detroit Red Wings (as Vice President)
2010 Gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games (General Manager of Canada )

Career Stats

Internationally

Represented Canada at:

U20 World Junior Championships 1983
Canada Cup 1984
World Cup 1985
World Cup 1989

World Cup 1990
World Cup of Hockey 1996
Winter Olympics 1998
Winter Olympics 2002

( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )

Records

NHL

6th place as the best scorer ( season) of all time with 1755 points
8th place as the best scorer ( Playoff) of all time with 185 points
8th place as top scorer ( season) of all time with 692 goals
7th place as the best template generator ( season) of all time with 1063 assists
The longest properties under official team captain in the history of the NHL ( 1986-2006 )

Detroit Red Wings

Best template generator ( season) of all time with 1063 assists
Best Scorer ( Playoff) of all time with 185 points
Top scorer ( Playoff) of all time with 70 goals
Most goals in a season with 65 goals
Most assists in a season with 90 assists
Most points in a season with 155 points
Most points as a rookie with 87 points

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