The Sporting News article
March 27, 1989
by [unknown]

Steve Yzerman doesn’t have a 99 or a 66 on the back of his sweater, but the numbers he’s put on the scoreboard have been every bit as imposing as the ones registered by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. In fact, there’s a growing number of people who think Yzerman just might be the most valuable player in the National Hockey League.

“He’s a complete player because he can do it all,” Vancouver Coach Bob McCammon said after Yzerman, 23, scored one goal and assisted on another in leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-2 tie against the Canucks on March 14.

“He’s got his team in first place with all the adversities they’ve suffered through. He the MVP of the league in my opinion. He doesn’t seem to play many bad shifts.”

One night later, Yzerman scored two goals and set up four others for the first six-point night of his career as Detroit downed the Edmonton Oilers, 8-6.

“He’s a dynamite hockey player,” said Edmonton Coach Glen Sather. “We had a shadow on him. We had two lines covering him, but they had trouble containing him. Our defense seemed to have trouble finding him.”

The Yzerman bandwagon then rolled into St. Louis, where the Blues held the Detroit center to just one assist in a 3-2 victory over the Wings on March 18.

The assist gave Yzerman 63 goals and 84 assists, both club records. Still, Yzerman had to look up the NHL scoring ladder, where Lemieux had 181 points and Gretzky 157.

“I’m tickled to death just to be mentioned in the same breath as Wayne and Mario, but if they weren’t doing the things they’re doing, I wouldn’t be getting all the chances I’m getting with the Red Wings,” said Yzerman. “They’ve changed the way a centerman can play, how many minutes a guy can play.”

After Yzerman slid into a goal post in a game against Buffalo on March 1, 1988, and subsequently underwent major knee surgery, there was some question whether he would even be back before March 1, 1989.

But a rigorous off-season training regimen of cycling and squash plus a burning desire to succeed got Yzerman back in the Detroit lineup as good as new this season.

“I had played squash before to help with my hand-to-eye coordination, but I figured it would help me improve the mobility of my knee, too,” Yzerman said. Then he laughed. “If the truth be known, I’ve always hated running anyway.”

If the truth be known, Yzerman still walks with the trace of a limp. But he streaks like a thoroughbred on the ice.

“If I played baseball or basketball, I might not have been able to come back as quickly as I did,” he said. “I have a tough time running, but it doesn’t bother me skating.”

Nobody ever accused Yzerman of taking a night off prior to this season, but the Detroit captain admitted he was guilty of relaxing on certain nights.

“Before, I used to play one good game and tended to relax a little bit the next night,” he said. “That’s not the way to play. You have to look at this game and not think about the rest of the schedule. If you did, and you saw you had five games in seven nights, you’d say, “Oh, gosh, look at all those games. How are we going to do it?’”

Yzerman may not think about all his ice time this season, but Red Wings Coach Jacques Demers certainly does. Demers has ordered his star center to stay away from practices and has tried to cut down on his playing time on certain nights. He knows what Yzerman means to the Wings.

“I know Wayne Gretzky has done wonders in Los Angeles and Mario Lemieux has done wonders in Pittsburgh,” said Demers. “But we’re still first in the division and eighth overall. That’s because Steve Yzerman is such a great competitor and great captain for us.

“I consider Stevie the third-best player in the league. But I still contend that he’s the most valuable player in the league. I know one thing, we would just be an average club without Steve Yzerman. It’s as simple as that.

“He’s been an inspiration to all of us.”

Minnesota Coach Pierre Page, who has seen plenty of Yzerman this season because the North Stars are in the same division, doesn’t have any trouble putting Yzerman in the same company with Gretzky and Lemieux.

“We don’t have anybody like him, but who does?” said Page. “Montreal doesn’t, Calgary doesn’t. Only three teams (Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Detroit) have a player like that.”