[FanIn80]

For our first pick in the All-Time Hockey Draft, The Flying Elbows would like to select our #1 Center...

From Cranbrook, British Columbia... Steve Yzerman!

On January 2, 2007, the Red Wings retired Yzerman's jersey number, 19, before a game against the Anaheim Ducks. As an additional honor the captain's "C" was added to the corner of his banner to forever commemorate him as "The Captain". The official retirement ceremony was hosted by Yzerman's long-time friend, former NHL goalie and ESPN hockey analyst Darren Pang and featured such Red Wing luminaries as Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio (the three still-living Red Wings players to have their uniform numbers retired by the team), and Scotty Bowman. For the ceremony, the active Red Wings players wore Yzerman throwback jerseys representing the Red Wings, Team Canada (Canada won gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games), the Campbell Conference All-Star team and the Peterborough Petes. Former teammate Vladimir Konstantinov attended the ceremony, walking across the ice for the first time without a wheelchair since his last game in the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

On January 30, 2007, Hockey Canada named Yzerman the general manager of Team Canada for the 2007 IIHF World Championship in Moscow (April 27-May 13), where they beat Finland with a score of 4-2 on Sunday May 13th to win the Championship.

Yzerman is one of the most powerful figures in Red Wings history, and is considered a hero outside hockey as well. On January 2, 2007, Yzerman was presented the key to the city of Detroit by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick at a luncheon prior to the jersey retirement ceremony. On January 13, 2007, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm (incidentally another Canadian-American) visited Detroit and the Joe Louis Arena and proclaimed the day as "Steve Yzerman Day” in the state of Michigan. On January 11, 2008, when the Red Wings visited Ottawa to play the Senators, Yzerman was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. Yzerman received another honor when he was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame on February 11, 2008.

* NHL All-Star Roster - 1984, 1988 , 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2000
* NHL First Team All-Star, Centre - 2000
* Lester B. Pearson Award - 1989
* Conn Smythe Trophy - 1998
* Frank J. Selke Trophy - 2000
* Stanley Cup Champion- 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008 (Executive)
* Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy - 2003
* Lester Patrick Trophy - 2006
* Sixth in NHL history in points, eighth in goals and seventh in assists
* First in Red Wings history in assists; second in points and goals; third in games played
* Number (19) retired with Detroit Red Wings - 2007
* Number (19) retired with Canadian Men's National Team - 2005
* Named Vice President of Detroit Red Wings - 2007
* Named General Manager of Team Canada - 2008
* Was Ranked #6 in The Hockey News The Top 60 Since 1967 - The Best Players of the Post Expansion Era
* Inducted into Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame - January 11, 2008
* Inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame February 11, 2008
* Inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame - 2008