Red Wings legend Brett Hull revealed what Steve Yzerman was like as a captain when they played together in Detroit. Hull praised Yzerman for always being a calming presence in the locker room and explained what separated him from others.
Yzerman achieved plenty of success during his Hall of Fame career. He led the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup titles. Those championship teams are considered by many in the hockey community to be among the greatest teams in NHL history.
Hull admitted that he was surprised by what he experienced when he played for the Red Wings. Yzerman was well respected. However, he was not known for being a vocal leader, which may have surprised Hull.
Red Wings Legend Brett Hull Reveals What Steve Yzerman Was Really Like as a Captain
Red Wings legend Brett Hull revealed that Steve Yzerman was far from being a vocal presence in the locker room. Yzerman let his performance on the ice speak for itself and led by example.
Hull, who was part of the Red Wings’ 2002 Stanley Cup-winning team, recalled one speech in particular.
After falling 2-0 in their series against the Vancouver Canucks, Yzerman reassured the team that they would come back and win. Yzerman not only reassured the team that they could overcome the deficit but also instilled confidence that they could win the series.
“We lost the first two games at home. And, you know, in my career I was always mad as [expletive] when that would happen. It was gear off, gone, right to the shower. And for some reason, I walked in that dressing room down 0-2 and all I did was take my helmet off and put my gloves up, and I sat down because I knew I’m with Detroit. We’ve got one of the greatest captains ever. “It’s weird because we were all sitting there the same way. Well, he was there. He was getting undressed and all of a sudden, the silence was deafening,” Hull told Gloves Off: The Enforcer Code.
“He wasn’t the biggest vocal guy and he just stood up and looked at us, and he said, ‘Hey, relax. We’re a better team, we’re going to go to Vancouver, we’re going to win both games, and come back. And we’re going to win the next four games.”
He added: “We went into Vancouver, we won both games, came back, won, and then won there.”
Yzerman Spent His Entire Career With Detroit
Yzerman was a strong leader for the Red Wings and remained with the team throughout his career. The Cranbrook, British Columbia native spent his entire career with Detroit.
Detroit selected Yzerman 4th overall in the 1983 NHL Draft. He played 22 seasons with the Red Wings, from 1983-84 through 2005-06.
During Yzerman’s tenure, he led the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup titles. Yzerman finished his career with 692 goals and 1063 assists, for a total of 1755 points.
Red Wings Legend Reveals What Steve Yzerman Was Really Like as a Captain