Steve Yzerman- as this picture shows him with Mike Ilitch on draft day 1983 at the start of a great career.  Yzerman's hockey hero, Bryan Trottier was winning cups in New York with the Islanders. It is like yesterday that I was watching the Detroit Red Wings play better from the first moment Steve Yzerman began playing at the Joe.  It has been 23 years and Steve Yzerman can still work the face off and set up his wings with passes that are put in the basket.  Now May 2, 2006 afer being eliminated from the playoffs for the third consecutive time what does the Captain do?

Late June-- is the time that Yzerman originally said in a interview that he would let the public know of his decision to continue his career with the Red Wings or if his decision is to retire and spend time with his family.  With the early elimination it may come sooner. The press confrence telling the hockey community about what his plans are.  The Red Wings lost last night 4-3 in Edmonton. Does that signal the loss of the Captain to?

Steve Yzerman- is a player who loves the game, loves the atmosphere of Detroit (Hockeytown), and those equal a long career for a player in one place.  Yzerman has had fun and had bittersweet times wearing the Winged Wheel.  Last night was one of those times that I put down the remote control and felt like I lost with the Captain.  Walking the tunnel to the locker room and knowing that another opportunity to lift the Cup was not going to be his to lift in June is bitter.  Reporters ask, "What's next?"       

Detroit Red Wings fans- will wait his decision and all of Detroit will hang in there with the Captain, our Captain of sports in Detroit.  Detroit Red Wings fans hope that he will come back to battle to win faceoffs for one more year at center ice of the Joe Louis Arena.  That he and his family will enjoy the end of his career if that should be his decision.  Really we wait and aniticipate the descision of Steve Yzerman amidst our speculation of what the Captain will do.  All of us want him to continue playing and realize that could quite possibly not happen for the first time in 23 years.  The Joe Louis will have number 19 in the rafters and the fans will continue to throw an octopus for the ice crew to clean up.  Whathever our Captain decides his career will always live on and hockey will still be played.