Steve Yzerman: The Ultimate Leader

A hockey captain holds a great responsibility. Officially, his only role is to talk to the referees about rule interpretations. But the captains “C” comes with so much more responsibility. His job is to, well, be a leader. He has to rally his teammates when all seems lost, find a way to win, and provide an example both on and off the ice.

And there is no greater captain in the history of the National Hockey League, then former Detroit Redwing, Steve Yzerman. Yzerman became the Redwings captain at only 21 years of age , during the 1986-87 season, and he would hold the position for 20 years, an NHL record for tenure as a captain. During that time his team won 3 Stanley cups, including their first since the mid 1950’s.

If you had to label Yzerman, you could say that he’s very much a laissez-faire leader. On the ice, he didn’t really care what his teammates did, as long as it helped them win. All that Yzerman cared about was if his teammates tried everything they could to win.

Yzerman most definitely demonstrated legitimate power. Yzerman was clutch. His teammates knew that if they needed a goal, Stevie would come through, Like his double overtime goal in game 7 against the Blues in 1996. They would follow him anywhere, because they knew that the bigger the game, the better their captain played. This in turn, made his teammates perform better. His teammates thought, if Stevie brings his all every game, so should I.

My favorite thing about Yzerman, is how much he was willing to sacrifice for the team to win. Yzerman possessed supreme offensive talent. From 1988 to 1993 Yzerman posted over 100 points every season. But his teams didn’t win anything. With the arrival of hall of fame coach Scotty Bowman, Yzerman began to play more on the defensive side. Yzerman would never go above 100 points again, but his team would end up going to 4 Stanley Cups, and winning 3. Yzerman chose winning over stats, his ability to play both sides being an invaluable asset to his team.

Yzerman’s 2002 season further cemented his status as a player who was willing to sacrifice for the good of the team. Yzerman re-injured his knee during the season, but he knew that he had to be there for his team during the playoffs. The Redwings would win the Stanley Cup. After the season, Yzerman had a knee re-alignment surgery that kocked him out for the first 66 games of the following season.

If there is any complaint about Yzerman, it’s that he didn’t become committed to defense until later in his career. But he did eventually, and even won the Selke trophy for best defensive forward in 2000. In his defense, he didn’t have much around him during his early seasons in Detroit. We have to think that as good as Yzerman’s career was, by not really putting much effort in on the defensive end during his first 10 seasons, he may have left some Cups on the table.

But that is a minor complaint. Yzerman was a role mode for his teammates. He always came through in the clutch, and sacrificed for the good of the team. He is truly one of the great captains in the history of the NHL.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Yzerman

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/y/yzermst01.html