After the Detroit Red Wings selected defenseman Max Nicastro in the third round, he had the opportunity to meet team executive Steve Yzerman.

On being greeted by ex-Wing Steve Yzerman at the draft: “Stevie Y came up, introduced himself and welcomed me to the team. I told him that he didn’t have to introduce himself- I already knew who he was.”

Nicastro also had saw the Stanley Cup trophy and had dinner with ex-Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman.

Tampa Bay Lighting owner Oren Koules hopes to sign Vinny Lecavalier to a nine year, $77 million contract extension. After that contract is over, he hopes to see Lecavalier working as a team executive similar to what Steve Yzerman does with the Red Wings.

“We absolutely do,” Koules said. “We’ve already talked to Vinny about it. When we talked, we talked about lifestyle, about how long he wants to live here. He wants to retire here when he’s done, and he wants to be part of this.

“We look at Stevie Y as the exact model of what we want to do with Vinny.”

Koules was speaking of Steve Yzerman, who after 22 seasons with the Red Wings moved immediately into a vice president position working with the senior vice president, Jim Devellano, and general manager Ken Holland.

On Saturday, Steve Yzerman picked up the phone and called Steve Johnston, the Wings’ sixth round draft pick (181st overall), to tell him the good news.

At his home in Guelph, Johnston — a lifelong Red Wing fan — was floored to pick up the phone Saturday and hear Detroit great Steve Yzerman on the other end.

“It was pretty cool,” said the lanky centre. “He said he was Steve Yzerman and I wasn’t sure it was real. Detroit was my favourite team growing up. I really had no expectations for any team. But after he called, I couldn’t sit still for the rest of the day.”

Quick clip from the Detroit Free Press:

Wings vice president Steve Yzerman received a round of applause from the Ottawa crowd on Friday night before announcing the team’s first-round pick. Yzerman is from nearby Nepean, Ontario. “It was getting pretty late,” he said. “I thought everybody would be almost asleep at that point. It was nice.”

The Ottawa Sun talks to the hockey greats who were at the draft as team management and their memories of their draft year.

“It’s surreal,” said goalie Michael Hutchinson of Barrie, who was drafted in the third round, 77th overall, by the Boston Bruins. “I had never seen Wayne Gretzky live before last night. And Steve Yzerman …” …

Many former NHL stars, including Gretzky with the Phoenix Coyotes and Yzerman with the Detroit Red Wings, were at the draft as team executives. But they can still relate to what their draft picks are going through.

“Mine was in Montreal. It wasn’t as big an event way back then,” said Yzerman, drafted fourth overall by the Wings in 1983.

“It brings back good memories and I understand the excitement that they have. They’ll be forever endeared to the organization that drafted them, regardless of what happens in their careers.”