Pavel Datsyuk

Pavel Valeryevich Datsyuk, a Russian former professional ice hockey player, spent his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings from 2001 to 2016. Known as the "Magic Man," he was recognized as one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history, and at the time of that announcement, he was the only active player on the list who was not in the NHL. Datsyuk helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 2002 and 2008, and later captured the Gagarin Cup in 2017 with SKA Saint Petersburg. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024.

Born in Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR, in the Soviet Union, Datsyuk was called "Pasha" by his parents from an early age. His childhood included significant hardship, particularly when his mother died when he was 15. Despite showing above-average hockey skills, he was often overlooked by scouts due to his smaller size. He started playing for the farm club of Dynamo Yekaterinburg in the mid-1990s, but his career seemed headed for mediocrity until Olympic trainer Vladimir Krikunov took over the team. Krikunov first noticed Datsyuk not on the ice but on the soccer field, where his anticipation, vision, and intelligence stood out. Under Krikunov, Datsyuk developed into a highly efficient two-way player and began attracting wider attention among Russian hockey fans. Nonetheless, he went undrafted in the 1996 and 1997 NHL drafts.

Datsyuk was first spotted by Detroit Red Wings Director of European Scouting Håkan Andersson in the summer of 1997–98. Andersson was in Moscow to scout defenseman Dmitri Kalinin, but his attention was caught by "this little guy on the other team." He made a second trip to see Datsyuk and planned a third, but his flight was canceled due to a storm. A Calgary Flames scout was also scheduled to be on that plane, and because of the storm, Andersson believes he was the only NHL scout to have seen Datsyuk play before the 1998 NHL entry draft, where the Red Wings selected him 171st overall. Datsyuk continued playing for Dynamo Yekaterinburg through 2000, then moved to Ak Bars Kazan for the 2000–01 season, recording nine goals and 17 assists in 42 games.

When Datsyuk began his NHL career with the Red Wings, he was mentored by fellow Russian stars Igor Larionov and Sergei Fedorov, as well as Detroit captain Steve Yzerman. He played on a line with Brett Hull and Boyd Devereaux, producing a moderately productive first year.