For one night in Detroit, everyone was Steve Yzerman. Dave Sandford/Getty Images
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Pang then introduced several former Wings who played with and coached Yzerman, starting with the only captain he ever played under -- ready, trivia buffs -- Danny Gare. Then followed Kevin Hodson, Mike Vernon, Larry Murphy, Steve Duchesne, Bob Probert, Vladimir Konstantinov (using a walker rather than a wheelchair), Joe Kocur, Brent Gilchrist, Brett Hull, Igor Larionov and coaches Jacques Demers, Barry Smith, Dave Lewis and Scotty Bowman.


The present Wings then skated onto the ice, each wearing one of four No. 19 Yzerman jerseys from teams he represented: the Peterborough Petes -- his junior team in Ontario; the Campbell Conference he represented in 10 All-Star games before the divisions became geographic directionals; and Team Canada, which he led to an Olympic gold medal in 2002; and the Red Wings.

To the tune of Tina Turner's Simply the Best, a video montage followed, including photos of an infant in a crib (just a tad younger than he seemed on draft day), a scene of Yzerman shoving future teammate Chelios when the scrappy blueliner played in Chicago; a picture of Yzerman handing the Stanley Cup to a chair-bound Konstantinov; the captain sharing the Cup with David Letterman, Regis Philbin, Bill Clinton and ordinary placard-waving fans along a Michigan parade route. "Yzerman for President" one sign read.

The fans reserved their loudest cheers for a highlight reel of memorable goals: the sprawling sideways no-look flip for No. 400; the bank shot for No. 600; the arcing flip shot straight over backpedaling and befuddled All-Star Kevin Lowe; the overtime backbreaker against Curtis Joseph and the Blues.

Several speakers praised Yzerman's contributions and leadership. "So many potential day-to-day problems never got to my doorstep because of Steve Yzerman," said Bowman. "And no player I ever coached could play with his pain threshold."

Current captain Nick Lidstrom presented Yzerman, a soccer aficionado, with a trip to Vienna, Austria to see the European Cup final next year. Devellano read off several of the trophies that Yzerman and the Wings won, as spotlights around the ice highlighted each. Owner Mike Ilitch recalled a three-hour heart-to-heart at his home with a young Yzerman as his family's guest.

"He was one of the most mature young men we've ever met," Ilitch said, "not just as an athlete, but as a human being. . . He walked the walk and avoided the talk. He led without arrogance or self-indulgence. Steve is the role model all other athletes should strive to be."

When Yzerman took his turn to speak, he did so without prompting or notes and often choked as he fought his words. He paid heartfelt tributes to his wife, Lisa ("my best friend and part-time psychologist") and three daughters; to Bowman; to the other five Wings with retired jerseys ("the way we can thank them is to play the way they did and to respect the logo the way they did"), to management and fans, teammates such as Probert and Gare who never got to carry the Cup with him; and those who did. He even thanked the Anaheim Ducks for their patience in waiting out the hour-long ceremony.

"Steve never liked taking a lot of credit for himself," Bowman said later. "He was so responsible in the dressing room, it was like having another coach."

Hull, who enjoyed his own retirement ceremony in St. Louis earlier this season, recalled his teammate fondly. "He's not only the heart and soul of the Red Wings," Hull said, "he's the heart and soul of the NHL. I was friends with Wayne Gretzky when I came to Detroit and I didn't know there was someone else in the game who could conduct himself with such class."

By video, Shanahan, now a New York Ranger, added, "Our kids and our kids' kids will be talking about Steve Yzerman the way we tossed around names like Gordie Howe and Rocket Richard."

Wisps really can become giants.