MLive.com
November 17, 2003
by Ansar Khan
When doctors took a saw to Steve Yzerman’s right knee some 15 months ago, realigning the bones in a rare surgical procedure for a professional athlete, it was believed to be the beginning of the end for the Detroit Red Wings captain.
Instead, it seems to have led to a rebirth because Yzerman doesn’t resemble a player on his last leg.
From his winning goal with 1.7 seconds to play in the season-opener against Los Angeles to his clutch third-period game-tying goal at Minnesota on Saturday, Yzerman has been perhaps the team’s most valuable player, certainly its best forward. Had he retired after last season, this club might be in dire straits right now. But a long summer apparently is just what he needed to re-energize.
“Maybe he’s got some of Igor Larionov’s red wine,” Wings coach Dave Lewis said, referring to the beverage the former Wing often cited as his fountain of youth. “(Yzerman) has such inner strength and inner focus, when he comes to the rink he comes to play. He has such a high standard that anything else is unacceptable.”
November 17, 2003
by Ansar Khan
I mean, the best thing for my knee, for anyone’s knee, is to never play again and retire. But I’m not going to do that.”
- Steve Yzerman
When doctors took a saw to Steve Yzerman’s right knee some 15 months ago, realigning the bones in a rare surgical procedure for a professional athlete, it was believed to be the beginning of the end for the Detroit Red Wings captain.
Instead, it seems to have led to a rebirth because Yzerman doesn’t resemble a player on his last leg.
From his winning goal with 1.7 seconds to play in the season-opener against Los Angeles to his clutch third-period game-tying goal at Minnesota on Saturday, Yzerman has been perhaps the team’s most valuable player, certainly its best forward. Had he retired after last season, this club might be in dire straits right now. But a long summer apparently is just what he needed to re-energize.
“Maybe he’s got some of Igor Larionov’s red wine,” Wings coach Dave Lewis said, referring to the beverage the former Wing often cited as his fountain of youth. “(Yzerman) has such inner strength and inner focus, when he comes to the rink he comes to play. He has such a high standard that anything else is unacceptable.”
