USA Today transcript for the Yzerman interview with Jim Rome on May 7, 2006.
Steve Yzerman on the Jim Rome Show 4/7: Rough transcript
Steve Yzerman appeared on the Jim Rome show this afternoon on WDFN 1130 AM.I’ve paraphrased as the two gentlemen talked rather quickly. Pleasantries were exchanged at the beginning and end of the interview. Yzerman and Rome asked one another how they were doing, and got on with it:
Rome says: The last time we talked about how you missed 17 games this season, and now you’ve got 5 goals and 7 assists in the last 12 games. How do you feel coming down the stretch?
Yzerman: Prior to the Olympic break I felt that I was coming around things were slowing down on the ice–and I could see things develop a little faster–and after the break, I felt a lot better, but I had the opportunity, in practice and games, to work on my game, and get sharp, and I hope that I can be a productive player in the playoffs.
Rome asks: You seem to have gotten tougher over the years. As you’ve gone through your career, do you feel that you’ve become a tougher athlete?
Yzerman: I don’t think so, I haven’t necessarily gotten tougher, but over my career I’ve played with some pretty darn good veteran players, and as their careers went on, they took better and better care of themselves, in terms of conditioning, and diet, and that helped extend their careers, but they always put team success first. With Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Lidstrom in the lineup, there’s a lot of depth, and good young players, so I don’t feel like I have to carry the load, and I feel that I’m more effective in a supporting role at this point in my career.
