At a news conference today in Detroit, Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman will announce his retirement from the game of hockey.

At the time of his retirement, Yzerman is the 6th leading scorer in NHL history. Only Gretzky, Howe, Francis, Dionne, and Dionne stand ahead of The Captain. Yzerman also holds the distinction of having the highest single season point total for any player not named Gretzky or Lemieux.

Most importantly, Yzerman brought the Stanley Cup to Detroit in the 1997, 1998, and 2002 seasons. He will go down as one of the most beloved athletes in the city's history.

GM Ken Holland has a front office position waiting for Yzerman.

Niklas Lidstrom appears to be the front runner to wear the "C" for the Red Wings, being the first new Captain in 20 years. Yzerman is the longest-serving Captain in NHL history.

Growing up in his hometown of Nepean, Ontario, where he attended Bell High School, Steve Yzerman (pronounced EYE-zer-man) started out playing center in the juniors with the Peterborough Petes of the 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 skated four lines, each having equal playing time.

Jim Devellano, the Wings GM at the time, had originally 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. After being drafted, the Red Wings feared he would be too small to compete in the NHL, standing 5'11" and weighing 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," Devellano 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. During the 1988-1989 season Yzerman recorded 155 points, a total that only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have surpassed. Yzerman finished third in regular season scoring behind Lemieux and Gretzky and won the Pearson Trophy, as well as being a finalist for the Hart and Art Ross Trophies (Gretzky won the Hart, Lemieux won the Art Ross).

In 1995, Yzerman led Detroit to its first Stanley Cup finals series, the first for the team since the 1960s, but they were swept by the New Jersey Devils. In 1996, Detroit finished with an NHL record 62 regular season wins but they lost in the Conference finals to the eventual champions Colorado Avalanche.

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's leadership and 24 points earned him the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP. In an act of class, Yzerman handed the Cup first to Vladimir Konstantinov, a Red Wing defenseman who had been injured severely in a car accident just six days after the Cup victory in 1997.

On 26 November 1999, Yzerman became the eleventh player in NHL history to score 600 goals. The 1999, 2000, and 2001 seasons would be filled with playoff frustrations as Detroit lost in the second round twice to Colorado, and exited in the first round at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings. However, in 2000, Yzerman made the NHL All-Star First Team as centre and won the Frank J. Selke trophy as best defensive forward.

In 2001-2002, Yzerman re-aggravated a longtime 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.

The following summer, Yzerman underwent osteotomy surgery for knee realignment, a procedure typically reserved for the elderly. Yzerman missed 66 games and received a standing ovation from the home crowd when he returned in mid-April, registering an assist in his first game back. His comeback from this type of surgery is rare, if not unprecedented, among professional athletes.

On 2 August 2005, after the conclusion of the NHL lockout that wiped out the 2004-2005 season, Yzerman signed a one-year deal with the Wings, ensuring that Detroit would have the same captain for the 19th consecutive season. When he retires, Yzerman will do so as the longest serving captain of a single team in NHL history.

On 31 March 2006 Steve scored his 691st NHL career goal versus the Chicago Blackhawks. He passed Lemieux for eighth place for career goals.[1].

* 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 - 1989
* Conn Smythe Trophy - 1998
* Frank J. Selke Trophy - 2000
* Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy - 2003
Played for Canada in:

* 1983 World Junior Championships (bronze medal)
* 1984 Canada Cup (champions)
* 1996 World Cup of Hockey
* 1998 Winter Olympics
* 2002 Winter Olympics (gold medal)

http://www.steviey.net/




Thank you Steve.

yeah that guy is a legend. i'm not a red wing fan but i have alot of respect for Stevie Y.

as much as i hate/despise Detroit, he's a classy guy...
he had a great career and will no doubt go down as one of the greats...

That is a great picture with what I assume is his daughter.

Thanks Steve!

yes that is him and his daughter, from 02 i believe...

man, hockey in Detroit will not be the same for a long time; i'm still in shock, although this was not totally unexpected (he can't play forever)

great player, great leader and a first class guy...stevie is gone but will definately never be forgotten

btw, i wonder if Ed should have dedicated "Come Back" to Stevie instead of Cheli, maybe things would have been different

Yup, my friend used to watch his kids.

the guy is just awesome. That's a great pic.

Hopefully he will be as good in the front office as he was on the ice.

He was the only player on Detroit that I could stand watching. His little girl looks JUST like him. It's sad to see such a classy and talented person retire.

1270AM is going to be interviewing Steve in a couple minutes, the station has a live internet feed for those interested.

Goodbye Steve, I loved playing with you on Electronic Arts NHL series !

June 7, 1997
The Wings completed a four-game Cup finals sweep of the Flyers with a 2-1 win on home ice, ending a 42-year championship drought. Captain Yzerman accepted the Cup from commissioner Gary Bettman. He took the first twirl around the Joe Louis Arena ice surface, holding the Cup over his head for an adorning crowd. The first Cup is a crowning moment in any player's career.

Feb. 24, 2002
Team Canada defeated Team USA, 5-2, to capture the gold medal at the Salt Lake Winter Olympics. Yzerman was among the club's key leaders both on and off the ice. The victory ended a 50-year gold-medal drought for Canada.

May 16, 1996
You've all seen the highlight. It's been shown many times. Yzerman cranked a long slapper past Blues goalie Jon Casey to win a Game 7 double-overtime thriller, 1-0, in Detroit. Yzerman jumped for joy after netting the series-clinching goal in the Western Conference semis.

Oct. 5, 1983
A baby-faced Yzerman, then just 18 years old, netted his first goal in his very first NHL game. Who did he score it against? Winnipeg Jets goalie Doug Soetaert.

June 16, 1998
Yzerman led the Wings to a second straight Stanley Cup championship, sweeping the Capitals in the finals. He led all playoff scorers with a career-best 24 points. The Wings dedicated their title to defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov, who were seriously injured during a car accident after the club's Cup win in 1997.

June 13, 2002
Yzerman accepted a third Cup after the Wings quieted the Hurricanes in Game 5. Yzerman enjoyed another strong playoff campaign, compiling 23 points in 23 postseason games. It was the final game for legendary coach Scotty Bowman, who laced up his blades and took the Cup for a lap around the Joe.

Jan. 17, 1996
Stevie Y scored the 500th goal of his career, against Avs superstar stopper Patrick Roy at the Joe Louis Arena. The power-play goal made him just the 22nd NHLer to reach the 500-goal plateau. It also helped the Wings defeat the rival Avalanche, 3-2.

June 15, 2000
In recognition of his strong two-way play, Yzerman is awarded the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward. Early in his career (it seems a lifetime ago now), Yzerman was an offense-only player. In the mid-'90s, he transformed his game under Bowman's tutelage. The Selke honor was recognition of his willingness and ability to dramatically change his style.

Feb. 24, 1993
Yzerman became the 37th player in league history to total 1,000 career points. He hit the mark with an assist against the Sabres in his 737th game. He was only the third player in club history to score 1,000 points. Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio were the others.

June 8, 1983
The Wings select Yzerman with the fourth overall pick in the NHL draft. Wings GM Jim Devellano later said he preferred prospects Sylvain Turgeon and Pat LaFontaine. As it turned out, the Wings were lucky Turgeon and LaFontaine went off the board with the second and third picks, respectively. They did just fine taking Yzerman.

i pretty much hate the redwings, but yzerman is one of those guys who you can't help but respect. i hate to see him go, he's one of the best all around hockey players ive ever seen.

They should leave that locker as is. No one can touch it.

Yzerman is the reason I still follow hockey. During the early 80's he was the only reason to watch a Red Wings game. I watched the press conference which was televised locally and as usual his speech was in a word "Classy" just like him. God, I'm going to miss him on the ice. Hopefully he can be as successful as Joe D. has been in retirement

So long Stevie Y. As a Red Wings' fan, you gave me much joy over the past 20+ years that you sported the Winged sweater. Thank you.

One of the all-time legends, truly will be missed.

Fucking SportsCenter's coverage absolutely blows. When a legend of a sport retires, it should be featured in the first 30 minutes, before repeating a story, and waaaay before discussing some dumbass' rehab from a motorcycle crash.

Now I remember why I barely watch this anymore.

Stevie Y is and will always be my favorite athlete of all time. It's sad to see him go but he did it all with class. It's nice to see people from other cities pay respect. Thank you.