birth of a dynasty
“Our team got better as the year went on,” said former defenseman Brad McCrimmon, who is in his second year as Wings assistant coach. “We were able to scratch our way into the playoffs. And actually, we had them down, we just couldn’t finish them off and they came back on us.” Yzerman, just 25-years-old at the time and already in his eighth NHL season, was beset by trade talks after the Wings missed the 1990 playoffs. Change was necessary, but in the end it was coach Jacques Demers who was given a pink slip. “It’s not as much fun to have personal success if your team’s not being successful,” McCrimmon said of Yzerman. 10
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That was when Yzerman truly began to evolve into the leader the Wings needed to make a push for the postseason. Despite being such a young captain, he knew he had a responsibility to turn his team’s luck around. “He understands the role of the captaincy,” former goalie Tim Cheveldae said. “He knew he was going to come back and do everything possible to right the ship and get the team back in the playoffs, and he did that, and that’s why he’s been one of the greatest hockey players in the NHL.” The team had plenty of offensive talent in forwards Sergei Fedorov, Jimmy Carson and Shawn Burr, but in order to make a return to the postseason, things had to be settled defensively. First-year