By Aaron Bell
Remarkably, Steve Yzerman still doesn't totally feel like he belongs.
The long-time Detroit Red Wings' captain and Peterborough Petes' graduate is part of an illustrious class that is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this year but he still has a hard time believing that he is receiving the honour.
Yzerman joins Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch, Brett Hull and Lou Lamoriello as the class of 2009 that will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Monday.
"It does feel strange to be considered a Hall of Famer because growing up and really being in the league, you run into the Hall of Famers, you would see them on TV, see the names, it's a pretty awesome group," Yzerman said. "So for me, yeah, I'm still not totally comfortable with it. I look forward to going in. I look forward to the weekend, being around all those gentlemen."
There is no question that Yzerman deserves the honour. Yzerman played his entire 22-year career with the Detroit Red Wings and is eighth on the National Hockey League's all-time goals list with 692, seventh on the assists list with 1,063, sixth all time in points with 1,755.
In 196 playoff games, Yzerman scored 70 goals and 115 assists for 185 points. He led the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 1998.
Despite his lofty scoring totals and multiple Stanley Cup wins, Yzerman said that he didn't spend a lot of time contemplating his place in the history of the game.
"I don't believe players kind of sit around or at any point in their career think about that," Yzerman said. "You're obviously aware of guys going into the Hall of Fame each year at this time. As I got older, started being asked by the media on occasion about it. I never really thought that. It's something that you play your entire career, really it's something that gets assessed after. (It was) great to get the phone call last year. It was a real thrill for me. But up until that point, it was something that this isn't my decision."
Yzerman retired from the NHL in 2006.
"I don't feel I had anything left actually physically," Yzerman said. "The desire to play was really there. What I had hoped coming out of the lockout, you know, when the season was cancelled, a year off of training, rest for my knee, that it would feel better. It really didn't make any difference. It became a real struggle for me to try to do the things. As much as I wanted to continue playing, I knew I couldn't keep up at this pace anymore."
The Hall of Fame festivities start on Friday in Toronto and run through the weekend before the formal ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday. The Induction Ceremony will be shown live on TSN at 7:00 p.m.
The Source for Sports Hockey Hall of Fame Legends Classic game takes place at 2:00 pm on Sunday November 8 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Tickets for the game are available via the Hockey Hall of Fame, ACC Box Office and www.ticketmaster.ca
Click here for more information about the Hockey Hall of Fame's 2009 Induction Weekend.
