A Letter to a Friend

Thank you Steve,

Thank you for 22 great years. For 20 seasons with the C on your chest and for always living up to what it meant to be The Captain. You are one of the big reasons I have a life long love affair with the game of Hockey. Without you, I fear I might be one of those narrow-minded fools who bag on hockey and will never get the chance to enjoy this great game. You always carried yourself with a element of class and dignity that I will never forget. It was never about you, it was always about the team and the game. You raised Hockeytown from the ashes, brought the cup back 3 times, restored pride to a entire city and never once took credit for it. Always deferring to your teammates and simply stating that you were just doing your job.

Thank you for being my hero growing up and letting me as an adult relive my childhood through you. For never making me regret choosing you as my guy. I named my first dog after you, and more importantly my first son after you as well. And I'm not talking about Steve either. There's a little three year old running around La Center, WA right now with the name Yzerman and it will be his for life. Someday soon he will realize that his name is different from every Dan, Travis, and Steve in his class. Then he will ask me about the origin of his unique moniker and I will sit him down and tell him about you. And this is where my biggest thanks is owed. Thank you for making this conversation an easy one. Thank you for not being pulled over at 3 AM, drunk with a loaded gun. For never holding out for more money, or running a teammate out of town because you didn't get along with him. For never demanding a trade during the bad years or hogging the spotlight during the good ones. For never being caught with a prostitute during the Stanley Cup playoffs. For never making a embarrassment out of yourself. For allowing me to talk to my son about my hero with pride and pass that love on to him, that hopefully he will be as proud of his name as I am.

As I grow older, I look back at the sports world I grew up with and realize that I will never look at it as I did when I was a child. There was a purity to it back then that doesn't exist today. I'm sure the change is equal parts me and the ever evolving sports world. I know I can never go back to the good old days. But I can always remember #19, the cups, the class, the man. Even during your news conference to announce your retirement you had IT. And someday when I watch the highlights with young Yzerman Scukanec and tell him the stories I will go back to those good old days and share them with my son. For that Steve, I don't have the words. So just one last time, thanks for the memories.

Best Regards
Jason and Yzerman Scukanec
Fans for life