Wings captain back for 21st season

ESPN.com news services

DETROIT -- Steve Yzerman will return to the Detroit Red Wings for a 21st season after he signed a one-year contract with the club Monday.

ESPN.com's Darren Pang reported last month that Yzerman had agreed to a one-year deal with a base salary of $6 million and performance clauses that could net him as much as $8 million. He earned $8 million last season.

Yzerman, 38, is the longest serving captain in NHL history.

"We are all very pleased to have Steve back in the fold for one more year," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said in a release. "He brings a great deal of dedication, skill and leadership abilities to our hockey club, and I feel his competitive nature will greatly help this team remain successful throughout the upcoming season."

Yzerman had two goals and six assists in 16 games for the Red Wings last season, giving him 660 goals and 1,010 assists in 1,378 career games. The center had an osteotomy -- a realignment procedure -- on his right knee on Aug. 2, 2002, that caused him to miss the first 61 games last season.

Yzerman has spent his entire career with the Red Wings.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.