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King Wing Earns Recognition As Stevie Wonder - Jun. 27 1997 - Vol. 50, Issue 38 - Mike Brophy

DETROIT-No more Stevie Why? No more Stevie When? Steve Yzerman has his Stanley Cup.

If the Detroit Red Wings’ captain needed one to validate a brilliant 14-year career, it was Mission Accomplished.

“He’s our leader, one of the classiest guys in the league,” said teammate Darren McCarty. “He does the little things that inspire other players-blocks shots, dishes out hits, goes into the comer for the puck. He’s what you expect in a leader.”

Yzerman, 32, has never been known as a vocal leader, but speaks his mind when the need arises. It happened when the St. Louis Blues pulled even at 2-2 in the opening round of this year’s playoffs. Yzerman talked 1-on-1 with key players. He wanted to make sure they understood the gravity of the situation.

Yzerman, a five-time 50-goal scorer, has survived bleak years and constant trade rumors in Detroit and signed a contract this past season that should keep him a Red Wing for life.

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Drafted fourth overall in 1983 by then-Detroit GM Jimmy Devellano, Yzerman was the only reason to watch the Red Wings play for many years. “We said we’d build the franchise around Steve Yzerman,” Devellano said, “and we did.”.

As the team improved, but continued to underachieve in the playoffs, the whispers grew louder: Could the Red Wings win with him? There should never have been any doubt. Yzerman considered the possibility of going his entire career without a Cup and was okay with the notion; satisfied he had done everything in his power to bring a title to Hockeytown, USA.

But that is no longer a problem. Yzerman scored goals in three of the four final series games against the Philadelphia Flyers and was narrowly edged by goalie Mike Vernon in voting for playoff MVP.

Yzerman was the first Red Wing to carry the Cup around Joe Louis Arena-to a thunderous ovation. “What we have found out,” Yzerman said, “is that there is the Stanley Cup winner and then there’s everyone else. We’ve been everyone else.”

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