Lightning/NHL

Yzerman ends his long run

By TIMES WIRES
Published July 4, 2006

DETROIT - Steve Yzerman, the Red Wings' longtime captain who played his entire 22-year career with Detroit, is retiring.

The 41-year-old Yzerman, who was 18 when he joined the Red Wings in 1983, ended months of speculation with Monday's announcement.

"My intention throughout the season was to retire, play one last year," Yzerman said. "I really enjoyed my final season here with the Red Wings. I thought about it a lot, about coming back and playing this season. This is the right decision for me at this time. I really have no doubt about that."

Yzerman led Detroit to three Stanley Cups and playoff appearances in each of the last 15 years of his career. Only Gordie Howe holds as many franchise records. He has been Detroit's captain since 1986, making him the longest-serving captain in league history.

"I look forward to a future in the game of hockey with the Red Wings in some aspect," he said.

A 10-time All-Star, Yzerman was a member of the All-Rookie team in 1984, won the Lester B. Pearson Award honoring the league's outstanding player in 1989, the Conn Smythe Trophy honoring the playoff MVP in 1998 and helped Canada win gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

His 692 goals rank eighth all-time, while he is seventh on the career list with 1,063 assists.

One of Detroit's most popular pro athletes, the soft-spoken player long known simply as "The Captain" is the Red Wings' all-time leader in playoff scoring. He ranks first in assists and second only to Howe in games played, goals and points in the regular season.

Pronger sent to Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Star defenseman Chris Pronger was traded by the Oilers to the Ducks for right wing Joffrey Lupul, defenseman Ladislav Smid and three future draft picks.

Pronger, the 2000 league MVP with St. Louis, led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals last month. They fell just short of a championship, losing Game 7 to the Hurricanes.

After Edmonton's surprising run was over, Pronger asked the team for a trade - citing personal reasons.

Anaheim jumped at the opportunity, sending its first-round pick in the 2007 entry draft, a 2008 second-round pick and a conditional draft pick to the Oilers along with Lupul and Smid.

Pronger had signed a five-year, $31.25-million contract with Edmonton last summer.

BRAWLING: Unrestricted free agent Ryan VandenBussche was charged with assaulting three police officers during a late-night brawl in Turkey Point, Ontario, and was subdued with a Taser gun and pepper spray. He will be held in jail until Thursday. VandenBussche is charged with three counts of assaulting a peace officer. He also is charged with obstructing and/or resisting a peace officer, and making a threat to cause death or bodily harm.

BLUES: Dan Hinote signed with St. Louis after spending his entire career with Colorado. Hinote, a free agent, signed a three-year deal that will pay him $1-million for each season. The 29-year-old right wing will be entering his seventh season and was part of the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup in 2001.

PENGUINS: Defenseman Mark Eaton signed a two-year contract after playing last season with Nashville.

RANGERS: Aaron Ward, a key contributor for the Hurricanes, turned his third Stanley Cup title into a two-year, $5.5-million deal with New York.

Sabres: Veteran defenseman Teppo Numminen agreed to a one-year contract. A 17-year veteran, Numminen received a raise over the $2 million he made last season, when he joined the Sabres as a free agent.

SENATORS: Restricted free-agent forward Jason Spezza was re-signed to a two-year contract worth $9-million.

SHARKS: Mike Grier agreed to a three-year, $5.3-million contract. The deal will pay Grier $1,775,000 a year, a boost over the $1.36-million he made with Buffalo last season before becoming an unrestricted free agent Saturday. The team also signed forward Curtis Brown.

Thrashers: Unrestricted free-agent centers Steve Rucchin and Glen Metropolit were signed.

[Last modified July 4, 2006, 06:21:15]