Yzerman was a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. Arguably one of the best and classiest to ever play the game, he led the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002).

He won the Lester B. Pearson Award in 1989, the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1998, the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward in 2000, and the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perserverance in 2003. Yzerman was named captain of the Wings before the 1986-87 season at the age of 21, and to date has been captain of his team longer than any other player in NHL history.

Yzerman was also named to the league First All-Star Team in 2000, and has played in nine All-Star games. In 2006 he retired from hockey and three years later in 2009, he was elected to the Hall of Fame.  In the same year it was announced that Yzerman would be the Executive Director for the Canadian Men's National Team in the 2010 Winter Olympics.