USA Today article
September 11, 1996
by Kevin Allen

Canada’s hopes of winning the World Cup of Hockey almost went into the waste basket with Steve Yzerman’s team information packet last June.

After being cut from the Canada Cup roster in 1987 and 1991, Yzerman wasn’t sure he wanted to try again. But while on vacation, the Detroit Red Wings captain began to have a change of heart. “I wanted to be part of winning it,” he said. “I turned 31, and I want to experience all that I can before I retire.”

What he has experienced in the past week are two game-winning goals, including the tally at 10 minutes, 37 seconds of overtime
that gave Canada a 4-3 win Tuesday against the USA in Game 1 of the final.

Yzerman had good speed coming over the blue line, but the right-handed winger held onto the puck until he was deep into the left-wing face-off circle before flicking a shot toward the goal. Goaltender Mike Richter reached out to catch it with his glove, but it caromed off the pocket and landed a few inches over the line.

“I got a good piece of it,” Richter said. “But he made a great play. He used the defenseman as a screen. I was late picking it
up.”

The play wasn’t designed in his head as he was coming over the blue line. “To be honest, I didn’t know what I was going to do,”
Yzerman said.

He considered going wide and carrying the puck around the net, but at the last moment, he decided to send it toward the net and
see what would happen. The puck was fluttering as Richter tried to snare it. “Those are the kinds of things that happen to (the team) when you aren’t playing as well as you can,” USA defenseman Brian Leetch said.

Yzerman also had scored the game-winner in a 3-2 win against Slovakia. That came with just less than four minutes remaining in regulation.

His production is noteworthy, given that he was certainly not a lock to make the team. He suffered a sprained knee early in
the World Cup training camp, and coach Glen Sather, knowing some players would have to sit out, offered him an out. He wouldn’t
take it. He also doesn’t get the same amount of ice time that the top players are receiving.

“But I’ve been enjoying myself,” Yzerman said. “There is something to be said for going and enjoying yourself and not getting too
worked up about things.”

Besides, Yzerman joked, “I didn’t want to go to camp.”