The Detroit Free Press recently interviewed former Detroit Red Wings player Brendan Shanahan (currently of the NY Rangers). Two of the questions and corresponding answers mentioned Steve Yzerman.
Q: Now that you’re rubbing elbows with fashionistas, who was the best-dressed Wing while you were in Detroit?
A: “I’ll give it to the Captain, but I’ll have to give his wife credit because she shops for him.”
Q: Whom among the Wings do you keep in touch with?
A: “It’s tough as teammates in the off-season with schedules and geography and families. But I keep in touch with Yzerman, and I hung out with Nick Lidstrom at the All-Star Game. Kris Draper and I will exchange e-mail every now and then. When Dan Cleary scores a goal, I usually get a message from him. Really, almost all of the guys I played with over the years will send little messages throughout the year, as I do to them. Text messaging has become an accepted part of my life.”
Pittsburgh Penguins phenom Sidney Crosby hopes to become a leader and play for just one team like Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux.
So far in his early career, Crosby feels at home in Pittsburgh and would like to emulate hall of fame players Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman by staying with the same franchise for his entire career.
“That would be nice. I look at those guys and I think that says a lot to stay with one organization.
“You see their situations, and the way they went through tough times. But, there were also good times for them at the end.”
Despite the added pressure heading into the new season Crosby’s goal is to win the Stanley Cup.
“It’s always been a dream to play in the NHL and one day hoist the Cup, and everyone knows it’s the captain who gets that opportunity.”
I asked some of the Yzerman contest entrants to talk about Steve Yzerman. All of them were asked three questions: (1) When did you become an Yzerman fan? (2) You live in __ (someplace outside of Michigan). Why did you become an Yzerman fan? (3) What quality do you admire most in Yzerman?
Al of Florida (LGW member: Viperar)
1. I became an Yzerman fan when I became a Red Wings fan in 1992 (I am only 20) so thats basically my entire life hahaha. His class and skill on the ice, and silent leadership have always been an inspiration to me, and I am today studying International Politics, which involves tons of leadership,and can only hold Yzerman’s behavior as the number 1 importance to me.
2. I have only lived in Florida since 1998, I lived in Michigan before that so I guess this question is kinda null.
3. His silent leadership. In a sport like hockey with bigshot hotmouths running around, he not only showed them up with skill, but kept his mouth shut which made it better. Of course he would speak when his team needed it, and re-inspired Red Wings fans everywhere.
David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail wrote an article earlier this week stating that Scotty Bowman had been offered the job as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs and that he had a week to make his decision. Bowman emailed TSN and contacted David saying that this, in fact, was not true and he has no such offer on the table. David went on “The Fan” (a Toronto radio show) to explain his story and sources. I won’t get into the Bowman story here, but David says that if Bowman does get the position, he’d be interested in taking Steve Yzerman on board as the GM.
Shoalts: Well, they talked about having, as assistant coaches, coming in, people like Craig Ramsay [who has since been hired by the Boston Bruins] and Igor Larionov, um…As a head coach, it was pretty vague, it was funny, but, you know…He’s also close to, he had a really good relationship with Steve Yzerman, when Yzerman played for him in Detroit. Yzerman would like to be a GM, but he’s always said, you know, he’s not interested in pushing aside Ken Holland, who’s not going anywhere, I don’t think, in Detroit, and Ken has a natural successor behind him in Jim Nill, who’s a very good hockey man…
So, this would seem, to me, pretty intriguing for a lot of people, and there are a lot of people around the league who would be dying to work for Scotty Bowman, in fact, one guy I talked to the weekend specifically said, “I hope he gets the job, I hope it happens, because I’d love to work for him.”
Thanks to George @ Snapshots for the transcript of the interview. Personally, I think Bowman is too old for this kind of position and he doesn’t want all that stress (he turns 74 this year). Plus, it would really surprise me to see Yzerman leave Detroit, especially this soon for a GM position. He is enjoying the role he currently has and the city of Detroit loves him. Why would he leave for the Maple Leafs?
I am pleased to announce the two randomly selected winners. I assigned each email a number (1-66). The two winning numbers were generated by Random.org. The first number won the Detroit Free Press book called “The Captain.” The second number generated received the book entitled Nineteen: A Salute to Yzerman.
Winner of “The Captain” = #3 = Ryan of Chicago
Winner of “Nineteen” = #40 = Andrew of Ontario (LGW member: superstarsingh)
I have sent emails to the two winners asking for further contact information and they should be receiving their prizes within the next week. Congrats!
I’d like to thank all 66 contestants and the many more who have visited this website since it first started a week ago. Out of those that sent their contact information, we had 16 Michigander contestants, 19 other US residents, four Canadians, and one person from Ireland, Russia, and Germany.
Click on the link below to read the winners favorite Yzerman moments and memories…
To welcome visitors to my new website, Behind the Jersey: No. 19, I am holding a contest open to all visitors. Two visitors will receive one of two books, either the Detroit Free Press book entitled “The Captain” or Nineteen: A Salute to Steve Yzerman. The Nineteen book is numbered 20,395 out of 30,000.
How to enter? Send me an email with your name and contact information.
Deadline: August 6, 2007
I will accept one entry per person and the two winners will be selected randomly.
