Associated Press article
February 7, 2002

Steve Yzerman plans to return to the Detroit Red Wings’ lineup next week and represent Canada in the Olympics after recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

The Red Wings captain said Thursday he expects to play Monday at Montreal and Wednesday at Minnesota. Then he’ll play in Canada’s first game in the Salt Lake City Olympics, against Sweden on Feb. 15.
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The 36-year-old center has missed four games and will miss games on Friday and Saturday while recovering from surgery.

Yzerman skated for 20 minutes Thursday, his first time on the ice since injuring the knee Jan. 26 against St. Louis.

“It felt fine, but the doctor didn’t want me practicing before tomorrow,” Yzerman said. “I just went cruising for a little. I plan on skating each day through the weekend with the goal of playing in Montreal.”

Yzerman said he could have continued playing, but he believed his game would have suffered.

“What it came down to was my knee was starting to bother me more and more,” he said. “I knew something in there wasn’t right. I knew something in there was bothering me, hurting.”

Yzerman has 13 goals and 33 assists this season.

Associated Press article
October 16, 2000

The Red Wings’ slow start this season now looks like the least of their problems.

Detroit captain Steve Yzerman will be out of the lineup indefinitely after undergoing surgery Monday to repair torn cartilage in his right knee.

“He said it felt strong enough to play, but he had to play with pain,” Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman said.

The Red Wings (2-3), who play St. Louis on Tuesday at home, did not give a timetable on when Yzerman would return from the arthroscopic procedure.

Teammate Brendan Shanahan said it’s good Yzerman had the surgery now.

“If there was a good time do it, it’s good to get it over with early in the season,” he said. “It’s a huge loss. … Steve contributes so much offensively and defensively.”

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The Sporting News article
Jun 12, 1995
by Larry Wigge

Steve Yzerman led the Red Wings with four goals in five regular-season games against the Blackhawks. So it’s understandable they want him back in the lineup for their conference-final series as soon as possible. The best medicine for arthroscopic knee surgery normally is rest and relaxation, but Yzerman has no time for either. And through the miracle of modern medical techniques, he is expected back for Game 4.

Yzerman is getting two 90-minute sessions each day in a portable hyperbaric chamber the Red Wings have leased for $97,000. “It’s magic,” Yzerman says. “I go in there, sit down and watch TV–and come out feeling refreshed and more healthy.” The chamber got its biggest publicity blitz in 1994 when the British Columbia Lions used it to help injured players en route to a Canadian Football League championship. The Canucks took note and used one during their grueling stretch drive to last season’s Stanley Cup finals.The chamber pumps in room air to double the earth’s normal atmospheric pressure, creating the equivalent of what divers feel at 33 feet under water. The user spends 390 minutes inhaling pure oxygen–100 percent compared with the 21 percent we normally breathe. The oxygen theoretically enters the bloodstream and reaches all tissues of the body, promoting healing.

In addition to the Red Wings, the Canucks, Oilers, Jets, Flyers and Blues are among the teams that have used a hyperbaric chamber this season. The NFL’s Cowboys and Jets also have joined the group of satisfied customers. Forget all the technical angles to this gizmo. A healthy Yzerman is all the Red Wings care about.