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We Always Had A Chance
by Paul on 07/03/06 at 12:40 PM ET
Comments (11)
With Yzerman in the lineup, Wings fans knew we always had a chance to win a game. Now that security blanket has left us. July 3, 2006, the day Detroit Red Wings fans shed a tear or two.
We knew the day was coming and tried to convince ourselves to be prepared. But it hit us like a ton of bricks, took away our breath and left us stunned and dazed. #19 will never be seen on the ice again.
I joked with a fellow blogger a week or so ago the #19 is not worn by anyone in Detroit sports, both amateur and pro, but today I am not kidding. No more #19 for anyone in Detroit, we cannot look at someone else wearing it again. Besides, who could live up to it?
I have been lucky enough to watch Gordie Howe perform when he still was a dominant player. Yzerman was different, he did not control the game like Gordie would, but his determination and effort allows me to put Steve and Gordie in the same class. How can we forget the constant drive and professionalism Yzerman has showed us? Simple, we can’t! But we can pass those valuable assets on to our children and even to ourselves. Be like Stevie when times our tough, your chances of working things out are better if you follow the examples he has passed on to all of us
Not only was Steve admired by Detroit fans, but by fans all over the world, especially Canada. How many times have I heard he was the inspiration for the Canadian National Teams. He lead the leaders, showed them how to handle themselves on and off the ice. Many of his fellow NHLers have mentioned Yzerman was their idol! Kids from B.C to N.S. list Stevie as the player they would most want to be like. Players who have retired from the NHL state Yzerman was the key to the Wings, without him they may have never won three cups in the last ten years.
The game of hockey says good-bye to one of the greatest of all time. He will be missed, remembered and mostly thanked for all he gave back to the game.
THE CAPTAIN leaves us wanting more and all we have now are the memories to hold on to.
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Comments
Beautifully said, Paul.
I liked this from the press conference: “There’s something special about being a Red Wing.” Yes there is, and you have a lot to do with that.
I really don’t know what to do with myself now.
Posted by Laura from Chicago on 07/03/06 at 12:52 PM ET
> Beautifully said, Paul.
Second that.
Posted by Pete on 07/03/06 at 12:55 PM ET
I grew up watching Baseball, Basketball and Football, and didn’t discover Hockey until my mid-20’s (around ‘93). What I discovered was The Captain’s Red Wings.
He’s been the driving force and the identity of the team I’ve grown to love. My friends and I have violated countless beers, thrown a crop of peanuts at the tv, and jumped to our feet in celebration a hundred times thanks to Steve and the Wings.
#19 will be sorely missed around these parts.
Posted by 58Miles2Joe from Toledo, Oh on 07/03/06 at 01:21 PM ET
So how long do you think it’ll take to schedule a #19 retirement ceremony?
And as much as I enjoyed the win, I would rather have seen Stevie on the ice for the last game between the Wings and the Oil. Just would’ve been right, you know?
Posted by Doogie2K from Calgary on 07/03/06 at 01:35 PM ET
Awesome, Paul. Steve believed in the whole team concept and that is one thing I will remember him for.
Posted by JR from Michigan on 07/03/06 at 01:36 PM ET
I’ve never seen a player in any sport, with the exception of maybe Jordan, display such a drive and a determination to win than Yzerman. He did everything the right way, on and off the ice. I’m just glad I got to watch him play. The sports world, not just hockey, is losing a great icon.
Posted by UMFan on 07/03/06 at 01:47 PM ET
so true, so true UMFan!
Posted by JR from Michigan on 07/03/06 at 02:06 PM ET
I will be glad when Yzerman has been gone for awhile so you kids finally shut the hell up about him.
Yzerman was the captain for a long time. He wasn’t a particularly good captain, he wasn’t a bad captain. He was just the captain for a long time.
He got the C because when it was time to name a new captain, there was nobody else with any talent who was in the Wings’ long-term plans. He maintained the C because he was the Wings’ best player. He kept it during the Cup runs because he had been the captain for a long time, not because he was the best leader (that would be Chris Chelios). And he kept it through these last few years, years that saw him fade past usefulness and into hurting the team just because he had been captain for so long.
He didn’t do a lot for the community, he wasn’t a nice guy. He didn’t make Detroit a better place. He was a good hockey player. Nothing more.
Posted by Thomas on 07/03/06 at 04:42 PM ET
This is just an excerpt of my reaction to Yzerman’s retirement. You can read the whole post on my blog: http://behindthejersey.blogspot.com/2006/07/steve-yzerman-heart-of-champion.html
Cancer survivors look to cyclist Lance Armstrong for inspiration. As someone who has spent years struggling with chronic knee pain, Steve Yzerman has become my daily source of inspiration. While I certainly never had a city, a team, and millions of fans waiting for my return from knee surgery, I’ve experienced the agony of rehabilitation and the frustration of a bothersome knee. The grimaces made by his face are prevalent in every person suffering from chronic pain. Yzerman’s courage and perseverance helped me do the same while recovering from any of my seven knee operations.
Whenever I am struggling to make it up the stairs, I think of Yzerman when, in 2002, he had an incredibly hard time climbing the steps of the airplane. I always thought that if Yzerman could be in that much pain and still lead the team in playoff points, then I can make it through the day, through my therapy, and live a relatively normal life. I just hate that Yzerman’s knee is the number one reason for hanging up his skates.
When I hear the name Steve Yzerman, I think of words like courage, respect, honor, discipline, dedication, leader, champion, passion, perseverance, humility, and athlete. The name Steve Yzerman is the definition of a champion.
I can’t begin to imagine the Detroit Red Wings without No. 19. Yzerman became captain right before I was born so I really don’t know hockey without Stevie Y. Each time Yzerman held that shiny silver Stanley Cup over his head, you couldn’t help but smile seeing one of the greatest hockey players celebrate his team’s hard work. I have fond memories of each victory, but I found it most rewarding to see Yzerman lift the Cup for his third and final time after he defeated his opponents with one leg.
Thank you for the memories. Thank you for the inspiration. Thank you for three glorious seasons resulting in a parade downtown. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your passion for the game. Thank you for being the ultimate sports role model. Thank you for always giving 100%. Thank you for making the city of Detroit proud. Thank you for giving Wings fans a player to cheer in, to believe in, and best of all to dream with. You will always be my favorite athlete and my inspiration. Thank you.
Posted by Christy on 07/03/06 at 07:48 PM ET
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Hockey Links
Heres something from the glory days of Yzerman and the Red Wings:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=So5vA9D36P0
Stevie Y certainly did leave his mark.
Posted by bcrt on 07/03/06 at 12:45 PM ET