Steve Yzerman will have his number retired in a pregame ceremony on January 2nd, 2007. The ceremony will last one hour and conclude right before the start of the game against Anaheim. Yzerman will be the sixth Wing to have his jersey number immortalized in Joe Louis Arena.

“For a long time, there was no doubt in ownership’s mind that Steve Yzerman would play his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings and that his sweater would fittingly go up into the rafters along with the other all-time greatest Red Wing players,” senior vice president Jim Devellano said.

“As to picking a date, we wanted to be sure that this will be a very special evening and with that, it takes a lot of planning,” he said.

Let’s just say I’m going to do whatever I can to get to that game and I think many Wings/Yzerman fans will agree. I also like that the game is during most school’s winter breaks and when a lot of people take time off.

Update: Well I just ordered my birthday present early. :) My dad and I have been planning to go to a Wings game for my birthday like I did last year. Anyways, I just bought two tickets for the Jan 2 game in section 114 (next to the zamboni pit), row 10 on StubHub. While I wish I was on the glass like last year (which was amazing), I just can’t miss this ceremony and it’s only 24 days before my bday!

Update #2: Wow…when I bought my tickets on StubHub, I got two tickets in the 10th row in the lower bowl right next to the zamboni pit for $275 each. There were plenty of upper bowl tickets available. Anyways, there are only 7 tickets left on StubHub with each ticket asking $1,104.00. I can’t believe that! I guess I got pretty lucky by buying my tickets within an hour of the announcement.

Update #3: The Detroit News has an additional quote from Jimmy Devellano about the event.

“It’s in the early planning stages at this point — we just wanted to get the date out there to let people know,” said Jimmy Devellano, the Wings’ senior vice president, Wednesday. “But I can tell you this: It’s going to be an extravaganza. And it will be a night to remember.”

John Niyo writes in his blog that Devellano “told me earlier today fans can expect something on the order of what Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky got for a send-off in New York.”

Update #4: Paul at Kukla’s Korner has an update about the ceremony via his blog’s forum. He’s on a mini vacation this weekend so it didn’t make it to KK, just the forum.

Jimmy D. was just on Leafs Lunch, talking about the Yzerman Retirement Day. He is catching some flak about the date of the ceremony, some thinking it should have been scheduled when an original 6 team was at the Joe. Jimmy D. stated Steve never played in the original 6 and this is not about who the Wings are playing that day, it is about Yzerman.

He was asked if Steve was close to being traded; Jimmy D. said twice. Once early in his career to Buffal for LaFontaine and then again in 94 to Ottawa for 2 very good players, two young players and some picks. He said that deal broke down but there was serious talk.