June 24, 1998

And Chris Osgood thinks the media are tough on him, eh?

Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman was on the "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" hot seat Tuesday morning, undergoing some pretty intense grilling from host Regis Philbin.

Consider the opening exchange:

Regis (wearing a complimentary "No. 98, Philbin" Wings jersey): "Did you start skating when you were a little kid?"

Yzerman: "Yeah, I think 4 years old, I started."

Regis: "And where are you from, Canada?"

Yzerman: "Yes, I'm Canadian...."

Regis: "You've been skating professionally now...."

Yzerman: "I just finished my 15th year."

Regis: "Fifteenth year! He looks like a baby!"

Yzerman: "I started when I was 18, actually."

Regis: "And you're in your 30s now?"

Yada, yada, yada.

Yzerman was accompanied by his favorite accessory, the Stanley Cup, as he had been the night before on "The Late Show with David Letterman," also shot in New York.

Regis' wife, Joy -- subbing for the vacationing Kathie Lee -- also liked Yzerman's 1997 championship ring.

And when Yzerman said he would get another ring this year, Regis joked, "And where are you going to put this ring, in your nose?"

The show traditionally makes athletes perform some lame stunt, and Yzerman was asked to shoot at a net covered by a Score-O board -- even though he claimed he was a bit rusty, this being his off-season and all.

After five misses -- and teaching Joy how to shoot -- Yzerman put the biscuit in the basket.