LeftClickHere
03-01-2005, 02:56 PM
Here's a great article on Stevie Y that was in the newspapers here in Ontario the other day. I figured I'd post this not only for the Wings fans, but for hockey fans in general. A great column on a great player. Enjoy!
Yzerman
A Warrior used to playing with pain is soldiering on, for now.
YZERMAN: The Detroit captain's outstanding career may be winding down <http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/Sports/2005/02/27/943908-sun.html>
BRUCE GARRIOCH <mailto:bruce.garrioch@<hidden>>, Special to The Free Press
2005-02-27 03:17:24
DETROIT -- The Warrior points to the aches and pains of a 22-year NHL career as he sits in a restaurant deep in Detroit suburbia, the sun beaming through the window. Pain. Plenty of it. Neck. Back. Shoulder. Knee. Eye. Injuries that would have sent mortal men scurrying to their hockey afterlives.
But Steve Yzerman played on, sometimes in excruciating pain. With pride. With courage. And with purpose. He knows his NHL career is at a crossroads but he vows to soldier on. In his own unassuming way, of course.
There's no doubt Yzerman has star power. There's a mural of the Red Wings centre in downtown Detroit. He can't go far without being recognized. As he walks into Champ's restaurant, the waitress introduces herself and he's quick to say: "Hi, Carolyn." It's a small thing but it's the small things that say so much about the Warrior's character.
Earlier, as Yzerman pulled up to the Troy Marriott behind the wheel of his white GMC Envoy, he apologizes for being late by 20 minutes.
An intensely private man, he doesn't seek the limelight. He draws the line at talking in great detail about his wife Lisa and children Isabella, 11, Maria, 6, and Sophia, 5. Isabella just started playing hockey. No. 19 wasn't available, so she settled for 20 on her jersey.
Yzerman likes to golf -- he's a 14 handicap and with spare time on his hands he's been at the range hitting balls. He's a member at Oakland Hills, home of the 2004 Ryder Cup.
In a peek at the inner Yzerman, he's a wine collector -- and a big English soccer fan. On this day, he's wearing a Liverpool jacket.
And while Yzerman prefers to remain low-key, others line up to give testimonials.
"Steve likes to lead by example," says Wings defenceman Nik Lidstrom. "He plays with his heart and with his soul. He lays it all on the line.
"When I think of Steve Yzerman, I like to think about 2002 when we won the Stanley Cup. He was basically playing on one leg. He couldn't practise for two months and he even had a difficult time taking part in the 15-minute warmup. But when the puck was dropped, he was there and he performed. We've been together for 13 years. He's tough as nails."
That's Steve Yzerman. The quiet schoolkid who never knew the meaning of the word quit.
The rink behind D. Aubrey Moodie school was cold and dark as Jean Yzerman ventured out from her Arnold Drive home trying to make sure her 11-year-old son got out of the cold and finished his homework. The boy begged for one more minute, then another, but the mother knew this could turn into hours and school was just as important as launching one more puck at the net or studying the curve on the stick.
"There was hockey and school . . . and hockey always came first," says his father, Ron Yzerman.
Steve Yzerman was a natural athlete. At age 10, he moved to Nepean, Ont., from Kamloops, B.C., when his father got a government transfer. He gave up his life with the Moose Pup Reps and put on the No. 14 to play minor hockey with the Nepean Raiders. He may not have been the biggest player or most natural skater, but he had three things that put him head and shoulders above the rest: talent, heart and desire.
"When I looked at the other boys I thought the difference with Steve was that he was not single-minded. He was always looking to move the puck and always trying to be a team player," says his dad. "He wasn't selfish. I know that sounds corny coming from his father, but that's just the type of guy that he was. He would always be at the top of the league in scoring but I always thought that he could have had more goals if he'd just shot the puck more. That wasn't him and that wasn't his style."
During the summer, Yzerman would play street hockey in the parking lot of a Loblaws with buddy Darren Pang and other friends. While some kids may have been just killing time, Yzerman was chasing a dream.
"The guy just loved the game," says Mike Goddard, a Nepean resident who coached Yzerman. "Hockey, hockey and hockey. That was all he thought. Other kids would have parties to attend or there was a dance on Friday night and they didn't want to practise. Not Steve, he was always on the ice.
"He would come, he would work hard and he wouldn't say much. He was just a polite kid. You knew he was special. You knew he was going to go somewhere. He wanted it badly and he wanted to be the difference."
At age 16, he left to play junior hockey with the OHL Peterborough Petes. His parents wanted him to keep up his schooling. But his studies suffered.
"I got word that he had been leaving school midway through the morning so that he could attend hockey practice with the junior team in Nepean. I guess they had some 20-year-olds who weren't in school," says his dad. "I had supposedly signed this note to allow him to leave for these appointments every day and I didn't know anything about it. When I heard about it I made sure it didn't happen again because education was important to us."
Yzerman switched to No. 19 in summer hockey school because he liked New York Islanders star Bryan Trottier. Like Trottier, 39-year-old Yzerman will some day have his No. 19 retired to the rafters at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.
The phone was ringing at Yzerman's summer home in Muskoka last June and he didn't want to answer the call. He knew it was Wayne Gretzky calling. But Yzerman couldn't pick it up to tell Team Canada's executive director he wasn't going to be ready for the World Cup.
"I put off calling Wayne Gretzky as long as I could," says Yzerman. "I could see he was calling. I avoided returning the calls. I didn't want to have to tell him. That's a tough thing."
This time, Yzerman couldn't answer the bell. He was in too much agony, he wasn't in good enough shape and he didn't want to occupy a roster spot that someone else deserved.
Coming off a devastating eye injury that ended his playoffs in May, Yzerman admitted seeing straight was the least of his worries when it came to playing for Team Canada. The pain just caught up with him. He had a bout of tendinitis in his shoulder, a sore neck because of surgery earlier in his career and a rebuilt knee that won't allow him to run when he trains.
"He called in May. I was surprised because you don't expect a call from (Gretzky)," Yzerman says. "I got the call and I was fired up. I was going to show the world I was going to play well and this was going to be great. I got into training June 1 and (Gretzky) told me to keep in touch to let him know how I was feeling. I got into July and I really struggled trying to get myself ready to play. There were things with my body that made it difficult for me to get into the shape I needed to be in.
"I had to think realistically how I would get myself ready to play. As it got closer I was like, 'Who was I kidding, I'm not ready to play.' Especially when there were other guys who were ready to go like (Vincent Lecavalier and Keith Primeau). I didn't feel I'd be able to play at a high enough level to help the team be successful. It's a tough thing to do to call (Gretzky) and say, 'I'm not ready to go.' I didn't know whether it was the right thing or the wrong thing. I wanted to play but I just couldn't do it."
All the injuries Yzerman suffered didn't hurt as much as saying no to Gretzky.
A brave decision by a brave player, which led to his replacement, Lecavalier, being named MVP of the World Cup.
Yzerman is an icon in Detroit. Few players spend a career in one place. Even Gretzky was dealt but Yzerman has spent his pro hockey life with the Wings.
"I would say we've both been fortunate the relationship has lasted as long as it has," says Detroit GM Ken Holland. "This organization has been committed to winning in this city and (owner Mike Ilitch) has done what it takes to bring championships here. You can't be successful if you don't have the support of ownership in the first place. Steve Yzerman has been popular here because the people see the passion he has for the game. He's done the job through his leadership on and off the ice."
It was in the summer of 1986 that a fresh-faced Yzerman, already drafted fourth overall by the Red Wings in 1983, showed up unannounced in Montreal at the Detroit draft table, wanting to introduce himself to new coach Jacques Demers. Yzerman drove from Ottawa because he wanted to make sure he got a chance to talk to Demers about the goals for the season. The meeting wasn't long but it was enough to tell Demers he had a man who could be a future captain.
"That meeting told me a lot about the guy," says Demers, who went on to win a Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993. "He came down from Ottawa and he just wanted to tell me he was having a terrible summer. He wasn't happy with the losing. He wanted success.
"That made me think long and hard going into training camp. To me, he looked like a boy, but he was a man and I just thought he was captain material. The one thing I respect about Steve Yzerman is he doesn't know the meaning of the word quit. That's not in his vocabulary. He didn't say a lot in the room but when he did, he spoke volumes."
Demers is proud of his choice.
"I didn't make the decision right away, but I knew he was the right man for the job," says Demers. "I spoke with Mike Ilitch and (former GM Jim Devallano) and they were concerned he was too young to be a captain. I knew I had made the right choice one night in Chicago. Yzerman wasn't happy with the way the game was going. The 'Hawks had guys like Doug Wilson, Steve Larmer, Al Secord and Denis Savard. Well, Steve didn't say anything, he just took matters into his own hands on the ice and led us to a victory. He hates to lose."
Losing almost became a way of life for Yzerman, who was nearly dealt to the Senators in 1996 when Ottawa was embroiled in one of its many contract disputes with Alexei Yashin. The deal was killed when then-Wings coach Scotty Bowman stepped in.
"(The rumours) were legit. They were very real. I'm not bitter about it," says Yzerman. "At the time, I was against it, just considering where the Senators were at that stage of their franchise. I really wanted to play on a Stanley Cup contender. I didn't know if in eight or nine years I'd still be playing. I look at Ottawa as one of top five teams in league (now) and I think they will continue to be. (In 1996,) I was just trying to influence where I was going."
Yzerman won his first of three Stanley Cups in 1997. The atmosphere at Joe Louis Arena was electric that night as he hoisted Lord Stanley's chalice in the air.
"I heard Steve describe that moment once as all kind of happening in slow motion," says Ron Yzerman. "The funny thing is, I was in the stands and I felt the same way."
Soon after the triumph came tragedy. As the celebration continued for days in Motown, teammates Vladimir Konstantinov, Viacheslav Fetisov and masseuse Sergei Mnatsakanov were badly hurt when their limousine veered off a highway in Detroit.
From the exhilarating high of winning a Cup to standing at a hospital bedside, praying that his friends would survive, Yzerman's life took an abrupt turn.
"For one week, you feel like you're on top of the world and almost superhuman. It ended in one second when we got the phone call," Yzerman said in a 1997 interview.
Still, he wanted to share the thrill of winning with friends. He took the Stanley Cup to his house in Birmingham, Mich., for private parties and spent a lot of time just studying the names, the etchings that have brought immortality to so many.
On Aug. 28, 1997, Yzerman took it to the Nepean Sportsplex -- to the rink named after him. He provided a lasting memory, this time for family friend Steve Unger. Unger, 37, was paralysed in a diving accident several years ago. Yzerman took one look at Unger and handed him the Cup.
"That meant a lot," says Unger. "That's just the kind of guy Steve Yzerman is. I got it. I wanted to lift it, but it was a lot heavier than I thought. It just meant a lot to me that he would do something like this. I was just there like everybody else wanting to get a glimpse of it."
Yzerman has always treated people with class. Treat people as you expect to be treated.
Winning a gold medal and a Stanley Cup in the same season? In 2002, he did it on one leg. Troubled by knee problems going into the Olympics, Yzerman decided to have an arthroscopic procedure a month before the Games because he could "feel something there" and wanted to get it cleaned up.
He came back to play two NHL games before the Games began in Salt Lake City and felt good. But Yzerman felt the pain during a loss to Sweden in the first game of the tournament.
"We played Germany in the second game and after that it blew up. But it was too late for me to back out. I knew that since I had gone in there I had to keep going. I should have told them no beforehand.
"I committed. I told them my knee was fine because I thought it was fine. I wasn't sure what was going on with the knee and I didn't understand why it was happening. I didn't think about it. I just went out and played."
Then there was the Stanley Cup. Glorious. Wonderful.
"There's no question (that's the highlight of my career)," says Yzerman. "There's been a lot of highlights for me that maybe wouldn't have made a highlight reel, but they've meant a lot to me personally. But if I look back on one year, then winning the gold medal and finishing No. 1 overall with Detroit and winning the Stanley Cup in 2002 means a lot.
"I persevered that year. It was a difficult thing to do. You could debate how effective I was on the ice. For myself, I was able to persevere and play through it and be somewhat effective. I felt pretty good about that."
A heroic performance by a brave warrior.
He had his knee rebuilt that summer by Dr. Peter Fowler in London. Doctors told him to quit. Take it easy.
But Yzerman had fought back before in his career and he wasn't going to let this stop him.
Darkness surrounds the car as Yzerman heads up I-75 toward his home, his wife in the front seat and his parents in the back. While answering questions from his mother, his mind wanders. He's replaying the game in his mind. "Should I have chipped the puck off the boards on that play in the third, dumped it in or carried it across the line?" He might be behind the wheel but his mind is far away, thinking about what could have been done differently.
That's his hockey mind. He plans to put it to good use when his playing career ends, maybe as a team president or GM.
"I just don't think I would be into coaching. I don't think I'm made for that side of the game," says Yzerman. "I'm going to take a while once I'm finished. I don't want to rush into anything. That's something Paul Coffey and I talked about.
"He said to take time when it's over. That's why this lockout has kind of been something to get me ready for retirement. I've been busy spending time with my kids. It's been great to spend time with them."
Holland said Yzerman has a strong hockey mind.
"He studies the game and he knows a lot about what's happening in every league," says Holland. "I don't know if he's getting everything from the Internet or reading the Hockey News. He knows how prospects of ours or other organization's are doing in Europe. He thinks the game and he can relate to people. He's had a storied career and I believe when it's over he'll be ready to make the next step into the front office."
Yzerman would like to model his career after Detroit Pistons star Joe Dumars, who went from being a standout player to a president who led the club to an NBA championship.
"That's the guy I kind of look at who is somebody I could learn from.," says Yzerman.
But Yzerman has unfinished business . . . on the ice.
Imagine the scene at Joe Louis Arena on Yzerman's final night in the NHL. The crowd. The old players back to honour him as the No. 19 is lifted to the rafters. The ovation for a player who has scored more than 1,700 points and the tears as a city says goodbye to one of its heroes.
But, thanks to the NHL lockout and cancelled season, it might never happen.
If this is the end, has Yzerman had a chance to write the final chapter?
"It's a great question," says Pang, who played in the NHL with Chicago. "With everything he has overcome in his career and what he's been through, you wish he could have the chance to say goodbye properly.
"You want him to step out on the ice for that final game, to hear the crowd cheer at Joe Louis Arena and then sit in the dressing room afterwards having a beer . . . just enjoying the moment and having the memories. If it's over, though, I don't think there's any regret.
"I know one thing about Steve Yzerman, whether he plays again or not: He puts, and has put, everything on the line every night. If the book is closed on his career, then I believe he's written a great story and filled up every chapter. One that's about heart, desire and a willingness to win by competing hard."
Don't send out the invitations to the retirement party yet. Yzerman wants one more chance. He wants another shot at the Cup with the Wings.
"I want to play. The tough thing is maintaining a conditioning level," says Yzerman, who quit skating in late January. "I've been riding the bike and working out since June. Anybody who exercises on a regular basis knows it's a struggle.
"To come back to play is a difficult thing to do -- especially when there's no competitive hockey. The writing is on the wall. That's kind of obvious. I don't want to close the door and say, 'Well, forget it. I'm done.' There isn't any reason to say I'm done right now. Who knows what might come in the next 12 months?"
He doesn't want it to end this way. There are no personal milestones he's aiming for. No records. That's not the player he is. And it's not about the money.
For Yzerman, it's about winning. It's about squeezing everything he can out of his career. He knows what it's like to win a Stanley Cup and the sacrifices that go with it.
"I don't want to script the end of my career. Regardless of the lockout, I'm not totally OK if it ended this way," says Yzerman. "I'm disappointed how my season was individually last year. I look back and wish I had done this or that. I can't put too much weight on my final season because it doesn't really affect my career. But I was looking forward to coming back and playing for another year and at the end of the season feeling better about things. There are just some things that have bothered me."
Yzerman doesn't want a farewell tour. What he wants is a chance to play.
"I'm not into that stuff," he says. "I'm not Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux. They clearly stood out. You can acknowledge the greatness there. Those guys deserve farewells because they stood out and they were at the top of the sport. They really separated themselves from everybody else. I never made it to that level."
Many would suggest otherwise.
"No, no, gosh no," says Yzerman. "Those two guys clearly separated themselves from all the other great players in hockey. Their accomplishments reached another level in my lifetime . . . them and Bobby Orr."
Before heading home, Yzerman wants to make one thing clear: It's not time to count him out just yet.
"Don't write the obituary," says Yzerman. "There's no need to make a decision one way or another. I just kind of wait."
VOICES ON STEVE YZERMAN:
"He's not the kind of guy who wants a year-long goodbye. That's not Steve Yzerman. But, when I look at this guy, I think he's been one of the best players this game has ever seen. I really believe that when Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman were in their prime, they were the top three players in their time." Detroit GM Ken Holland
"I believe winning the Stanley Cup and the gold medal the same year was something Steve Yzerman will look back on and be proud about. He was struggling with the knee and some thought that might be the end of his career. It might have been for somebody else. He fought his way back. He wanted to compete." ESPN analyst Darren Pang, a close friend since Yzerman's childhood
"Steve Yzerman doesn't want to have to go into a rink and pick up a rocking chair before he says goodbye. That's not the type of guy he is," Former Detroit coach Jacques Demers
"I saw him and I just thought he had great skills. Some of the people in Peterborough didn't think we should take him because he was too small. I just told them to watch him play. He competed hard and he wanted it. He was a big-time talent" Florida Panthers coach Jacques Martin, scouting for the Peterborough Petes when Yzerman was selected in the OHL draft No. 3 in 1981
"I really would like to see him play again. I wouldn't want to see it end this way. It's almost like there's unfinished business. That's the way I would describe it. To have his career end because of a labour dispute is not something I would like to see. Everybody wants to retire the right way. To me, it would be anti-climactic if he doesn't get to play again." Steve Yzerman's dad Ron
"You just hope Steve Yzerman gets the chance to play again. He's such a class individual. You wouldn't want to see a career like his end this way. He's given so much to the game. You'd like the chance to give him a proper sendoff and to hear the crowd roar at Joe Louis Arena." Ottawa lawyer Larry Kelly, Yzerman's agent
PROFILE
Born: May 9, 1965, Cranbrook, B.C. Moved to Nepean, Ont., from Kamloops, B.C., at age 10.
NHL draft: Detroit Red Wings, No. 4 overall, June 8, 1983, from the OHL's Peterborough Petes. Brian Lawton was drafted No. 1 by Minnesota North Stars, Sylvain Turgeon went No. 2 to Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres took Pat Lafontaine No. 3 and Tom Barrasso No. 5.
Parents: Ron and Jean. One of five children; brothers Michael, Gary, Chris; sister Roni-Jean.
Injury history: Fractured collarbone, Jan. 31, 1986; right knee surgery, March 1, 1988; injured right knee in playoffs, April 8, 1991; herniated disc, Oct. 21, 1993 (26 games); sprained knee, May 28, 1995 (three); bruised ankle, April 9, 1997 (one); sprained knee, Jan. 28, 1998 (three); strained groin, April 11, 1998 (three); forehead and nose lacerations, Jan. 21, 1999 (one); sprained knee, March 29, 2000 (four); sprained knee, Sept. 28, 2000 (two); knee surgery, Oct. 13, 2000 (23); bruised ankle, Dec. 26, 2002 (three); right knee surgery, Jan. 27, 2002 (six); reinjured right knee Feb. 26, 2002 (19). Had offseason surgery by Dr. Peter Fowler in London to have knee rebuilt. He was near an injury-free season last year when he played 75 games before a playoff eye accident against the Calgary Flames.
Family: Married to Lisa Brennan; three children, Isabella, 11, Maria, 6, Sophia, 5.
Residence: Birmingham, Mich.
Yzerman
A Warrior used to playing with pain is soldiering on, for now.
YZERMAN: The Detroit captain's outstanding career may be winding down <http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/Sports/2005/02/27/943908-sun.html>
BRUCE GARRIOCH <mailto:bruce.garrioch@<hidden>>, Special to The Free Press
2005-02-27 03:17:24
DETROIT -- The Warrior points to the aches and pains of a 22-year NHL career as he sits in a restaurant deep in Detroit suburbia, the sun beaming through the window. Pain. Plenty of it. Neck. Back. Shoulder. Knee. Eye. Injuries that would have sent mortal men scurrying to their hockey afterlives.
But Steve Yzerman played on, sometimes in excruciating pain. With pride. With courage. And with purpose. He knows his NHL career is at a crossroads but he vows to soldier on. In his own unassuming way, of course.
There's no doubt Yzerman has star power. There's a mural of the Red Wings centre in downtown Detroit. He can't go far without being recognized. As he walks into Champ's restaurant, the waitress introduces herself and he's quick to say: "Hi, Carolyn." It's a small thing but it's the small things that say so much about the Warrior's character.
Earlier, as Yzerman pulled up to the Troy Marriott behind the wheel of his white GMC Envoy, he apologizes for being late by 20 minutes.
An intensely private man, he doesn't seek the limelight. He draws the line at talking in great detail about his wife Lisa and children Isabella, 11, Maria, 6, and Sophia, 5. Isabella just started playing hockey. No. 19 wasn't available, so she settled for 20 on her jersey.
Yzerman likes to golf -- he's a 14 handicap and with spare time on his hands he's been at the range hitting balls. He's a member at Oakland Hills, home of the 2004 Ryder Cup.
In a peek at the inner Yzerman, he's a wine collector -- and a big English soccer fan. On this day, he's wearing a Liverpool jacket.
And while Yzerman prefers to remain low-key, others line up to give testimonials.
"Steve likes to lead by example," says Wings defenceman Nik Lidstrom. "He plays with his heart and with his soul. He lays it all on the line.
"When I think of Steve Yzerman, I like to think about 2002 when we won the Stanley Cup. He was basically playing on one leg. He couldn't practise for two months and he even had a difficult time taking part in the 15-minute warmup. But when the puck was dropped, he was there and he performed. We've been together for 13 years. He's tough as nails."
That's Steve Yzerman. The quiet schoolkid who never knew the meaning of the word quit.
The rink behind D. Aubrey Moodie school was cold and dark as Jean Yzerman ventured out from her Arnold Drive home trying to make sure her 11-year-old son got out of the cold and finished his homework. The boy begged for one more minute, then another, but the mother knew this could turn into hours and school was just as important as launching one more puck at the net or studying the curve on the stick.
"There was hockey and school . . . and hockey always came first," says his father, Ron Yzerman.
Steve Yzerman was a natural athlete. At age 10, he moved to Nepean, Ont., from Kamloops, B.C., when his father got a government transfer. He gave up his life with the Moose Pup Reps and put on the No. 14 to play minor hockey with the Nepean Raiders. He may not have been the biggest player or most natural skater, but he had three things that put him head and shoulders above the rest: talent, heart and desire.
"When I looked at the other boys I thought the difference with Steve was that he was not single-minded. He was always looking to move the puck and always trying to be a team player," says his dad. "He wasn't selfish. I know that sounds corny coming from his father, but that's just the type of guy that he was. He would always be at the top of the league in scoring but I always thought that he could have had more goals if he'd just shot the puck more. That wasn't him and that wasn't his style."
During the summer, Yzerman would play street hockey in the parking lot of a Loblaws with buddy Darren Pang and other friends. While some kids may have been just killing time, Yzerman was chasing a dream.
"The guy just loved the game," says Mike Goddard, a Nepean resident who coached Yzerman. "Hockey, hockey and hockey. That was all he thought. Other kids would have parties to attend or there was a dance on Friday night and they didn't want to practise. Not Steve, he was always on the ice.
"He would come, he would work hard and he wouldn't say much. He was just a polite kid. You knew he was special. You knew he was going to go somewhere. He wanted it badly and he wanted to be the difference."
At age 16, he left to play junior hockey with the OHL Peterborough Petes. His parents wanted him to keep up his schooling. But his studies suffered.
"I got word that he had been leaving school midway through the morning so that he could attend hockey practice with the junior team in Nepean. I guess they had some 20-year-olds who weren't in school," says his dad. "I had supposedly signed this note to allow him to leave for these appointments every day and I didn't know anything about it. When I heard about it I made sure it didn't happen again because education was important to us."
Yzerman switched to No. 19 in summer hockey school because he liked New York Islanders star Bryan Trottier. Like Trottier, 39-year-old Yzerman will some day have his No. 19 retired to the rafters at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.
The phone was ringing at Yzerman's summer home in Muskoka last June and he didn't want to answer the call. He knew it was Wayne Gretzky calling. But Yzerman couldn't pick it up to tell Team Canada's executive director he wasn't going to be ready for the World Cup.
"I put off calling Wayne Gretzky as long as I could," says Yzerman. "I could see he was calling. I avoided returning the calls. I didn't want to have to tell him. That's a tough thing."
This time, Yzerman couldn't answer the bell. He was in too much agony, he wasn't in good enough shape and he didn't want to occupy a roster spot that someone else deserved.
Coming off a devastating eye injury that ended his playoffs in May, Yzerman admitted seeing straight was the least of his worries when it came to playing for Team Canada. The pain just caught up with him. He had a bout of tendinitis in his shoulder, a sore neck because of surgery earlier in his career and a rebuilt knee that won't allow him to run when he trains.
"He called in May. I was surprised because you don't expect a call from (Gretzky)," Yzerman says. "I got the call and I was fired up. I was going to show the world I was going to play well and this was going to be great. I got into training June 1 and (Gretzky) told me to keep in touch to let him know how I was feeling. I got into July and I really struggled trying to get myself ready to play. There were things with my body that made it difficult for me to get into the shape I needed to be in.
"I had to think realistically how I would get myself ready to play. As it got closer I was like, 'Who was I kidding, I'm not ready to play.' Especially when there were other guys who were ready to go like (Vincent Lecavalier and Keith Primeau). I didn't feel I'd be able to play at a high enough level to help the team be successful. It's a tough thing to do to call (Gretzky) and say, 'I'm not ready to go.' I didn't know whether it was the right thing or the wrong thing. I wanted to play but I just couldn't do it."
All the injuries Yzerman suffered didn't hurt as much as saying no to Gretzky.
A brave decision by a brave player, which led to his replacement, Lecavalier, being named MVP of the World Cup.
Yzerman is an icon in Detroit. Few players spend a career in one place. Even Gretzky was dealt but Yzerman has spent his pro hockey life with the Wings.
"I would say we've both been fortunate the relationship has lasted as long as it has," says Detroit GM Ken Holland. "This organization has been committed to winning in this city and (owner Mike Ilitch) has done what it takes to bring championships here. You can't be successful if you don't have the support of ownership in the first place. Steve Yzerman has been popular here because the people see the passion he has for the game. He's done the job through his leadership on and off the ice."
It was in the summer of 1986 that a fresh-faced Yzerman, already drafted fourth overall by the Red Wings in 1983, showed up unannounced in Montreal at the Detroit draft table, wanting to introduce himself to new coach Jacques Demers. Yzerman drove from Ottawa because he wanted to make sure he got a chance to talk to Demers about the goals for the season. The meeting wasn't long but it was enough to tell Demers he had a man who could be a future captain.
"That meeting told me a lot about the guy," says Demers, who went on to win a Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993. "He came down from Ottawa and he just wanted to tell me he was having a terrible summer. He wasn't happy with the losing. He wanted success.
"That made me think long and hard going into training camp. To me, he looked like a boy, but he was a man and I just thought he was captain material. The one thing I respect about Steve Yzerman is he doesn't know the meaning of the word quit. That's not in his vocabulary. He didn't say a lot in the room but when he did, he spoke volumes."
Demers is proud of his choice.
"I didn't make the decision right away, but I knew he was the right man for the job," says Demers. "I spoke with Mike Ilitch and (former GM Jim Devallano) and they were concerned he was too young to be a captain. I knew I had made the right choice one night in Chicago. Yzerman wasn't happy with the way the game was going. The 'Hawks had guys like Doug Wilson, Steve Larmer, Al Secord and Denis Savard. Well, Steve didn't say anything, he just took matters into his own hands on the ice and led us to a victory. He hates to lose."
Losing almost became a way of life for Yzerman, who was nearly dealt to the Senators in 1996 when Ottawa was embroiled in one of its many contract disputes with Alexei Yashin. The deal was killed when then-Wings coach Scotty Bowman stepped in.
"(The rumours) were legit. They were very real. I'm not bitter about it," says Yzerman. "At the time, I was against it, just considering where the Senators were at that stage of their franchise. I really wanted to play on a Stanley Cup contender. I didn't know if in eight or nine years I'd still be playing. I look at Ottawa as one of top five teams in league (now) and I think they will continue to be. (In 1996,) I was just trying to influence where I was going."
Yzerman won his first of three Stanley Cups in 1997. The atmosphere at Joe Louis Arena was electric that night as he hoisted Lord Stanley's chalice in the air.
"I heard Steve describe that moment once as all kind of happening in slow motion," says Ron Yzerman. "The funny thing is, I was in the stands and I felt the same way."
Soon after the triumph came tragedy. As the celebration continued for days in Motown, teammates Vladimir Konstantinov, Viacheslav Fetisov and masseuse Sergei Mnatsakanov were badly hurt when their limousine veered off a highway in Detroit.
From the exhilarating high of winning a Cup to standing at a hospital bedside, praying that his friends would survive, Yzerman's life took an abrupt turn.
"For one week, you feel like you're on top of the world and almost superhuman. It ended in one second when we got the phone call," Yzerman said in a 1997 interview.
Still, he wanted to share the thrill of winning with friends. He took the Stanley Cup to his house in Birmingham, Mich., for private parties and spent a lot of time just studying the names, the etchings that have brought immortality to so many.
On Aug. 28, 1997, Yzerman took it to the Nepean Sportsplex -- to the rink named after him. He provided a lasting memory, this time for family friend Steve Unger. Unger, 37, was paralysed in a diving accident several years ago. Yzerman took one look at Unger and handed him the Cup.
"That meant a lot," says Unger. "That's just the kind of guy Steve Yzerman is. I got it. I wanted to lift it, but it was a lot heavier than I thought. It just meant a lot to me that he would do something like this. I was just there like everybody else wanting to get a glimpse of it."
Yzerman has always treated people with class. Treat people as you expect to be treated.
Winning a gold medal and a Stanley Cup in the same season? In 2002, he did it on one leg. Troubled by knee problems going into the Olympics, Yzerman decided to have an arthroscopic procedure a month before the Games because he could "feel something there" and wanted to get it cleaned up.
He came back to play two NHL games before the Games began in Salt Lake City and felt good. But Yzerman felt the pain during a loss to Sweden in the first game of the tournament.
"We played Germany in the second game and after that it blew up. But it was too late for me to back out. I knew that since I had gone in there I had to keep going. I should have told them no beforehand.
"I committed. I told them my knee was fine because I thought it was fine. I wasn't sure what was going on with the knee and I didn't understand why it was happening. I didn't think about it. I just went out and played."
Then there was the Stanley Cup. Glorious. Wonderful.
"There's no question (that's the highlight of my career)," says Yzerman. "There's been a lot of highlights for me that maybe wouldn't have made a highlight reel, but they've meant a lot to me personally. But if I look back on one year, then winning the gold medal and finishing No. 1 overall with Detroit and winning the Stanley Cup in 2002 means a lot.
"I persevered that year. It was a difficult thing to do. You could debate how effective I was on the ice. For myself, I was able to persevere and play through it and be somewhat effective. I felt pretty good about that."
A heroic performance by a brave warrior.
He had his knee rebuilt that summer by Dr. Peter Fowler in London. Doctors told him to quit. Take it easy.
But Yzerman had fought back before in his career and he wasn't going to let this stop him.
Darkness surrounds the car as Yzerman heads up I-75 toward his home, his wife in the front seat and his parents in the back. While answering questions from his mother, his mind wanders. He's replaying the game in his mind. "Should I have chipped the puck off the boards on that play in the third, dumped it in or carried it across the line?" He might be behind the wheel but his mind is far away, thinking about what could have been done differently.
That's his hockey mind. He plans to put it to good use when his playing career ends, maybe as a team president or GM.
"I just don't think I would be into coaching. I don't think I'm made for that side of the game," says Yzerman. "I'm going to take a while once I'm finished. I don't want to rush into anything. That's something Paul Coffey and I talked about.
"He said to take time when it's over. That's why this lockout has kind of been something to get me ready for retirement. I've been busy spending time with my kids. It's been great to spend time with them."
Holland said Yzerman has a strong hockey mind.
"He studies the game and he knows a lot about what's happening in every league," says Holland. "I don't know if he's getting everything from the Internet or reading the Hockey News. He knows how prospects of ours or other organization's are doing in Europe. He thinks the game and he can relate to people. He's had a storied career and I believe when it's over he'll be ready to make the next step into the front office."
Yzerman would like to model his career after Detroit Pistons star Joe Dumars, who went from being a standout player to a president who led the club to an NBA championship.
"That's the guy I kind of look at who is somebody I could learn from.," says Yzerman.
But Yzerman has unfinished business . . . on the ice.
Imagine the scene at Joe Louis Arena on Yzerman's final night in the NHL. The crowd. The old players back to honour him as the No. 19 is lifted to the rafters. The ovation for a player who has scored more than 1,700 points and the tears as a city says goodbye to one of its heroes.
But, thanks to the NHL lockout and cancelled season, it might never happen.
If this is the end, has Yzerman had a chance to write the final chapter?
"It's a great question," says Pang, who played in the NHL with Chicago. "With everything he has overcome in his career and what he's been through, you wish he could have the chance to say goodbye properly.
"You want him to step out on the ice for that final game, to hear the crowd cheer at Joe Louis Arena and then sit in the dressing room afterwards having a beer . . . just enjoying the moment and having the memories. If it's over, though, I don't think there's any regret.
"I know one thing about Steve Yzerman, whether he plays again or not: He puts, and has put, everything on the line every night. If the book is closed on his career, then I believe he's written a great story and filled up every chapter. One that's about heart, desire and a willingness to win by competing hard."
Don't send out the invitations to the retirement party yet. Yzerman wants one more chance. He wants another shot at the Cup with the Wings.
"I want to play. The tough thing is maintaining a conditioning level," says Yzerman, who quit skating in late January. "I've been riding the bike and working out since June. Anybody who exercises on a regular basis knows it's a struggle.
"To come back to play is a difficult thing to do -- especially when there's no competitive hockey. The writing is on the wall. That's kind of obvious. I don't want to close the door and say, 'Well, forget it. I'm done.' There isn't any reason to say I'm done right now. Who knows what might come in the next 12 months?"
He doesn't want it to end this way. There are no personal milestones he's aiming for. No records. That's not the player he is. And it's not about the money.
For Yzerman, it's about winning. It's about squeezing everything he can out of his career. He knows what it's like to win a Stanley Cup and the sacrifices that go with it.
"I don't want to script the end of my career. Regardless of the lockout, I'm not totally OK if it ended this way," says Yzerman. "I'm disappointed how my season was individually last year. I look back and wish I had done this or that. I can't put too much weight on my final season because it doesn't really affect my career. But I was looking forward to coming back and playing for another year and at the end of the season feeling better about things. There are just some things that have bothered me."
Yzerman doesn't want a farewell tour. What he wants is a chance to play.
"I'm not into that stuff," he says. "I'm not Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux. They clearly stood out. You can acknowledge the greatness there. Those guys deserve farewells because they stood out and they were at the top of the sport. They really separated themselves from everybody else. I never made it to that level."
Many would suggest otherwise.
"No, no, gosh no," says Yzerman. "Those two guys clearly separated themselves from all the other great players in hockey. Their accomplishments reached another level in my lifetime . . . them and Bobby Orr."
Before heading home, Yzerman wants to make one thing clear: It's not time to count him out just yet.
"Don't write the obituary," says Yzerman. "There's no need to make a decision one way or another. I just kind of wait."
VOICES ON STEVE YZERMAN:
"He's not the kind of guy who wants a year-long goodbye. That's not Steve Yzerman. But, when I look at this guy, I think he's been one of the best players this game has ever seen. I really believe that when Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman were in their prime, they were the top three players in their time." Detroit GM Ken Holland
"I believe winning the Stanley Cup and the gold medal the same year was something Steve Yzerman will look back on and be proud about. He was struggling with the knee and some thought that might be the end of his career. It might have been for somebody else. He fought his way back. He wanted to compete." ESPN analyst Darren Pang, a close friend since Yzerman's childhood
"Steve Yzerman doesn't want to have to go into a rink and pick up a rocking chair before he says goodbye. That's not the type of guy he is," Former Detroit coach Jacques Demers
"I saw him and I just thought he had great skills. Some of the people in Peterborough didn't think we should take him because he was too small. I just told them to watch him play. He competed hard and he wanted it. He was a big-time talent" Florida Panthers coach Jacques Martin, scouting for the Peterborough Petes when Yzerman was selected in the OHL draft No. 3 in 1981
"I really would like to see him play again. I wouldn't want to see it end this way. It's almost like there's unfinished business. That's the way I would describe it. To have his career end because of a labour dispute is not something I would like to see. Everybody wants to retire the right way. To me, it would be anti-climactic if he doesn't get to play again." Steve Yzerman's dad Ron
"You just hope Steve Yzerman gets the chance to play again. He's such a class individual. You wouldn't want to see a career like his end this way. He's given so much to the game. You'd like the chance to give him a proper sendoff and to hear the crowd roar at Joe Louis Arena." Ottawa lawyer Larry Kelly, Yzerman's agent
PROFILE
Born: May 9, 1965, Cranbrook, B.C. Moved to Nepean, Ont., from Kamloops, B.C., at age 10.
NHL draft: Detroit Red Wings, No. 4 overall, June 8, 1983, from the OHL's Peterborough Petes. Brian Lawton was drafted No. 1 by Minnesota North Stars, Sylvain Turgeon went No. 2 to Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres took Pat Lafontaine No. 3 and Tom Barrasso No. 5.
Parents: Ron and Jean. One of five children; brothers Michael, Gary, Chris; sister Roni-Jean.
Injury history: Fractured collarbone, Jan. 31, 1986; right knee surgery, March 1, 1988; injured right knee in playoffs, April 8, 1991; herniated disc, Oct. 21, 1993 (26 games); sprained knee, May 28, 1995 (three); bruised ankle, April 9, 1997 (one); sprained knee, Jan. 28, 1998 (three); strained groin, April 11, 1998 (three); forehead and nose lacerations, Jan. 21, 1999 (one); sprained knee, March 29, 2000 (four); sprained knee, Sept. 28, 2000 (two); knee surgery, Oct. 13, 2000 (23); bruised ankle, Dec. 26, 2002 (three); right knee surgery, Jan. 27, 2002 (six); reinjured right knee Feb. 26, 2002 (19). Had offseason surgery by Dr. Peter Fowler in London to have knee rebuilt. He was near an injury-free season last year when he played 75 games before a playoff eye accident against the Calgary Flames.
Family: Married to Lisa Brennan; three children, Isabella, 11, Maria, 6, Sophia, 5.
Residence: Birmingham, Mich.