October 13, 2005

There are a few places that can claim Steve Yzerman as a favorite son.

He was born in Cranbrook, British Columbia, grew up in the Ottawa suburb of Nepean, Ontario, and now has spent most of his life in Detroit.

And between Nepean and Detroit, he spent a couple seasons in the early '80s playing junior hockey for the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League.

Now Yzerman is part of an effort to help a Peterborough family pay for the expensive treatment for complications from a bone marrow transplant their teenage son underwent for leukemia.

Tommy Garrett, 18, will start the treatment in Calgary this month.

The Peterborough community has rallied to start a fund for the Garretts, and local artist Murray Henderson chipped in by painting a collage devoted to Yzerman, his Stanley Cup and Olympic titles.

It's appropriate, because not only is Yzerman a former Petes star, he's also Tommy's favorite player.

Henderson brought the limited-edition of 19 prints -- as in the Captain's uniform number -- plus four larger artist proofs to Detroit, where Yzerman signed them.

"I know there has been strong support for Tommy in Peterborough so I'm pleased I was asked to get involved," Yzerman told the Peterborough Examiner.

"Murray Henderson did a great job on the painting so I hope it helps raise even more money to help cover the costs associated with Tommy's treatments."

So far, Henderson said he's sold about half of the $1,000 prints and $1,500 proofs. They're still available at murrayhenderson.com.

There's also more information on the teen at fightfortom.com.

Henderson -- who mostly does sports and nature art -- earlier did a poster that benefited the Hockey Fights Cancer effort.

Some of his Red Wings subjects have included Brett Hull and the Grind Line, which also can be viewed at his Web site.