July 3, 2006

Highlights of Steve Yzerman’s retirement announcement Monday at Joe Louis Arena:

OPENING STATEMENT:

“For me it’s a day of mixed emotions, and I know there’s a lot of referees in the National Hockey League doing cartwheels today with my forthcoming announcement. I’d like to start out by saying I’ve enjoyed my career; we’ve been through a lot together with the gentlemen here with me…I was drafted in June of ’83 and immediately upon being drafted took great pride in being a part of this organization and of this city. We talked at the time, Jimmy D and I, of some goals – to have a lengthy career, to win multiple Stanley Cups. We didn’t quite reach the number we had in mind, but we haven’t given up on that number yet and we look forward to the future of possibly of reaching that and being a part of this organization to further advance the organization.

“Obviously I’m here, I made a definite decision on my future, and I’m very relieved and very comfortable to let everyone know that I’ve decided to retire and hang up my skates, and I feel really good about that. My intention throughout the season was to retire, play one last year, and my hope was to have a successful playoff run, which would culminate with the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately as we all know that didn’t work out, but I’ve had an extremely enjoyable year – the coaching staff, the players – I really enjoyed the season.”

“I really enjoyed my final season with the Red Wings. I thought a lot about it, about coming back and playing, and I knew this was a great decision for me at this time and I really don’t have any guilt about that.”

“It’s a special place to play, it’s a special city to live in when you’re an athlete.”

ON FANS:

“Red Wings fans throughout North America who have supported us and supported me, from my first game through some disappointments, and who continued to show up, whether it be here at the Joe or on the road, everyone stuck by us, and to everyone I really want to say ‘Thank you.’ I almost feel like a little boy trying to please his parents, every time I step on the ice with the way the fans here support our team, and that’s something I will miss. Once again, to everyone out there, on behalf of the future players and present guys, there’s no place to play that you can get this kind of treatment and respect and adulation and encouragement.”

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play on three Stanley Cup winners, have played with some of the greatest players that will ever play the game, so it’s been a wonderful era of hockey for me…it’s very difficult for me to retire.”

ON BEING A HOCKEY PLAYER:

“The players I’ve played with have just been so much fun, and I’ve enjoyed my career as a hockey player. I’ve been a hockey player since the age of 5. I’ve had the same lifestyle. I’d play hockey all winter and thought about hockey all summer, and got ready for another season, and school was just killing time until I got to play hockey again. Again, to all the players I’ve played with and the guys that I’m leaving this year, this organization is in good shape. There’s plenty of leadership, there’s a lot of talent, I feel very comfortable, I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished. And I feel very good in the situation that the organization is in moving forward….Jimmy D, Mr. I, Mrs. I, and Kenny, we were all here when I came in ’83 and we’ve all been a part of everything that’s happened here. Jimmy D is the one responsible for drafting me, bought me in here as an 18-year-old, and as I recall several of the first few years of my career phone calls on a Friday night or Saturday night, (Jimmy) just checking in, just seeing if I needed anything.”

“Most of all I think we really enjoyed it.”

“Kenny (Holland) and I, over the last few years, I’ve looked forward to really working with him. Over the last few years we’ve been able to negotiate face-to-face on some of my contracts, and I must say he’s gotten the better of me.”

“Again, playing any sport, just for me the friendships I’ve developed will last me a lifetime. They’ve been very supportive, particularly over the last few years, when it’s been, at different times for various reasons, a difficult time for me, Kenny has supported me 100%, and he almost had me convinced that I was coming back this year and I came to obviously a different decision, but I want to thank him as well.”

ON HIS COACHES:

“In 23 years I didn’t play for that many coaches in relation to a lot of players, and each coach I’ve played for has had a positive impact on my career, some for different reasons. But I look back, my first coach being Nick Polano in 1983 to my final coach being Mike Babcock, and I’ve learned something and I’ve enjoyed playing for them all. As a group collectively, I appreciate their efforts and really learned a lot. And I guess finally, with Gordie (Howe) and Ted Lindsay sitting here, I was drafted in ’83, and Jimmy D handed me a media guide. And I took that media guide home and flipped through it and read it and didn’t memorize everything, but read the names and immediately became excited about becoming a Detroit Red Wing, and the reasons for that are players like Gordie, players like Ted, Alex Delvecchio, Terry Sawchuk, Sid Abel. Much like it is in Toronto or Montreal with the great success they’ve had, there’s very few states in the National Hockey League that have the history that the Detroit Red Wings have or the following that the Detroit Red Wings have.”

ON HIS FINAL DECISION:

“Being that this was my last year, I felt pretty comfortable with that. I had hoped for the season to end a little more successfully than it did. over the course of the last 10 weeks or eight weeks, I guess, I thought a lot about coming back to play and when it actually was time to make the call to Kenny to say, ‘I want to come back to play,’ I couldn’t do that… For me I just felt like to do the things you need to do throughout the course of this summer, throughout the course of training camp and next season, to be ready to go and be 100% and be a really effective player and good player for this team next year, because of the condition of my knee, I would not be able to do that. I’m becoming somewhat of a part-time player. I was injured a lot early in the season, which in hindsight turned out to be somewhat beneficial down the stretch. I felt a little pressure to play a lot more toward the end of the season and I really had a lot of difficulties with my knee at the time. And I guess the determining factor for me was I’m not going to be able to do a lot of the things that would be necessary to play the role I want to play for this team this year better than anybody.”

ON CAPTAINCY:

“As I got older, playing with guys like Drapes and Shanny, a lot of older players, a lot of really successful players, I never felt like, ‘This is me, I’m the leader of this team.’ I was just one of those players who were trying to do things the right way, try to set an example. I’m proud I was the captain of this team, and not for the number of years, but just proud for some of the things we’ve accomplished, and being the captain of this team.”

ON LAST YEAR:

“I can handle any situation as far as success and failure. I think through the course of your career you’re going to experience everything.”

“I was always thinking that I want to be the best player on the ice rink…and I’ve given up on that hope now. Everybody goes out there thinking, ‘I want to do something special.’ I knew my role over time was decreasing and I was comfortable with that, but what I don’t want to be is out there and not doing the things that I want to do or playing whatever that role is. I questioned my own ability to be effective out there and not just through the course of the regular season but really when it matters next spring. I just don’t…again, I’m not going to be there to do the things I expect of me.”

ON THE MEMORIES:

“Obviously the three opportunities to raise the Stanley Cup standout and being on the gold-medal team stands out. But there’s been a lot of experiences along the way that have been right with it. And some of them are failure. I really enjoy every aspect of it. My whole career to me has been a highlight that I really enjoy playing.”

ON THE DECISION TO RETIRE:

“I really wanted to make sure I was doing exactly what I wanted to do and make a decision and look back a week later and not regret it.”

“I can’t exactly explain why…I just had this feeling that it was time to move on and obviously that my health is the No. 1 reason, and I just knew that this was a better decision for me and the right one.”

ON HIS LEGACY:

“I did the best I could. I tried hard, I competed hard…that I think is for other people to determine what my legacy will be, but I did everything I could and there’s no question I’d like to do some things over and learn from experience. But I’ve retired and I feel like there’s nothing left in the tank, and I’m comfortable with that.”