Crosby Is No Yzerman

In an article for USA Today Jacques Demers compares Sidney Crosby to Steve Yzerman:

    There are a lot of comparisons between the players. Just look at the unselfish play that Crosby made at the end of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals when he passed up an opportunity to score into an open net and gave the puck to Craig Adams instead. He's showing a lot of leadership, as Yzerman did. Both players also have exceptional offensive talent. (USA Today, online, 5.28.09).

I couldn't disagree more.

No, I don't know Stevie Y. I never coached him, nor played alongside him, but I think I have learned enough about him through interviews, watching him play and his retirement speech to say, with full confidence: Crosby couldn't carry Yzerman's jock.

As Mitch Albom once said, (paraphrasing here) Steve Yzerman is the only captain where one capitalizes "The" in front of Captain.

Yzerman was a silent hero. He epitomized grace, selflessness, pure skill, talent and most of all, sportsmanship. Because, yes, anyone can be captain, but one of the qualities that coaches look for besides skill is *sportsmanship* (Pssst, Sidney, look it up.). Watch Yzerman's retirement speech online. Listen to Scotty Bowman, man of few words heap praise on Steve. Yzerman always deflected the shower of praise he was given and rather owed his indebtedness to his coaches, his teammates and the Illitch family for taking him in and giving him a home and trusting in his abilities as a player and a person to be the Red Wings' leader.

"All I did was go out there and play like every one of those players did..." (Steve Yzerman, retirement ceremony, 1.2.07).

The Captain didn't whine, didn't fake dive, and he wasn't a dirty player who gave cheap shots and cross checks to his opponents. Yzerman respected his teammates, the sport of hockey, but most of all, he respected his opponents, something that Crosby fails (failed) to do. (A side note, where was Crosby in the handshake line after the Pens beat the Wings last Friday? Lindstrom [another quiet hero and and excellent captain] stood there at the front of the line waiting for him for what seemed an eternity.

Yzerman was and is the epitome of class. He is a pure gentleman. I have yet to see that in Sidney. Yes, Sidney has skill and talent, but it takes much, much more to be a captain.

The job of a NHL captain is to lead by example. If the example is one that Sidney Crosby* is setting, then the Pens and hockey are in trouble.