Steve Yzerman Career Biography and Statistics

Bio:
Drafted in the first round of 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman was one of the most fertile scorers and greatest two-way players in NHL history. “Stevie Y," as he was known to Hockeytown denizens, was captain of the perennially contending Red Wings for two decades and finished his career as the sixth-highest scorer in NHL history. Yzerman was an immediate star in the league and at age 18 scored 87 points and became the youngest player ever to play in an All-Star game. His greatest season came in 1988-89 season, when he recorded 155 points (on 65 goals and 90 assists), a single-season total only exceeded by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. After initially butting heads with new coach Scottie Bowman over the coach's criticism of his defensive skills, Yzerman determinedly worked on his two-way game and eventually won the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward. In 1995, Yzerman led Detroit to its first Stanley Cup finals series since 1966, but lost in the finals to the New Jersey Devils. The following year, the Wings notched an NHL-record 62 regular season wins but lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Colorado Avalanche. In 1997, Yzerman led Detroit to its first Stanley Cup in 42 years by sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers. The following year the Wings repeated the feat, sweeping the Washington Capitals. In his last few years, Yzerman suffered from knee injuries, including a severe realignment surgery that caused him to miss most of an entire season and gradually debilitated him. He retired in 2006 and was named a team vice president.