Hart Trophy - Steve Yzerman

Lore & Background

Yzerman was drafted fourth overall by the Red Wings in the 1983 NHL entry draft. He was named captain of the Red Wings on October 7, 1986, at age 21, and served as captain for over 1,300 games, retiring as the longest-serving captain of any team in North American major league sports history. He led the Wings to five first-place regular season finishes and three Stanley Cup championships (1997, 1998, and 2002).

In Their Own Story

The ice at Joe Louis Arena is slick and cold under the harsh arena lights, the air thick with the scent of popcorn and anticipation. It is a quiet moment in the third period, but Steve Yzerman feels the weight of the season on his shoulders. He drops his stick to the ice, the rubber blade scraping against the frozen surface with a sharp crack that echoes through the rink. Around him, the game moves at a blur, but he sees everything—the open lane, the tired defenseman, the passing angle. This is why they call him the MVP; not because of the stats on the board, but because in this moment, the entire team breathes when he breathes.

Reader's Guide

Yzerman won the Lester B. Pearson Award (most outstanding player) in the 1988–89 season, the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1998, the Selke Trophy in 2000, and the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2003. He played in ten All-Star Games and was a first team All-Star in 2000. He did not win the Hart Trophy; the source article does not mention him winning the Hart Trophy.

Did You Know?

• Yzerman is one of few players to win an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year (2002).
• He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2014.
• Yzerman scored 600 goals on November 26, 1999, becoming the 11th player in NHL history to do so.