Stevie Y to Tampa

Well, by now you've probably heard that Steve Yzerman is set to be named the general manager of the Lightning today. This is a very bittersweet day for Red Wing fans. We're all sad to see him go, as he's been such a fixture of this franchise for over a quarter century. But we all want to see him succeed and do well, because it his success will reflect postively on the Wings and their front office.

From a personal standpoint, this is tough. I have never lived in the state of Michigan of the city of Detroit, so I was not exposed to the Wings at an early age. I became a Wings fan when I saw Steve Yzerman play. I was 7 years old and saw him at Maple Leaf Gardens. I remember being mesmerized by him on the ice, and from then on I kept checking on how they were doing. This was in the days before Twitter, blogs, ESPN/TSN and the internet. So I did what any kid did: I checked the boxscores in the newspaper to see if Yzerman got any points. Over the next year or two, I was converted into a full-fledged Red Wing fan (much to the consternation of my Maple Leaf-loving father). I've watched Yzerman grow from an offensive dynamo of the late '80s and early '90s into the best 2-way forward in the NHL under Scotty Bowman. I remember the rumours about his being traded to Ottawa in the mid-90s after yet another unsuccessful playoff run. But the one thing that I will always remember about him was his solo lap with the Cup in 1997. I still get goosebumps when I see him lift that Cup for the first time, and always will. It was at that moment that all the doubts about him were removed, and he finally cemented his place among the all-time greats.

To Stevie: thanks for the memories in Detroit. You will always be a Red Wing, no matter where you go. I wish you nothing but good times in Tampa (or as I am now going to call it, Hockeytown South) and hope that you bring a Cup there. You've got a good nucleus to work with and a high draft pick this year. Good luck and here's hoping that some day you make your way back home to Detroit.