Yzerman inducted into MSHOF
Last night, former Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the live stream online due to some stupid group meetings and right now I can’t seem to get his induction speech to play all the way through on WingsTV. It goes through about four and a half minutes of introduction/video and then Yzerman says about two sentences worth before it cuts off. Is this happening to anyone else or is it just me?
I have updated the audio and gallery pages on my Behind the Jersey: No. 19 website with the clips and photos from last night.
George @ Snapshots has already done a great roundup of what went on last night so I’m just going to reiterate some of the things said.
Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News did a brief two minute video interview with Steve Yzerman yesterday. You can view the clip here. Below are some of the remarks he made in the interview.
I don’t really have a particular allegiance to either school [U of M and MSU] so I’m pretty free to jump on whatever bandwagon is hot at the time. …
I’m starting to get comfortable in a suit. I don’t make a lot of decisions. I’m certainly welcome to give my input…I enjoy being part of the process and participating in all of the conversations and discussions on all aspects of the team and really learning a lot in the process. …
In my opinion, it was more than my time to retire.
The Detroit News also had a video montage with interview audio excerpts from the different inductees, which you can check out here. Wings owner Mike Ilitch had a few things to say about Yzerman:
Jimmy D and I knew he was going to be good, but we had no idea he’d be a Hall of Famer and win three Cups for us. He’s been the face of our team for 20-something years. It’s a big thrill for me to see him recognized. He loves this city. The fans adore him and he knows that and he adores them. It’s a big love affair.
Don Shane, the sports anchor for Channel 7, interviewed Yzerman at Max S. Fisher hall and here are a couple snippets of what he had to say:
I always take notice of the Michigan athletes and you kind of quietly root for them and almost adopt them as your own whether it be team or an individual athlete.
When national pride is on the line, it really was an emotional victory. I really cherish that [winning the Olympic gold medal in 2002]. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.
The Detroit Free Press had a few quotes from Yzerman about being inducted into the MSHOF as well as making the transition from player to management.
“What really strikes me is that Michigan continues to produce great athletes year after year in all facets of sports,” he said. “You start to read up on some of these athletes and you realize how many tremendous athletes there are out there.”
The former Red Wings captain is now an assistant general manager who works closely with Holland. He said he was surprised how much he still enjoys being around the game.
“I really enjoy being in hockey. I’ve found it a pleasant surprise, whether it be an NHL game, which I watch very closely, college games, or the occasional junior game.”
He said he is getting a chance to learn a lot without being in the spotlight “or having to make the final decision. It’s been a great transition.”
Even when the Wings lose a tough game, as they did Sunday to burgeoning rival Anaheim, it’s much easier to lose now than it was as a player, he said. That is, until the playoffs.
“Then it is nerve-racking,” he said. “Sudden death. Lose and go home? That’s tough. But in the regular season? It’s easier. I like watching and looking for specific things.”
On a frigid Michigan winter evening, Yzerman stopped to sign autographs for the fans waiting outside along the red carpet (and without a coat!).
“This is a great evening, and it has a special Michigan touch,” the longtime Red Wings captain said before Monday’s ceremony at the Max Fisher Music Center. “There’s a red carpet on a zero-degree night.”
Yzerman was one of 11 inductees, and said that it was a perfect complement to his recent induction into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame.
“These are two places with special meaning to me – Ottawa is my hometown, and Michigan is now my home,” said Yzerman, who retired in 2006 after a 22-season career. “I came here in 1983, and I’ve never left.”
Yzerman is now a member of the Red Wings’ front office, and he says he’s been too busy to think about his playing days.
“I have some memorabilia, but I never look at it,” he said. “I’ve had the perfect transition into a new career. To my surprise, I even discovered that I like to go to hockey games.”
Yzerman also drew a crowd inside the Max M. Fisher Center.
U-M alums Rice and Howard attracted crowds during the reception, but Yzerman drew a throng. Everywhere he was stopped and asked to sign something or to pose for pictures.
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland wasn’t surprised. “He’s one of the two greatest Red Wings ever,” said Holland, who was there to watch Yzerman get inducted, of Yzerman and Gordie Howe. “Steve’s legacy is twofold: his offensive prowess and his commitment to winning. He went from a great offensive player to a great two-way player. He was about team and sacrifice.”
And if you missed the Detroit News column published yesterday, be sure to check it out.
He said he has no plans to leave the only NHL team he has known, in the city that has become home. There’s no lessening of his loyalty to the Wings, just a growing itch.
“At some point, I definitely want to do more,” Yzerman said. “But I’d be very, very careful about going somewhere else. I don’t want to say ‘no,’ I definitely wouldn’t do that (or) I’m here forever, because I can’t say that for certain.
“I fully understand the time commitment these general managers put in. To me, it’s very exciting. But I’m not sitting around and waiting to replace Ken Holland. I’m trying to help this organization any way I can. I also don’t want it perceived that I’m just kind of floating through life here, killing time. I’m very motivated to do well in this business. Things will evolve, and it’ll all work out fine.”
Related Posts
2 Responses to “Yzerman inducted into MSHOF”
Leave a Reply
February 13th, 2008 at 6:59 am
nice article. buut whats with the wings chris
February 18th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I’m not sure Dave, but they sure are sucking it up and the injuries certainly don’t help. Hopefully, it’ll end soon and this will just be a distant memory.