Editing Steve Yzerman (section)

===Rise to stardom (1986–1996)===
Following the departure of Red Wings captain [[Danny Gare]] during the [[1985–86 NHL season|1985–86 season]], Red Wings head coach [[Jacques Demers]] named Yzerman captain of the team on October 7, 1986, making him the youngest captain in the team's history.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Captain: Steve Yzerman: 22 Seasons, 3 Cups, 1 Team |author=Detroit Free Press |publisher=Triumph Books |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-57243-935-1 |page=25 |chapter=Captain, My Captain |quote=Red Wings coach Jacques Demers named Steve Yzerman team captain on October 7, 1986.}}</ref> Demers said he "wanted a guy with the Red Wings crest tattooed on his chest".<ref>{{cite web |title=Wings of Legend: Steve Yzerman |url=http://www.detroitredwings.com/history/wol/wol-steveyzerman.jsp |website=NHL.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060812064817/http://www.detroitredwings.com/history/wol/wol-steveyzerman.jsp |archive-date=August 12, 2006 |access-date=May 9, 2020}}</ref> During [[1987–88 NHL season|the next season]], Yzerman scored his then-career high 50th goal against the [[Buffalo Sabres]] on March 1, 1988. However, during the same game, Yzerman suffered a knee injury which caused him to miss the rest of the regular season.<ref name=Fachet/><ref>{{cite web |first=Ansar |last=Khan |title=On eve of Hall of Fame induction, former Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman looks back |url=https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2009/11/on_eve_of_hall_of_fame_inducti.html |website=MLive |date=November 8, 2009 |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> Despite his absence, the Red Wings would win their first division title in 23 years.<ref>{{cite web |first=Dam |last=Rosen |title=When Yzerman bought in, overall success followed |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/when-yzerman-bought-in-overall-success-followed/c-504907 |website=NHL.com |date=November 5, 2009 |access-date=May 9, 2020}}</ref>

During the [[1988–89 NHL season|1988–89 season]], Yzerman recorded 155 points (65 goals and 90 assists), finishing third in regular season scoring behind [[Mario Lemieux]] and [[Wayne Gretzky]]. He won the [[Lester B. Pearson Award]], the MVP as voted by the [[National Hockey League Players' Association]], and was a finalist for the [[Hart Memorial Trophy]], the MVP as voted by the NHL writers.<ref name=Spotlight/>

When [[Scotty Bowman]] took over as head coach in [[1993–94 NHL season|1993]], Yzerman initially chafed under Bowman's stern coaching style. Bowman, for his part, felt that Yzerman was not concentrating enough on defence; Bowman had long expected his forwards to be good back-checkers as well. Relations between the two became so strained that at one point, the Red Wings seriously considered trading him to the [[Ottawa Senators]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Sean |last=McIndoe |title=Celebrating the NHL Trades That Weren't |url=https://grantland.com/the-triangle/nhl-trades-didnt-happen/ |website=Grantland |date=February 17, 2015 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref> However, Yzerman gradually became a better defender and was considered one of the best two-way forwards in the history of the game.<ref name=Spotlight/>

In [[1994–95 NHL season|1995]], Yzerman led Detroit to its first appearance in the [[Stanley Cup Finals]] since [[1965–66 NHL season|1966]], but the Red Wings were swept by the [[New Jersey Devils]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Red Wings Win Series, Reach the Final Step |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-06-12-sp-12239-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |date=June 12, 1995 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Alex |last=Yannis |title=New Jersey and the Cup - Perfect Together |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/25/sports/1995-stanley-cup-finals-new-jersey-and-the-cup-perfect-together.html |website=The New York Times |date=June 25, 1995 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref> The next season saw Detroit finish with a then NHL-record 62 regular season wins and were heavily favoured to win the Stanley Cup.<ref name="1995-96">{{cite web |first=John |last=Matisz |title=Almost Famous: 1995-96 Red Wings weren't quite ready for prime time |url=https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1968321 |website=theScore |date=April 7, 2020 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref> Yzerman scored perhaps the most memorable goal of his career in the [[1996 Stanley Cup playoffs|1996 playoffs]], stealing the puck from Wayne Gretzky and beating [[St. Louis Blues]] goaltender [[Jon Casey]] with a slap shot from the blue line to win the Western Conference Semifinals in double overtime of Game 7.<ref>{{YouTube|NAOYjVxP2wc|Steve Yzerman scores in 2nd OT!}}</ref> However, the Red Wings fell short of their ultimate goal, losing in six games to the [[Colorado Avalanche]] in the Western Conference Finals.<ref name="1995-96"/>