In honor of Maurice Richard (aka The Rocket) and his 50th anniversary of scoring 500 goals, the NHL made videos commemorating other NHL players who had reached that elite status. Here’s Yzerman’s clip (after the brief commercial):

Mathieu Dandenault of the Montreal Canadiens remembers his NHL line during his rookie season, one that happened to include Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman.

And Dandenault recalled he had a fast start in the NHL.

“I played with Stevie Yzerman my rookie season and I scored five goals in my first 12 games,” Dandenault said. “I was a scratch a lot of the time that year, but when I started the season I was with him. It was amazing. But I ended up the season with five goals because I went to the fourth line. I started the season with Yzerman and finished with Stu Grimson.”

The New York Times article
May 17, 1996
by Joe LaPointe

For most of this splendid Game 7, the two captains played on lines that were matched against each other. Steve Yzerman of Detroit and Wayne Gretzky of St. Louis must have skated 40 minutes each amid the precious tension of Joe Louis Arena.

Along with their linemates, they circled, shot, passed and blocked shots in one of those Stanley Cup playoff classics that was scoreless for more than 81 scoreboard minutes and for more than four hours if you were keeping time at home.

Inevitably, it all came down to one rush, one shot, one goal. And only one team survived to move into the final four of the National Hockey League’s post-season tournament.

That team is the Red Wings, and that shooter was Yzerman. Picking up a puck that bounced off Gretzky’s stick in the Detroit zone, Yzerman raced the other way, crossed the blue line of the Blues, drew back his stick and drilled a long slap shot that beat goalie Jon Casey.

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USA Today article
May 14, 1996
by Kevin Allen

After losing Game 5, Steve Yzerman’s mood was as unattractive as one of those four-pound octopuses that have been bouncing off the ice at Joe Louis Arena.

The even-tempered Detroit Red Wings captain showed plenty of anger, although he believed himself to be quite rational when he offered the same guarantee Mark Messier made when his New York Rangers faced a similar situation in 1994.

“We’ll be back,” Yzerman said. “It’s not going to end Tuesday. We’ll be back for Game 7 in Detroit.”

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USA Today article
May 7, 1996
by Kevin Allen

Center Steve Yzerman is never perceived to provide enough glares, swagger or bold oration to be in Mark Messier’s
league as an NHL captain.

“But he is,” says Detroit Red Wings teammate Tim Taylor. “Everyone thinks he’s so quiet. But Steve Yzerman leads this team. He doesn’t lead us by yelling. But when things aren’t going well, he lets us know.”

To his liking, Yzerman doesn’t have to say much to his team these days as the Red Wings lead the series 2-0 heading into Wednesday’s Game 3 at St. Louis.

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