Detroit Free Press article
August 3, 2005
by Helene St. James
On the day he announced his comeback for a 22nd season, Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman also spoke about what he’d like to do when his playing days are over.
“My goal is to one day run a hockey team, to be the guy responsible for putting everybody in place, for signing players to contracts,” Yzerman said Tuesday.
And he has the perfect role model.
In years past, Yzerman skated at Joe Louis Arena while Joe Dumars dribbled at the Palace of Auburn Hills. In the future, both could have desk jobs running their old clubs.
Yzerman stays in Detroit for one more year
Steve Yzerman will remain as the Wings captain for his 19th year. He can’t rule out a 20th year, but most likely Yzerman will help link the Stanley Cup/lots of money/Hall of Famers era to the salary cap/youthful era. “I’m hesitant to say it’s my last year,” Yzerman said, chuckling, “but I have to be realistic.” While this may be his last year out on the ice, Yzerman sees himself in a management position down the road. “My goal is to one day run a hockey team, to be the guy responsible for putting everybody in place, for signing players to contracts,” Yzerman said.
While details of the contract haven’t been released, The Detroit News reports that Yzerman will earn $1.75 million with bonuses reaching $2 million.
“I spent a lot of time thinking about it, going back and forth, and in the end, I just felt if I didn’t come back, I’d be wondering if I could’ve played,” Yzerman said Tuesday from his Canada vacation home. “I wanted to give it my best shot. I’m not afraid of the challenge, and this year, there’s a lot to try and accomplish. I wanted to see if we could correct some areas and have better feelings than we had two years ago.”
The decision was a challenging one for Yzerman, who rented ice time Tuesday - his first time since March. He will participate in the Team Canada’s Olympic training camp on August 14th. “I went through periods when I thought, this is tough, I’m too old to do this stuff, maybe it is time to retire,” Yzerman said. “But then there were periods when I felt good and energetic. What it came down to was, Kenny and Jimmy D. expressed they really wanted me to be part of the team. If I felt they were jammed on the cap, I’d have moved on. Now I’m excited about playing again.”
While Yzerman understands that the landscape of the Wings will ultimately be different, he believes that the team will remain a Stanley Cup contender. “Our team is going to be good,” he said. “You add a couple of young guys like (Niklas) Kronwall and a few free agents and I expect us to be a strong team. I don’t know about favorites, because I think Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are real strong. But I expect the Red Wings to be Stanley Cup contenders.”
Yzerman has already talked to Babcock and his role on the team will be worked out over time. He believes that he’ll be playing more on the wing likely with Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby.
In the contract, there are clauses that would “reduce the cap impact if he misses games,” but he doesn’t expect to miss much. “My approach is, I’m not just trying to survive, I want to be a good player, but I’m prepared to accept any role,” Yzerman said. “I don’t expect any handouts. Sure, the fans may want to see familiar faces, but then they’re gonna want to see performance, and if the familiar faces aren’t performing, they won’t be happy.”
