NHL.com article
April 16, 2004
by Karl Samuelson
Steve Yzerman has lined up at center ice as team captain more often than any other player in NHL history. Only 21-years-old when he was made the captain of the Detroit Red Wings, Yzerman’s leadership tenure is as much about quality as quantity.
When Detroit needed a goal scorer, Yzerman scored at a torrid pace, notching 50 or more goals five times and twice reaching the 60-goal plateau. When the team needed a playmaker, he turned other players into marksmen. When it came time to win the Stanley Cup, Yzerman led the way with his unparalleled work ethic and ability to come through at the most critical moments of the game.
“The whole franchise was really on his shoulders when he got here (in 1983)” says Detroit General Manager Ken Holland. “Steve entered the League as a highly productive, offensive talent and made his mark with offensive statistics. There were some tough seasons here in Detroit, but he put the whole franchise on his back and carried it. Steve was the first (player) to totally change his game and went from being the offensive guy to being the best two-way centerman in the NHL. Once your leader changes his game for the good of the team, then everybody else follows suit.”
