2. Steve Yzerman
Cue the sound of keyboards being pounded in unison across the great state of Michigan. This one must irritate a large amount of Detroit Red Wings fans. If I were to blindly ask Red Wings fans who the best all-time captain of the Red Wings was, Gordie Howe would be no.1, and Steve Yzerman would be no.2.
So why does Yzerman not crack the top of a list that only encompasses the last 40 years? Well, the teams that he led were indeed powerhouses. The run of dominance that Detroit had in the late 90’s was something to behold and is still remembered fondly by hockey enthusiasts around the globe.
But, with so much talent in the Russian Five, as well as additional Hall of Famers in Brendan Shanahan and Nick Lidstrom, one could argue that there was not much that needed to be done in terms of leadership. Those teams would have been successful without a captain.
Heck, Scotty Bowman could have taken nights off, and it would not have mattered much. It is funny; because of this, I don’t believe I truly understood his leadership abilities until after he retired and started working in front offices around the league. What he has shown the world in terms of his hockey knowledge and team construction has proved to me that Yzerman must have been a great leader while suiting up as a player.
A man does not get an entire rebuild branded as the “Yzerplan” without showing his ability to lead a team and franchise. Yzerman and his Yzerplan come in at no.2 on this countdown.