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Red Wings Say Goodbye to No. 19

No. 19, Steve Yzerman from Detroit Red Wings, has decided to finish his career and retire on January 2. The player, who led the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups, is one of the most known athletes in Michigan. Yzerman, now 41-years-old, has played each one of his 22 seasons for the Red Wings in Detroit ? 20 of which as captain.

Yzerman highly recognized No. 19 jersey would be kept in Joe Louis Arean surrounded by an adequate crowd: Gordie Howe`s No. 9, Terry Sawchuk`s No. 1, Ted Lindsay`s No. 7, Alex Delvecchio`s No. 10, and Sid Abel`s No. 12. Red Wings` vice president, Jim Devellano, had this to say: "For a long time, there was no doubt in ownership`s mind that Steve Yzerman would play his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings and that his sweater would fittingly go up into the rafters along with the other all-time greatest Red Wing players."

The Red Wings` Stanley Cup wins from 1997, 1998, and 2002 are all thanks to Yzerman. The player was honored the All-star title for 10 times during his time at Detroit and accumulated 1,755 regular-season points. Yzerman first made captain at the age of 21.