Sports Illustrated article
Feb 8, 1988
by Austin Murphy

HEADING TOWARD THE DRESSING room after a recent practice at Joe Louis Arena, the Detroit Red Wings’ Steve Yzerman passed a gaggle of young admirers. One of them, a skinny, blonde, buck-toothed girl, looked to be about nine. Yzerman held his stick out to her and asked, ”Want this?”

She froze. Of course she wanted the All-Star center’s stick. But wouldn’t he be smiling if he wanted her to take it? ”Take it!” hissed her friend. ”Take it!” Finally, as if in a trance, she did, with both hands. Afterward, Yzerman, a genuinely nice fellow who just happens to leave his game face on even when there’s no game, wondered aloud if he had upset her.

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