Steve Yzerman's Career

Stevie Y Set To Join Hall Of Fame

Jun 23, 2009 Dan Leggieri

One of the greatest leaders the NHL has ever seen will take his rightful place in the Hockey Hall Of Fame.

If Barack Obama is the people’s President, Judge Wapner was head of The People’s Court, and The Rock is the People’s Champion, then surely Steve Yzerman is the People’s Captain.

Yzerman had a long, 23-year NHL career. Not all of it was pretty, not all of it was good, but Yzerman left the game in 2006 as one of the most beloved players to have ever laced up a pair of skates in the NHL.

Drafted 4th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 1983, Yzerman would spend his entire NHL playing career with the club. He would serve as the team’s captain from 1986 to 2006, the longest captaincy of any player with the same team in NHL history.

Steve Yzerman Career Stats and Achievements

Regular season career stats:

Games played: 1514, Goals: 692, Assists: 1063, Points: 1755

Playoff career stats:

Games played: 196, Goals: 70, Assists: 115, Points: 185

NHL All-Star Appearances: 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1999, and 2000
Lester B. Pearson Award; awarded annually to the league’s most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association - 1989
Conn Smythe Trophy; Playoff MVP - 1998
Frank J. Selke Trophy; awarded annually to the NHL forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game - 2000
3 Stanley Cup Championships - 1997, 1998, and 2002
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy; awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey - 2003
Lester Patrick Trophy; presented by the NHL and USA Hockey to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States - 2006
Sixth, all time in NHL points behind Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Gordie Howe, Ron Francis and Marcel Dionne.
First in Red Wings history in assists; second in points and goals; third in games played
Longest-serving captain for one team in NHL history
His number 19 was retired by the Canadian Men's National Team in 2005 and retired by Detroit Red Wings in 2007
Ranked #6 in The Hockey News The Top 60 Since 1967 - The Best Players of the Post Expansion Era
Member of the 1984 Canada Cup championship team
Olympic gold medal as part of the 2002 men’s national ice hockey team
In 2008, Yzerman was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Yzerman is widely admired and respected in the hockey community by fans, players and executives alike. A classier leader, teammate and friend the NHL has never seen – and may not see again.

Yzerman will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

The copyright of the article Steve Yzerman's Career in Ice Hockey is owned by Dan Leggieri. Permission to republish Steve Yzerman's Career in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.