How long was yzerman captain

Yzerman, the Red Wings and the city of Detroit had finally seen their dreams come true. Yzerman met NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at center ice to receive the trophy he had been dreaming about since he was a young kid playing hockey in Ottawa. When he turned to share the Cup with the team, his teammates stayed back and told him to take a victory lap on his own. He had been the one that spent 14 years with this franchise. He had been the one to shoulder much of the responsibility for the heart breaks in previous years and he had earned his time.

The team felt they could wait just a few more minutes to share in the victory. He was a Stanley Cup champion. Unfortunately, the celebration would last less than a week. A limousine carrying Slava Fetisov and Vladimir Konstantinov, two important defensemen from the Red Wings, crashed into a tree.

Fetisov would escape without serious injuries, however, Konstantinov would remain in critical condition for some time, resulting in paralysis. His hockey career was over. During the season, the Red Wings were on a mission to keep the Cup for their injured teammates. During a winter break in the season, Yzerman would once again play for Team Canada, this time in the Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Louis Blues and finally the Dallas Stars to secure a second straight Stanley Cup finals appearance, this time against the Washington Capitals.

When the Cup was presented to Yzerman at center ice, the first thing he did was bring it to Konstantinov who was on the ice celebrating with his teammates and friends. The team, and its captain, had accomplished their goal of keeping the Cup for Konstantinov.

The next several years would see playoff frustrations haunt Yzerman and the Red Wings, although Yzerman would see some more personal accolades winning the Frank J. Yzerman would get one more shot at the cup in Yzerman turned in one of the most amazing seasons by any player in NHL history.

Yzerman, almost literally playing on one leg due to injury, led Canada to its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years and then led the Wings to their 3rd Stanley Cup championship in five years. Yzerman would go on to play a few more years in the NHL, no longer the offensive superstar he once was, but a complete player and a leader grooming the next generation of Red Wings stars like Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. He would finish his career with points in games 6th in NHL history.

On September 25, , the Red Wings named Yzerman a team vice president and alternate governor. Former teammate Vladimir Konstantinov attended the ceremony, walking across the ice for the first time without a wheelchair since his last game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The archives of THW contain over 40, posts on all things hockey. THW Archives. He finishes the tournament with six points two goals, four assists in six games. Yzerman misses 30 games during the regular season with a knee injury; the knee continues to bother him during the playoffs, but he ignores the pain.

Rather than being the first to skate with the Cup, Yzerman hands it to coach Scotty Bowman, who announces his retirement after the game. March 31, -- Yzerman scores his st NHL goal, passing Lemieux for eighth on the all-time list. He scores his nd and final goal three days later against the Calgary Flames. July 3, -- Yzerman announces his retirement as a player, finishing his career with 1, points goals, 1, assists.

On Sept. May 25, -- Yzerman leaves the only NHL team he's ever worked for when he is hired as vice president and general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It's the second straight Olympic gold for an Yzerman-built team, coming four years after Canada's overtime victory against the United States at the final in Vancouver.

June 3, -- The Lightning return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning the championship in when they host the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1. April 19, -- Yzerman rejoins the Red Wings when he's hired as general manager, with longtime GM Ken Holland becoming a senior vice president. Whatever was going on in the locker room, he had his thumb all over it.

He knew everything going on with the guys, with everything. He handled it like a captain should — he never really spoke out unless he absolutely had to. He pulled guys aside and had a mature conversation. Respect is earned, and you have to have time to build, but I hope one day people can respect me like they respected Henrik Zetterberg.

The guys respect you. Just hearing that was great. It meant a lot. I feel very comfortable with our relationship and how he feels about me as a player and person. Contact Helene St. James at hstjames freepress. Detroit Red Wings. The Bulls are bringing fun back to Chicago, one dunk at a time. Chicago Bulls. Las Vegas Raiders. Tiger needs to play well to return, Thomas says. Browns rule out Chubb; Johnson to start vs. Cleveland Browns. North Carolina Tar Heels.

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