Behind the Jersey: No. 19

Before my feature starts, I wanted to say a few things.

1) Behind the Jersey started off as a feature "column" for On the Wings and eventually became this blog. Unfortunately, I left this feature behind but have now decided to revive it. The original feature looks at a specific Detroit Red Wings player. I try to uncover who they are when they're wearing the jersey and then what they do outside the hockey rink. I want you to get an idea of who the individual is behind the jersey. I've only covered four other individuals: Pavel Datsyuk, Chris Chelios, Darren McCarty, and Kris Draper.

2) Usually it takes me a day or two to write this type of feature. I research the individual online and in any books/magazines I have. I then start to write about this person as a player and who they are outside the sport. However for this player, I spent many days working on this feature. The research alone took a while with my busy schedule and since Steve Yzerman's private life is a lot harder to uncover who he is outside the rink because he keeps his private life, well, private. I'm sorry it took this long to get the latest installment up, but I wanted to do Yzerman justice.

3) Like many Wings fans, Yzerman is my favorite player. Ever. While he is an amazing player and leader, his priority is with his family and other people. He is selfless and humble. But I have a different reason why he is my favorite hockey player of all time. Cancer patients and survivors look to Lance Armstrong for inspiration. While knee problems are nowhere near the magnitude of seriousness as cancer, I look to Yzerman for inspiration. As you all know, Yzerman has had his fair share of knee injuries. He is the only known professional athlete to return from an osteotomy, a realignment surgery of the knee usually done for the elderly. Typically, it's a surgery done to postpone a total knee replacement. While I haven't had that surgery, I've had 6 knee surgeries (more minor ones than major). I'm currently waiting to have my 7th and 8th surgeries for my torn lateral meniscus repair, ACL revision (a 2nd ACL reconstruction), and a medial meniscus transplant.

Pain is a part of my everyday life and Yzerman is a major source of inspiration to me. For someone to come back from all of his surgeries and a major osteotomy to play professional hockey, I know that even when the pain is awful, I can make it to class. I have a big autographed photo of Yzerman that I purchased from Hockeytown Authentics over my bed at home, and it always reminds me that I can and will overcome my injuries because he did and succeeded in a very physical sport.

I spent so long working on this feature because I wanted to do Yzerman justice. While I realize he will never read this (most likely), I wanted to reflect his life and career for how amazing it has been and that's no easy feat. I hope you enjoy the feature and please leave a comment with your thoughts on it. Thank you.

Behind the Jersey: No. 19
On August 2nd Steve Yzerman calmed many fans’ doubts and fears, the Captain would return for another year with the Detroit Red Wings. The 2005-2006 season marks Yzerman’s 23rd season in Hockeytown, including the lockout, and his 19th season as captain. If Yzerman had decided that his knee couldn’t take it anymore or that he was done with playing hockey, his last moments would’ve been him crumpling to the ice after a puck deflected into his eye. Fortunately for fans and the Wings, we will all have an opportunity to say a proper farewell to our beloved Captain.

Source: The Detroit News

Yzerman stands to make $1.75 million for the 2005-2006 season plus various bonuses.

"I spent a lot of time thinking about it, going back and forth, and in the end, I just felt if I didn't come back, I'd be wondering if I could've played. I wanted to give it my best shot. I'm not afraid of the challenge, and this year, there's a lot to try and accomplish. I wanted to see if we could correct some areas and have better feelings than we had two years ago."

While Yzerman is no longer the player of his youth, he brings leadership a team that is transitioning from the wealthy Stanley Cup winning era to a more youthful salary cap era. Even after recovering from knee surgery, the Captain scored 18 goals in the 2003-2004 season including game winner in the season opener against the L.A. Kings with 1.7 seconds remaining. "I'm very happy he's back," Wings GM Ken Holland said. "I feel two years ago he played a big part in us winning the President's Trophy, a guy who played 17 minutes a night, in all key situations."

A lot has changed since that game against Calgary. The Wings have a new head coach in Mike Babcock. Darren McCarty, Ray Whitney, and Derian Hatcher were bought out. Chris Osgood is going to be competing with Manny Legace for the number one goaltending spot. When Yzerman saw all of this unfolding, he wondered if he too shouldn’t move on.

"I went through periods when I thought, this is tough, I'm too old to do this stuff, maybe it is time to retire. But then there were periods when I felt good and energetic. What it came down to was, Kenny and Jimmy D. expressed they really wanted me to be part of the team. If I felt they were jammed on the cap, I'd have moved on. Now I'm excited about playing again."

Even with all of the changes and a new CBA, Yzerman expects the Detroit Red Wings to remain as a competitive team. "Our team is going to be good. You add a couple of young guys like (Niklas) Kronwall and a few free agents and I expect us to be a strong team. I don't know about favorites, because I think Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are real strong. But I expect the Red Wings to be Stanley Cup contenders." The Captain has talked to Babcock and knows that his role will be hammered out over time. He will most likely play on a line with Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper.

"I know he didn't like going out — and we stated we didn't like the way he went out — with that cheekbone and that eye injury," Wings owner Mike Ilitch said. "Just the kind of person he is, I got a hunch that he'll want to come back and maybe skate on a line with (Kris) Draper and (Kirk) Maltby, and I think that'd make a great line."

Not many Detroit athletes have remained in the Motor City for as long as Yzerman. Only Alex Delvecchio has played more (23) for a Detroit team. After this season, the Captain will be tied with the Tigers’ Al Kaline for 22 seasons in Motown.

When Yzerman is finished playing hockey, probably following this season, he hopes to turn to the management aspect of the sport like Joe Dumars did with the Detroit Pistons. "My goal is to one day run a hockey team, to be the guy responsible for putting everybody in place, for signing players to contracts," Yzerman said. After playing 14 seasons with Detroit, Dumars became president of operations with the Pistons. He guided the team to an NBA title in 2004. Yzerman has followed Dumars’ career and admires what he’s done while playing for the Pistons and while managing them.

"I followed his career from player to a management position and follow his team closely," Yzerman said. "I read all his interviews, watch his transactions. I read the reasons he gives to the media for the moves he makes." Dumars thinks highly of Yzerman as well. "The first thing that strikes you about him is his humility and class," Dumars said.

Dumars isn’t the only person that the Captain observes; Yzerman looks to the Wings own General Manager Ken Holland and Assistant General Manager Jim Nill.

"Between observing Joe from afar and talking to Ken and Jim Nill and Jimmy D over the years, I've learned a lot. I have no expectation of retiring and taking a significant management position with the Red Wings," Yzerman said. "My goals are realistic in doing something like that. My route will take a little bit longer."

Because of the lockout, Yzerman may have a harder time returning to the ice since he wasn’t out there practicing almost daily. Aside from his many knee surgeries, the Captain suffered a groin injury, scratched cornea, and multiple fractures to the orbital bone in the 2003-2004 season. All of which will make it more difficult to return. Steven Karageanes, sports medicine specialist at Henry Ford Hospital, worries that layoff-related injuries will abound early in this upcoming season. "The body gets used to not being beat up, the less-stressful lifestyle. It's hard to get that back again. The aging process goes on,” Karageanes said.

John Wharton, former Wings trainer, was pleased to hear that the Captain is returning for one more year but also worried about how the layoff would impact him, "It can either really help him or really hurt him. I just hope they don't expect too much from him early on." Wharton compared Yzerman’s layoff during the lockout to being in “semiretirement,” but he also believed that Yzerman would condition quickly. "Knowing Steve and the way he conditioned himself and the way he takes care of his body, it shouldn't take much longer than a couple months," Wharton said. Yzerman isn’t the only one who needs to be careful in his return to the NHL, "Kind of the same thing goes for all those guys. They're all looking at the same boat. Sixteen months for any of them is going to pose a problem.”

Yzerman missed eight games in October to start the new season due to a groin injury. His first goal of the season didn’t come until November 8, 2005 against the LA Kings when he tipped Mathieu Schneider’s shot in during the first period. Head coach Mike Babcock is gradually giving Yzerman more ice time as he adjusts to the new NHL. “We want him to feel good and be an important part of our team,” Babcock said. “He told me the other day that he feels he's skating well, and that his leg doesn't hurt. Well that's great news for us. He's dominant in the face-off circle, his brain works all the time; he knows how to play in all situations.”

NHL Rookie Season
22 years ago, on October 5, 1983, the 18-year-old Yzerman played his first NHL game with Detroit. In that game, he also scored his first goal as a young 18-year-old by beating Winnipeg goaltender, Doug Stoetaert. That goal was only the first of many in his rookie season when he lead all NHL rookies with 87 points and 48 assists. He was also selected to the All-Star Game making him the youngest player in NHL history to do so. He capped off his rookie year as Calder Trophy runner-up and with The Sporting News naming him NHL Rookie of the Year.

In the years following, Yzerman was named to 10 NHL All-Star Games (missed one in ’99 due to injury), won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2002, and won three Stanley Cups. Jimmy Devellano wasn’t surprised by Yzerman’s success both individually as a player and as a team leader.

“You may find this hard to believe, but I knew almost his very first year,” Devellano said. “It might sound silly, but, truthfully, he was the first pick ever for me. And he came in as an 18-year-old, and we had a very poor team. He scored 39 goals and just narrowly missed being rookie of the year to Tom Barrasso. I knew he was the real deal that he was going to be a really good player. He was a pretty special guy from his very first game.”

However, Yzerman was a star player on a sub par team. In his first eight years in the NHL, the Wings only had one winning season.

“He grew with the team, with all the ups and downs we all suffered through. Even into the '90s, we had a lot of playoff disappointments before we eventually won some Cups,” Devellano said. “We were bounced in the first round — we had a lot of that. Then there was a lot of criticism, on talk shows, that maybe they can't win with Yzerman. But eventually we did. He stuck with us and we stuck with him, and that goes to show that sometimes in sports you really do need to stick together.”

Pre-NHL Hockey
Before going into detail on Yzerman’s success in the NHL, let’s take a look at his past with the Nepean Junior A Raiders and OHL’s Peterborough Petes. As a fifteen year old, Yzerman played for the Raiders, a team in the CJHL, for one year. After Yzerman won his first Stanley Cup in 1997, the Nepean Sportsplex was renamed the Steve Yzerman Arena. At the ceremony, he brought the Stanley Cup. The Raiders then retired his jersey in 1999 at the CJHL All-Star game in the arena named after him. In his fifty games with the team, Yzerman scored 38 goals and had a league-best 54 assists. "He's still the same guy who left Nepean. He's quiet, doesn't like the publicity and hasn't changed one bit. He's just a great guy,” former Nepean Raiders coach Mike Goddard said.

Yzerman played for the Petes from 1981 to 1983, right up until the Wings drafted him. Peterborough selected him as their first round draft pick, fourth overall. As a major junior rookie, he notched 64 points (21 goals and 43 assists) and a year later, 91 points (42 goals). While he didn’t make the top ten scorers list, he still was viewed as a strong prospect. Petes’ coach, Dick Todd, ingrained a team approach into his players. While equally splitting playing time among the four lines, Yzerman got to develop both his offensive and defensive abilities. “I don’t know whether Steve would admit to this, but we really stressed to him to learn the game at both ends of the rink. He was an excellent defensive player for us as well as contributing offensively,” Todd said. Yzerman was named to the OHL’s Scholastic All-Star Team in 1981-82.

"I've got to tell you, if you ever look at tapes of him in junior hockey with Peterborough, he was just like he is now," said Darren Pang, former NHL goalie and one of Yzerman's closest friends since the age of 14. "He is the same kind of player. Everybody talks about Stevie changing how he plays. He always had that in him. He always played both ways all the time."

1983 Draft
While Yzerman wasn’t the top choice for the Detroit Red Wings in the 1983 draft (hometown boy Pat LaFontaine was), Devellano wasn’t disappointed with his first round pick (fourth overall) either. Yzerman, on the other hand, had dreamed of playing for Detroit and was hoping to get picked by the Wings in that year’s draft.

"I was happy and surprised to go high. I knew I was rated high, but you never know how things are going to turn out…I really hoped [Detroit] would pick me. They’re rebuilding and I figured I would have a good chance of making it this year. They expect me to make it and told me to just give it my best shot," Yzerman said after being drafted.

At his first training camp at Port Huron in ’83, Yzerman supposedly showed up weighing only 155 pounds when the draft report said he was 175 pounds. The front office did not expect Yzerman to start off playing in the NHL, rather a lower league. However, he thoroughly impressed the organization with his skill and hard work. Sadly, they admitted that Yzerman was the Wings’ best player. Their best player weighed only 155 pounds and had yet to play an NHL game, never a good thing. However, in his first NHL game, versus the Winnipeg Jets, Yzerman scored a goal and earned an assist as well.

Why did Yzerman choose to wear No. 19? He chose it in honor of his favorite player, Brian Trottier of the New York Islanders. Randy Ladouceur had previously worn No. 19, but he started the year in the minors so that number was open and Yzerman started wearing it. Now Yzerman is the reason for others choosing to wear No. 19. In Edmonton, Boyd Devereaux wore No. 19 because of “The Captain.” Joe Thornton of the Boston Bruins also picked No. 19 to wear because of his admiration for Yzerman. “I haven’t put too much thought into it,” Yzerman said of the influx of No. 19s. “There have been a lot of good 19s, Joe Sakic…I’m sure there’s people wearing it because he does.”

Early NHL Years
In 1986, Yzerman was named captain, succeeding Danny Gare to be the youngest captain (21 years old) in Detroit franchise history. He played in all 80 games and led the team in points (90) with 59 assists. In the years to follow, Yzerman performed well individually, but the team as a whole continued to struggle. He won the Lester B. Pearson Award, which is selected by his peers, in 1988-89 for the league’s top performer when he become only the fourth player to notch 150 points in a season. In that season, he accounted for 49.5% of Detroit's goals. Additionally, a fan poll in The Hockey News voted Yzerman Player of the Year and Inside Hockey Magazine picked him as NHL MVP. He had six straight seasons with 100 points. Five of those seasons, Yzerman scored at least 50 goals.

However, the Wings either failed to make it to the playoffs or didn’t last long in the post-season.

"The last five years, you didn't want to be recognized. I put a hat on, glasses on. You don't want people to recognize you,” Yzerman said. “A couple years ago, I went to Las Vegas after the playoffs. I don't remember which year. I was at the craps table. Two old guys from Windsor came by and saw me. They said, ‘You don't want to play at this table. There's no luck at this table.’"

By the 1993-1994 season, the Wings finally captured a Central Division title with 46 wins and 100 points. In the following two seasons, Detroit earned the President’s Trophy but lost in the Stanley Cup finals to the New Jersey Devils (’94-95) and Western Conference finals to the Colorado Avalanche (’95-96).

Stanley Cup Wins
After 42 long years without winning the Stanley Cup, the Detroit Red Wings swept the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1997 Stanley Cup finals. In the 20 playoff games that year, Yzerman notched 13 points. While the victory was sweet for both Yzerman who had waited 14 years and for Detroit, it only lasted a week when an accident tragically ended Vladimir Konstantinov’s career and injured team masseuse Sergei Mnatsakonov.

In the following season, “believe” became the Wings’ team mantra. Believe that they could win. Believe that the Wings could repeat. Believe in their players. It was also stitched onto their jerseys as a reminder of Konstantinov and Mnatsakonov. That year, Yzerman led the league in playoff points with 24 including 18 assists. For leading his team to a second straight Stanley Cup title (after sweeping the Washington Capitals), Yzerman was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP in the playoffs.

“First of all, I can’t believe I’ve won two Stanley Cups,” Yzerman said. “I’m totally amazed by that. The Conn Smythe, I’m delighted to have my name on a significant trophy. It’s great to have the Yzerman name on there along with my idols and my dad’s idols.”

For his strong leadership, readers of the Detroit Free Press voted Yzerman as the top sports figure for 1998. A season later, he won his first Frank J. Selke Trophy given to the top defensive forward.

The Knee Injuries
Since his first injury in 1988 when he tore ligaments in his right knee, Yzerman has faced numerous knee injuries including one that he suffered on January 26, 2002. The next day he had an additional arthroscopic knee surgery. While playing in that year’s Olympics for Team Canada and winning a gold medal, he reinjured the knee and didn’t return to the ice until April 10. Because of his injuries, he only played 52 games but was still sixth on the team in scoring with 48 points. “It's amazing what he's doing out there, playing on almost one leg,” Luc Robitaille said. “It just shows what kind of player he is and what kind of character he is.”

His knee got so bad that he would use his stick as a crutch to get up from the ice with a grimace prominent on his face in the 2002 playoffs. During the post-season, Yzerman had to have fluid drained from his knee twice and receive injections before every game. "You saw how it was," Wharton said. "The first couple games in the playoffs, we were all holding our breath every shift, just hoping he could make it back to the bench in one piece, let alone make it through the game or the series or the playoffs."

Even under those painful conditions, Yzerman led the team with 23 points in 23 games during the playoffs; only Peter Forsberg had more, with 27 points. "I never realized Stevie was such a quiet leader," Brett Hull said. "He probably doesn't even realize how important it is to have him back. He's off, what two months (with the knee injury), and then comes in and plays as if he hasn't missed a beat.'” The post-season ended with the Stanley Cup back in Hockeytown after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes. “It has been kind of an enjoyable year [in] that everybody has played pretty hard and played competitively," Yzerman said. "Guys have gotten along very well to this point and remained pretty well focused on trying to win this thing."

After celebrating his third Stanley Cup victory, Yzerman had a major knee surgery, an osteotomy. This surgery is typically performed on the elderly, those who want to return to walking pain-free; not a professional hockey player. Before the surgery, Yzerman had this to say, “I know (the surgery) doesn't guarantee me anything. But I had to do something, whether I wanted to play or not. I couldn't run or swim or even start training.” But after six long months of pain and rehabilitation, Yzerman became the first professional athlete to return to his sport after an osteotomy. “We didn't do it so Steve could return to playing hockey,” his surgeon, Dr. Peter Fowler said. “We did it so Steve could return to walking without pain.”

Yzerman ended the 2002-2003 NHL season by winning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. In fact, he was the first Wing to win the award since Brad Park won it in 1983-84. "The most impressive story I've heard about him is when it was explained to me how bad his knee was, and he continued to play on it," Dumars said. "The people I spoke to said there was no way possible he should have been playing, and there he was, getting it done on the ice."

We’ll have to see how much longer Yzerman’s career lasts. Whether he’ll be done after this season as many believe or if he’ll hold out for a couple more years and possibly reach Gordie Howe’s 25 years in Detroit.

"Gordie Howe is probably considered the greatest Red Wing of all time," Devellano said. "He played a quarter of a century with the team. He is right up there even today as one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time. I think the best is to describe it is as 1 and 1a. Gordie, 1, because he was first. And Steve is 1a. They're neck and neck. That's the way it should be. Gordie is the old-time all-time Red Wings favorite; Steve is the modern all-time favorite. One thing is clear: There's nobody else. There's no other player who enters their domain. This franchise has been very, very fortunate — take Howe's 25 years, and Yzerman — if we presume this to be his last year — his 22 years, that's 47 years the franchise has had a terrific, terrific player."

Yzerman's Private Life
As most of you know, Steve Yzerman is a very private individual especially when it comes to himself and his family. For that reason, I decided to just give some quick facts about his family and I can always add to this when I find out more.

His dad, Ron Yzerman, was a social worker who was later promoted to work in Canada’s national government.

His mother, Jean Yzerman, was a nurse before quitting to raise the children. Yzerman has three brothers and one sister.

When his brother, Chris Yzerman, was hired by the Canadian Press to cover the Ottawa Senators, this was Steve’s advice: “Don't ask stupid questions, don't come in with a list written down, and don't be a jerk. If a guy is struggling, say it, but don't be a smart ass.”

Yzerman married Lisa Brennan in 1989 where childhood friend, Darren Pang, was his best man.

“The Captain” is also very passionate about his wine hobby. Yzerman has toured France and Italy taste testing wine. His home office is full of books and magazines about wine. “He doesn't know just superficially about wine,” Pang said. “He knows what grapes must be stored at what temperature. He's always had an interest in life outside hockey. I try to relieve him of every bottle of wine up there.”

Yzerman attended Bell’s Corners Public, D. Aubrey Moodie, and Bell High School in Ottawa.

His favorite movies are Rocky and Braveheart. He enjoys watching The Sopranos and loves listening to U2.Yzerman Quote Sheet
To view a collection of quotes either from Yzerman or about him, please click here.

Behind the Jersey: No. 33

He just signed a four-year deal for $11.25 million with the Detroit Red Wings. He recently won the Selke Trophy for best forward defenseman. He has three Stanley Cup wins to his name. He’s blessed with two adorable kids and a loving wife. He works hard and plays hard. His name is Kris Draper.

Draper grew up like any regular teenager in Toronto where he hung out with friends at the movies and participated in sports. Early in high school, he played football but when his grades started to suffer due to the overlapping seasons (of football and hockey), his dad made him pick a sport. Draper’s obvious choice was hockey. “Obviously, it was a no brainer at what sport I was going to pick. Yeah I enjoyed playing football but hockey was something I wanted to do at any opportunity that I had,” Draper said. His weekends were mainly consumed with Friday and/or Saturday night games and practices. “I wanted to be surrounded by hockey and I was able to do that by playing high school hockey and then also by playing in a different league as well. Everything was busy with hockey,” Draper said. During the summer, he did make the time to play golf and tennis with friends.

Back in the ’87-88 season, Draper played for the Don Mills Bantam Flyers in the Metropolitan Toronto Hockey League (MTHL). In 40 games, he notched 35 goals, 32 assists, and 46 penalty minutes. At the young age of 17, Draper played 122 games in two seasons with the Canadian National hockey team. In ’90-91, he played with the Ottawa 67’s (a major junior hockey team) and also played seven games for the Moncton Hawks (an AHL squad). During the next season, he participated in 61 AHL games and achieved 29 points. While playing in his second year with Canada’s World Junior Team, he led the team to the gold medal in 1991.

In the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, the Winnipeg Jets selected Draper making him the 62nd pick overall. He scored a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his NHL debut on October 4, 1990. During his first three seasons in the NHL, Draper played a total of 20 games. He was then traded to the Detroit Red Wings for a whopping one dollar on June 30, 1993.

Since joining the Red Wings, Draper has won three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, and 2002). Each one had special memories; “Anytime you win the Stanley Cup its special, its just that each one has its own special memories,” Draper said. The first one was the most memorable because the city had been going on a 42-year drought and everyone was excited about the Stanley Cup win. The second time around, it was a very inspirational victory after the Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Mnastakanov limo accident. Draper was especially touched when captain Steve Yzerman presented Konstantinov with the Stanley Cup “because that is something you’re never going to forget as a professional athlete.” He treasured the third win because he had a wife, Julie, and two kids to celebrate it with. He put his son, Kienan, in the Stanley Cup and he ate Fruit Loops out of the Cup with his daughter, Kennedi. “Just the little things like that was special since I hadn’t been able to do with the first win,” Draper said.

As seen with his favorite memories from the third Stanley Cup, Draper adores his family. As much as he enjoys hockey, he admits that there are some stretches during the season that can get rough being away from his wife and kids. His daughter understands the concept of a road trip, but his son doesn’t understand why his dad is always leaving and wonders when he is going to come back home. He admits that his wife takes the brunt of things and is the one responsible for balancing family and work. “Every guy here is lucky to have a wife to take care of the kids and kids that understand that Daddy has to go to sleep or Daddy has to go play hockey. My wife realizes the sacrifices I make to play hockey and she makes a lot of sacrifices to make sure everything works out as a family,” Draper said. And while no hockey player wants a longer summer, he does enjoy his free time where he stays in Toronto with his family. “I love summers since I can hang out with my wife and kids and everything is family-orientated,” Draper said.

Draper also spends his free time involved in the community. He is the spokesman for D.A.R.E. and after the 2002 Stanley Cup win, he brought the Cup to Children’s Hospital. Draper realizes how fortunate he is as a person and a professional athlete. “You know as we wake up in the morning, while you guys go to school and I go play hockey; these parents go to the hospital everyday to visit their kids. To have an opportunity like this and to give it back to the community and to the children, it was tough there. Being as fortunate as I am and to go in there and see all the sicknesses and illnesses and be able to put a smile on a kid’s face and if you have the opportunity to make kids forget about their illnesses for even just 10 minutes; you know you’ve done something good. It’s very rewarding to go in there and to do that,” Draper said.

Draper is a man of ritual and superstition. When it comes to road trips, roommates Darren McCarty and Draper sleep in certain beds depending on whether the team won or lost the last game. “With Darren and I, if we’re winning then he’ll have the bed closest to when you walk in the room and I’ll have the window bed. And if we lose, we’ll switch it up,” Draper said. Like many hockey players, he has a strict pre game ritual. He drives his daughter to school and then goes to Sonny’s Restaurant for breakfast and what he eats depends on if they are winning or not. When they are winning, he eats egg white omelets. If they lose, Draper has oatmeal. “Then I just drive down to the rink for our pre game skate for like half an hour where we skate and just loosen up. It’s just like a crammed in practice, you get the goalie shots and get your sticks ready for the game,” Draper said. For most pre game meals, his wife cooks him a meal so he can hang out with his kids. If he eats with some of the guys, it is at Andiamo’s (an Italian Restaurant). Sleep is something very important to Draper so he’ll then take a nap typically from 2 o’clock to 4 o’clock. Once he wakes up, he’ll get coffee and his lucky chocolate chip muffin from Tim Horton’s. Usually, he gets to the rink about 2.5 hours before the game to get his sticks ready, stretch, and make sure he is fully warmed up. However, there really isn’t a strict routine after the game. “It depends on the schedule. If we have an opportunity, we’ll grab our wives and go out to dinner. Like right after tomorrow night’s game we have to leave to head out on the road for our game the following day. Usually if we don’t play for a couple of days or have the night off we’ll go up for dinner. But usually by the time we get out of the rink its 11:30 or 12 o’clock already so you might just grab something to eat and then head home,” Draper said.

Draper started the 2004 season with a bang after helping Canada win the 2003 World Championship in the summer and then getting a bigger role after Sergei Federov left for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. "The world championship really helped me. Anytime you play a large role in winning a championship, obviously, it builds up your confidence," Draper said. As the playoffs drew near, people noted Draper’s strong shot at capturing the Selke Trophy until he injured his rotator cuff. “It has been a fun year for me obviously personally because I’ve reached new heights. Anytime you get mentioned to win a National Hockey Award is pretty special. It would be a tremendous accomplishment to win the Selke. I just hope that the 65 or 66 games that I have played will carry me into that,” Draper said.

Draper finished the 2004 season with a career-high 24 goals and 40 points. He had a 56.9 faceoff winning percentage, which ranked eighth in the NHL and he tied for second in shorthanded goals (he had 5). As a result, Draper was decisively voted to take home the Selke Trophy at the NHL Awards held in his hometown Toronto. "I'd like to thank my friends, my family. I don't think anyone would be here right now without great teammates. And that's exactly what I have in Detroit,” Draper said in his acceptance speech.

Another result of an outstanding season occurred when Wayne Gretzky announced Team Canada’s roster for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Draper discovered that he made the roster while vacationing in the Bahamas. After checking his messages on his home phone, he heard a message from Gretzky. "I still have it saved. I called my buddies and they've listened to it. I was always hopeful that something would happen but it is a big thrill,” Draper said. He has league-wide approval from both players and coaches. "He is deserving of all the accolades. He is a good player and when you play with that kind of speed, he will be effective,” San Jose Coach Ron Wilson said.

Draper recently signed a contract to play four more years with his team, the Detroit Red Wings. “I'm just thrilled. This is what I really wanted. It was an interesting process but I signed a four-year deal with the team I really wanted to stay with. [the no-trade clause] was big. I've played 15 years [1993 through 2008] with the same team, the no-trade clause means a lot to me. That's why I wanted to get this done before testing free agency,” Draper said. General manager Ken Holland had similar thoughts: "We are all very pleased to have Kris signed for the next four seasons. He has been a vital part of this teams' success over the years and having him back will help our club remain competitive for seasons to come."

Sources:
- All Draper quotes (except for the last two) were from my personal interview with Draper back in November or from a press conference I attended.
- All other sources have been linked to.

Behind the Jersey: No. 24

Defenseman Chris Chelios turned 42 this past January on the 25th and shows no signs of slowing down. “I feel good physically. I always said it [retirement] would be a physical thing. I’ll never get tired of the game,” Chelios said. Between playing hockey, owning a restaurant, running a charity foundation, and spending time with his family, it is surprising that age hasn’t played a factor into Cheli’s amount of responsibilities. “You guys keep trying to retire me. I really didn’t think it was my last time at the United Center. If it was going to be my last time, I would have wanted to salute and thank the crowd, acknowledge them. But hopefully, it wasn’t (his last game in Chicago)," Chelios said.

Chelios grew up attending Blackhawks’ games and bought his first pair of skates for $5 at a local Ace Hardware in Chicago. His father, Gus, valued hard work and appreciated the game of hockey both of which were passed on down to his children. As a kid, Cheli played hockey for Mt. Carmel High during his freshman and sophomore years and also became quite the pitcher and shortstop. However, he had to make a decision between the two sports in hopes to play at higher levels. “I wanted him to play hockey because he liked it – not because I liked it. I told him, ‘Whatever sport you pick, I’ll give you my support 100%. I’ll be behind you, but tough all the way,’” Gus said.

Even as a youngster, Cheli’s hard work defined his play of the game. He would spend most of his time at the rink and when he couldn’t, he ran hills to develop stamina. Once his family moved to Poway, Chris made the 10-mile trip to the rink with his equipment in order to practice and then rode his bike the 10-miles back. “He's always been like that. As a kid, he'd walk for miles. He'd work out and do things the other kids didn't do away from the ice. We never had to tell him to do that,” Susan Chelios said.

During the summer of 1981, the Montreal Canadiens drafted Cheli late into the second round of the NHL draft. All of a sudden, colleges battled with one another to get him onto their school’s team. Chelios went on to play under Bob Johnson and Jeff Sauer in college at Wisconsin, which he chose over North Dakota. In 1983, Cheli won a national championship while playing for the Badgers.

In his first full season in the NHL, Chelios was named to the league’s All-Rookie team. In only his second year with the Canadiens, Chris won his first Stanley Cup. He later became the first American to captain the Montreal team and with this organization he picked up a Norris Trophy win. “He’s a coaches dream because he sets such a good example. He was an integral part of our team,” fellow Montreal teammate Steve Martinson said.

Cheli headed back to his hometown of Chicago to play for the Blackhawks where he played almost nine full seasons. In these nine years, Chelios obtained two more Norris Trophy awards, was named the team captain, and broke numerous team records such as the most career penalty minutes (1,495), became the first defenseman to lead the team in scoring in team history, and set a new club record with the most playoff points by a defenseman (21 points in 18 games).

Chris became the guy for Red Wing fans to hate after he nailed Sergei Federov across the face with his stick, but following his signing with the Wings in the 98/99 season Cheli is loved by fans, not hated. In his first full season with the Wings the following year, Chelios had a career high plus/minus rating of +48, which was the 2nd best in the NHL that year. During the 2001-2002 season, Cheli helped bring the Stanley Cup back to Hockeytown marking his second Cup win.
Through his numerous knee surgeries and a broken thumb, Chelios has shown that his determination and work ethic proves stronger over age and injuries. “With Cheli, you've got a guy with three Norris trophies and two Stanley Cups and he's 40-something and still going strong. He's got every reason to relax and he's out here working harder than everybody else. Other guys see that, or see the success that it brings, and want to see what he is up to and try to emulate some of those things,” personal trainer T.R. Goodman said. For these reasons, Cheli makes a great mentor to 23-year old Jiri Fischer. When Fischer tore his left ACL in November of the previous season, Chelios helped Jiri through the difficulties of rehabilitation and tricks of the trade for defenseman.

“If you ask me, he is the American hockey player,” fellow USA teammate Jeremy Roenick said. Chris has played an important role in the USA hockey team both as a leader and a player. USA coach Herb Brooks named Chelios captain for the 2002 Olympic games and he also captained the team back in ‘98. Once Cheli decides to retire, he would like the opportunity to remain involved with the USA team. “"I don't know if it's coaching, or management, but I'd like to help out. If it's coaching in the tournaments (World Cup, World Championships, Olympics), or whatever, I'd be more than happy to do it. You have to get players to participate, someone maybe they can respect with an NHL background,” Chelios said.

In 2001, Cheli’s sister Gigi lost her fight with cancer and in memory of her- Chelios contributes to the Make-A-Wish foundation and other cancer foundations. He also hosts an annual Charity Golf Classic that usually raises around $400,000 to benefit the Cheli’s Children Foundation, which helps abused children in the Chicago area. In addition to his charity work, Chelios opened his own restaurant, Cheli’s Chili Bar, in Dearborn. “I just wanted to put back something into the community. It’s something to do after I finish playing hockey,” Chris said.

Between his hockey playing, restaurant running, and volunteering, Chelios is here to stay in Hockeytown, USA.

Behind the Jersey: No. 13

We all remember Pavel Datsyuk embarrass Dallas Stars’ goalie, Marty Turco, with a quick deke resulting in a gorgeous goal. While Pavel had a very strong rookie season, this season seems to be his breakout season- the season where everyone around the league stops and takes notice of his talents. “Pavel has taken over the team. He has taken the responsibility and run with it. Every time he’s on the ice, he’s dangerous,” head coach Dave Lewis said.

In 1998, Datsyuk was selected as the Red Wings’ eighth choice in the sixth round of the draft, making him the 171st overall pick. Hakan Andersson, the Wings European scout was the first person to spot Pavel and the Wings assistant general manager, Jim Nill, drafted Datsyuk. “Pavel had very good skills, but was very small and weak. When we drafted him he was 5'8" and about 145 pounds soaking wet. We liked his skills, but did not know if he would every grow enough and/or get strong enough to play in the NHL. As we can all see now he did develop,” Nill said.

After signing with the Red Wings organization, Datsyuk became only the third Red Wing to wear the No. 13. As a rookie, Datsyuk played 70 games with 35 points, including one game winner goal. His first NHL season ended with a Stanley Cup win, not too bad for a rookie. Pavel traveled with the Stanley Cup to Yekaterinburg, Russia taking it the greatest distance ever traveled by the Cup with any player.

The next season, Datsyuk only played 64 games due to a knee injury and finished the season with 51 points. He later represented the Russian National Team during the 2003 World Championships in Finland. When Sergei Federov decided to leave Detroit for the warmer climate in Anaheim, Datsyuk took advantage of the extra ice time available to him. “Sergei’s not here anymore. Now you’re the man,” Brett Hull said. As his stats prove thus far this year, Pavel hasn’t let his teammate, Brett Hull, down.

Last season, Igor Larionov helped young Pavel adjust to the life of a professional hockey player and life in North America. “He listens and learns. He wants to be a good player, and he wants to learn how to become a player like that. He’s willing to wait for his chance and he’s patient. He’s going to be a good player for many years,” Larionov said. Since Larionov left for the New Jersey Devils, Hull has taken over as the mentor figure to Datsyuk. “But Brett’s a shooter and wants the puck, and Pavel’s a playmaker, so you put two and two together … sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But this works, it really works,” Lewis said. Hull encourages Pavel to keep up the great effort and performance, but not to be content with that. “I keep telling him, ‘Don’t get satisfied. Keep working. You could lead this league in scoring,” Hull said.

Leading the team with 23 goals, Datsyuk has dazzled fans and teammates alike with a 23.9 shooting percentage, second in the NHL. In the month of December, he was named the NHL Offensive Player of the Month and on January 22 he was invited to participate in the All-Star game this season in Minnesota. Even opposing teams sing their praises about Pavel: “Those aren't normal skills. Not when he makes you shake your head in amazement time after time with the moves he makes. He is clearly a very special player,” St. Louis Blues center Doug Weight.

Datsyuk isn’t the only young Red Wing player having a breakout season this year. Henrik Zetterberg, one of Datsyuk’s closest friends on the team, has been named the next Steve Yzerman. Both individuals are more of a quiet type with a deep passion for hockey. “We are good friends. We’re kind of the same age (Zetterberg is two years older than Datsyuk), and we are sort of the same kind of people. On the road, we were roommates early in the season. We spent a lot of time together doing things, all sort of things, mostly movies. We go to the movies a lot, just hang around,” Zetterberg said.

But the Wings organization isn’t complaining about the success of their young stars. “Pavel has exceeded our expectations, when we brought him over to play 2 years ago we knew he could play in the NHL, but we did not expect him to reach this level of stardom so quickly,” Nill said. The coaches have been pleased with the performance of their talented young players. "We've had Datsyuk and Zetterberg come right in here and make our team without spending a day in the minors – and that's with a lineup that experts say has eight or ten future Hall of Famers. You know something, I'd take another two or three kids like that,” Lewis said.

Along with his improvement on the ice, Datsyuk’s English is seeing better days. In previous seasons, former Wings defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov filled in as an interpreter for Pavel when reporters interviewed him. Now he feels much more confident with interviews, even television ones, after taking an English class. “Datsyuk took an English class, but simply being around the locker room and watching television has helped him pick up the language better,” Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News said.

Sources:
The Detroit News
Sports Illustrated
NHL.com
The Oakland Press
My Interview w/ Mr. Jim Nill

Behind the Jersey: No. 25

Loyal. The perfect word to describe right wing 31-year old Darren McCarty. McCarty is known for his loyalty to family, to teammates, and to Hockeytown.

By the age of five, McCarty already decided what he wanted to do in his life – play in the NHL. His parents, Craig and Roberta, had strong doubts about him being capable of fulfilling his lifelong goal. “We were constantly telling Darren he had to have a dream other than the NHL. We encouraged him to work at his school classes so he could have an education if his dreams of hockey did not come through,” Craig McCarty said. However, Darren was determined to get to the NHL and through the many ups and downs of his hockey career he succeeded. In 1992, the Detroit Red Wings selected Darren as their second pick of the draft. Darren and his family were ecstatic as the Wings were the closest NHL team to his hometown: Leamington, Ontario.

McCarty made his NHL debut in the ’93-’94 season and scored his first goal against the Winnipeg Jets on October 21, 1993. Even as a rookie, McCarty was known for his fighting. “Fighting may have gotten Darren on the team but he had to develop his other skills if he was to stay. He would stay after practice for an hour to work on his skating and stick handling. As the season progressed he was improving and getting more playing time,” Craig said. He finished the season with 17 assists, 9 goals, and 181 penalty minutes in 67 games.

Darren’s father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone. In July of 1996, Craig was going to Toronto for a stem cell transplant while Darren headed to rehab to fight his alcoholism. The two decided to work together and fight the two battles together no matter what. “Cancer is a disease that is bigger than both Darren and me. Alcoholism is also a disease that is bigger than both Darren and me. Unfortunately, I have cancer. And unfortunately, Darren is an alcoholic. We decided to deal with our diseases together, no matter what the outcome, to be there for each other,” Craig said.

In 1997, Darren called his father the day before Father’s Day telling him that he was going to start a foundation to raise money for research for multiple myeloma. Together they ran the foundation called The McCarty Cancer Foundation. Craig lost his fight with cancer in 1999 and Darren continues to run the foundation with his mother. To date the foundation has raised over 3 million dollars through raffling memorabilia, the foundation’s annual "Golfing for the Goal" event at the Birmingham Golf and Country Club, and many other fundraising events.

Darren is loyal to his fellow teammates. For example, Colorado Avalanche player Claude Lemieux drilled Kris Draper, McCarty’s current roommate on the road, head first into the boards inflicting serious injuries to Draper requiring reconstructive facial surgery. March 26, 1997- the next time McCarty played the Avs he fought Lemieux to avenge his friend’s injuries. Darren also supported his three teammates, Vladimir Konstantinov, Slava Fetisov, and Sergei Mnatsakanov, after the limousine accident shortly after the 1997 Stanley Cup win. “It was John Morton, our trainer’s idea for me to form a band and do a song for the local tribute album to raise funds for the injured Red Wings,” McCarty said. This past summer, Darren spent time touring around the Midwest with his band, Grinder. A portion of all proceeds earned by the band and by the book Rinkside, written by Craig McCarty, goes to the McCarty Cancer Foundation.

Darren’s loyalty extends to Hockeytown, both the city and the fans. Early this summer, the Wings were uncertain if Darren would be playing for them next season, as he became an unrestricted free agent. He never wanted to leave Detroit, but at first it looked like a deal suitable to both sides couldn’t be made. "I mean, where do I start? My family loves it here, the schools, the golf courses, the McCarty Cancer Foundation, all the friends I've made here the past 10 years. It's everything. But to be a Red Wing, that's first and foremost. It's just home, that’s what this is. And I couldn't imagine myself not being here,” McCarty said. After many negotiations, a deal was made for four years and worth 8.75 million dollars.

Darren has ties to the community as well. McCarty, along with many other Wings, makes solo trips to Children’s Hospital in Detroit. “We get to know them, their families and what they're going through. It's sad to have to see the same kids over the years, still fighting to get better. This really makes you count your blessings. This is the best part of being a hockey player: helping these kids. You can't beat that,” McCarty said. He’s active with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and is the team spokesman for Motor City Mitten Madness, a collection of items such as coats, hats, and gloves for the homeless and less fortunate in the Detroit area. This past summer, Darren was awarded a $25,000 grant to advance his work with the McCarty Cancer Foundation after receiving the sixth annual NHL Foundation Player Award.
"We have a tremendous level of interest in Darren the person, Darren the family man, Darren the hockey player. That's something we all care about. He's not just a jersey number. He has a lot of support from his teammates,” head coach Dave Lewis said. Speaking of jersey numbers, McCarty did not get the jersey number that he would have liked. He originally wanted the jersey number 19 or 10 because he wore both of those numbers before reaching the NHL. However, Captain Steve Yzerman already wore 19 and Alex Delvecchio’s No. 10 had been retired in 1991. So he had decided on No. 27, but someone else snatched that number up. "Micah Aivaoff had more minor league games than me. He was older and got to pick first, he picked 27. I would have picked 27 if I had first choice. It's just a cool number,” McCarty said. So he went with the next best number – No. 25. "It was my second choice, my first year. Twenty-five was better than 14 or 18, whatever was left," McCarty said. Nowadays, it just wouldn’t seem right for McCarty to be any other number, as No. 25 has become a staple to the Grind Line and the Detroit Red Wings. “It's sort of synonymous. I wouldn't know how to write another number on my autograph,” McCarty said.

Sources:
Rinkside (book written by Craig McCarty)
Inside Hockeytown- Feb/March 2002 issue & Feb 2003 issue
Detroit News
Detroit Free Press
Score! Music Magazine