Red Wings to retire Yzerman's No. 19

DETROIT -- Steve Yzerman, who led the Detroit Red Wings to three Stanley Cups, will have his No. 19 jersey retired Jan. 2.

Yzerman, 41, retired in July after playing each of his 22 seasons in Detroit -- 20 as captain -- where he became one of the most famed athletes in Michigan history and one of the NHL's all-time greats.

His jersey will be hoisted in Joe Louis Arena to hang among Gordie Howe's No. 9, Terry Sawchuk's No. 1, Ted Lindsay's No. 7, Alex Delvecchio's No. 10 and Sid Abel's No. 12.

"For a long time, there was no doubt in ownership's mind that Steve Yzerman would play his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings and that his sweater would fittingly go up into the rafters along with the other all-time greatest Red Wing players," senior vice president Jim Devellano said Wednesday.

The Red Wings will honor The Captain before playing Anaheim.

Yzerman helped Detroit win Stanley Cups in 1997, '98 and 2002. He made 20 postseason appearances and he ranks eighth all-time in the NHL with 185 playoff points. The 10-time All-Star led all active players last season with 1,755 regular-season points, a total that trails only five others in NHL history. He was regarded as one of the best two-way players in his prime.

He became captain as a 21-year-old player in 1986 and two decades later became the longest-serving captain in league history. A native of Cranbrook, British Columbia, he led the Canadian team to a gold medal in 2002.