Visit Detroit

2004

Few men are as synonymous with a city as Steve Yzerman is with Detroit. He arrived in metro Detroit from Canada in 1983, joining a franchise long removed from glory, and has been the team’s captain since 1986. Since then, he has stood at the forefront as the team has come to represent the very finest metro Detroit has to offer. The Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup in 42 years when they claimed the championship in 1997, and went on to win it again in 1998 and 2002. (The Wings have celebrated at total of 10 Stanley Cup victories over the years.)

Like the city that is known world wide by a simple shorthand moniker, “The Motor City” (and sometimes “Hockeytown”), Yzerman, 38, is known around Detroit simply by his nickname, “Stevie.” Wanting to learn a bit more about this somewhat private but still fascinating captain of the Red Wings, we sat down with him to find out what he likes about both the area and playing for perhaps the most – respected team in hockey.

Visit Detroit: What would you tell a player who is considering joining the Red Wings?

Yzerman: I’d tell him the same thing I tell a new guy whenever he comes in: This is a great area to live. There are excellent schools, and it’s especially a great area to live if you have children who are into sports. The minor hockey community here is as good as anywhere. I always use the example of Chris Chelios – he and his family came here from Chicago, and his kids are very active in sports and they really enjoy it here.

Visit Detrot: Where did you go after the Wings won the Stanley Cup?

Yzerman: We’ve won twice at home and we’ve gone to different places. In ’97, we went to Big Daddy’s Parthenon in West Bloomfield and had a great time. The last time around, in 2002, we went to Sangria in Royal Oak.

Visit Detroit: How has Detroit changed for the better since you first moved to the area?

Yzerman: I don’t know that it’s dramatically changed. The Tigers have a new ballpark (Comerica Park), and the Lions are back downtown again in a new stadium (For Field), so we’re really starting to see downtown come back, and I’m hoping we’ll see it pick up even more. To me, the most amazing thing is how the suburbs keep growing, keep stretching out even farther.

Visit Detroit: Do you live in the metro area year round? What do you like about your community?

Yzerman: I have a home on a lake in Ontario, Canada, so I spend quite a bit of time there during summer. The rest of the year, I live in Bloomfield Hills. I love it because it’s real quiet, almost like a small town. It’s close to the golf course I like to play, which is nice. It’s just a very quiet area, and I can get anywhere I need to go in a short amount of time without any major traffic tie-ups, and the kids go to school right around the corner, so it’s great.

Visit Detroit: When you have visitors from out of town, where do you take them?

Yzerman: My wife takes them shopping at the Somerset Collection in Troy. Depending on what season it is, I try to take people to a sporting event – either a Pistons game at the Palace, a Lions game or a Tigers game. I’m really into sporting events, and I try to see as many as possible live.

Visit Detroit: Where is your favorite place to watch sports?

Yzerman: In Detroit, I really like all the new stadiums, and I still consider the Palace relatively new. They’ve all done a really nice job. I went to my first ever college game last year in East Lansing, to Spartan Stadium. That was a great experience. In the future I plan on spending a lot more time at college games – usually during the season, if we’ve had a Saturday off in the fall, I’ve been to lazy to go anywhere and I’ll just watch the games on TV. But I definitely want to go the Big House (Michigan Stadium) in Ann Arbor at some point; I’ve heard that’s a great place for atmosphere.

Visit Detroit: What do you think makes Detroit such a great sports town?

Yzerman: I think the people in Detroit are hardworking people who not only are fans of sports, but also play a lot of sports. Any sport here does well, - golf, college basketball, auto racing – all are supported well, and I think it’s because people are active and involved themselves.

Visit Detroit: Besides the Wings, do you have a favorite local team?

Yzerman: I like all sports. The majority of television that I watch is sporting events. Pretty much ever since I moved here, I like to see how the Tigers, Lions and Pistons are doing. I follow them regardless of winning and losing, just to see what’s happening.

Visit Detroit: What is your favorite restaurant?

Yzerman: I have at least four or five, and I can’t really say one more than the other. We go out to eat a lot, and there are a lot of great restaurants in the area. I like Andiamo’s on Telegraph at Maple (15 Mile) a lot for Italian.

Visit Detroit: Do you have a favorite coffee shop?

Yzerman: Not really. I spread them out – I have about four different routes I take down to Joe Louis Arena, and I’ve got a Starbucks mapped out on every one. There’s a place called Deli Unique on Woodward Avenue that I like to stop at for breakfast if I get up early enough before going down for practice. There’s a little place called Toast, on Woodward and Nine Mile, which I like a lot.

Visit Detroit: Where do you like to shop?

Yzerman: I don’t really do a whole lot of shopping. My wife goes to Somerset Collection, and she also likes the stores in downtown Birmingham.

Visit Detroit: You took home the Stanley Cup in the back seat of your Porsche after the ’97 championship. What else do you like to drive around the Motor City?

Yzerman: My favorite is my Yukon XL Denali.

Visit Detroit: You’re a big golfer – how would you rate the local courses?

Yzerman: I’m a member at Oakland Hills Country Club, and they’ve got a great course. It’s my favorite place to play. There are several places around the area, really too many to name. I think if you take the whole state, the courses here are as good as anywhere in the country.

Visit Detroit: What are some of your favorite moments from playing hockey?

Yzerman: I’m fortunate to have quite a few now. Winning the Stanley Cup in ’97 was fantastic, and then we won it again in ’98, and in 2002. Those three, and then being part of the Canadian Team at the Salt Lake Winter Games that won the Olympic gold medal.

Visit Detroit: How do you see the upcoming season shaping up?

Yzerman: I think we have a good chance. We’ve made some changes, and I feel we are a legitimate contender, something I’ve felt we’ve been every season for the past few years. There’s a chance our roster may still change a bit before the playoffs, so I wouldn’t make any big conclusions, no great assumptions. But with the addition of Derian Hatcher and with big Jiri Fischer coming back, I think we’ll have a much better defensive team.

Visit Detroit: Right now, you’re Steve Yzerman, longtime captain of the Detroit Red Wings. Could you ever picture yourself as Steve Yzerman, mayor of Detroit?

Yzerman: Hmm, I don’t know if I’ll be mayor of Detroit. I’m not quite sure what qualifications you need for that.

Visit Detroit: How about Steve Yzerman, Red Wings general manager, then?

Yzerman: I’d like to stay in the organization and work in management in some position. I enjoy the game of hockey outside of playing it, and I’d be happy to stay in it after I retire from playing. I’ve always said I don’t want to be a coach, but these days being a general manager is a 12 – month job, so I might lean in the coaching direction just so I’d get some time off to play golf.