The Ol' Ballfield

Tribute to Steve Yzerman

Again, this isn't even close to baseball news, but tonight the Detroit Red Wings will be retiring the number 19 of my all-time favorite athlete, Steve Yzerman. Since I, you know, don't have any other websites, this is where I'm putting my tribute. I don't have much to say about Yzerman that hasn't already been said, but he was truly an admirable athlete and special hockey player. The longest-tenured captain in NHL history, he transformed from a star rookie (drafted fourth overall in 1983) to an elite player (65 goals and 90 assists in 1988-89) to one of the great team leaders in the history of sports (three Stanley Cup championships as captain [1997, 98, 2002], Conn Smythe Trophy winner [1998], Selke Award winner [2000], Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy winner [2003]). Yzerman also attained success in international play, playing for two Canadian Olympic teams (1998, 2002), winning the gold in 2002. Wayne Gretzky announced in late 2005 that no one would ever again wear number 19 for the Canadian national team.

My favorite personal memory of Yzerman encompasses basically all of the first half of 2002. During the regular season he had reaggravated a knee injury that would cost him 30 games and require immediate post-season surgery. He still finished the season sixth on the team in scoring, and helped team Canada to a gold medal. (As an American I wasn't really rooting for Canada, but seeing Stevie win one was consolation enough.) He then went on to finish second among all players in scoring that playoff season en route to his third and final Stanley Cup victory. I watched every game that playoff, to the point where I was in a school play and had hooked up a TV backstage to watch game seven of the Conference Final when I wasn't on. Every time Yzerman fell or was pushed to the ice, it required the utmost effort to get back on his feet, using his stick for leverage and support every time. It was truly painful to watch, and yet this man finished second in scoring and first in faceoff percentage. (Finishing first in scoring that playoffs was Peter Forsberg, who later admitted to playing with a broken wrist. That was a year for battlers.)

As a leader Yzerman was soft-spoken, but all who played under his captaincy speak to the attention he commanded when he had something to say. He was the epitome of a leader by example, someone who let his playing and effort do the talking. He never did many ads, never held out for salary, never seemed to lose his focus as an entire city went nuts for him.

Yzerman finished with 1,755 career points, good for sixth all-time; he is one of two players in the top ten (Mario Lemieux) to have scored all his points for one team. His totals for career goals, assists, and playoff points also all register in the top ten all-time. Hell, he even had a couple fights (ugly though they were).

I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to follow a player like Stevie Y and even see him play in person a couple times. I wrote to him as a child and he sent me a signed card, which was a thrill. He will always be a hockey legend, and one of my personal heroes. Thanks for a great career, Stevie.



There are a bunch of tribute videos on YouTube, but I freakin' hate how they put a stupid song along with every one, so pick your poison.

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And in case anyone was wondering, Lou Gehrig is my all-time favorite baseball player. Never got to see him play, though.

The next post will be far less sappy and lip-service-y, I promise.

posted by Carnival @ 1/02/2007