Stevie Wonder

Congrats to Motown legend Steve Yzerman for retiring with the class and dignity that he displayed during his 22 seasons as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Yzerman could have hung on for another season with Detroit, or perhaps another team, but chose to bow out now near the top of his game. Yes, he had been slowed by knee injuries and was pushed to the third line, but Yzerman was still a valuable contributor. It is refreshing (and a bit surprising) to see a player spend his entire lengthy career with the same team.

You can make the case that Yzerman is one the most underrated players in NHL history. He surely has enjoyed noteriety, but he is rarely mentioned when people discuss the greats of the game. A check of the stats shows that clearly he should be, though. 692 goals(I think that's 8th all-time), 1063 assists, 1 Selke trophy, 1 Conn Smythe trophy, an astounding 20 years as Red Wings captain, 10 all-star appearances, and most importantly 3 trips around the rink hoisting the Stanley Cup. An incredible offensive scorer early in his career, Yzerman improved his defensive game (to the detriment of his offensive numbers) and subsequently led the Wings to three championships. He is a by all accounts a team-first guy who never rocked the boat and has been great, giving citizen of Detroit during his stay. All young players in the NHL should look to Stevie Y as an example of the way you should behave on and off the ice.