Ex-Detroit Red Wings GM's advice pushed Pavel Datsyuk to Hockey Hall of Fame

Pavel Datsyuk settled behind the podium in the interview room and smiled. Datsyuk's sense of humor matches his hockey skills, which is saying something considering he was at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday to be feted by the Detroit Red Wings in honor of his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame earlier this month. A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Wings as well as an Olympic and World Championship gold medalist with Russia, Datsyuk was plucked by the Wings in the 1998 draft in the sixth round, at 171st overall. Three summers later, he made his first foray to Detroit for development camp. THE NEXT GENERATION:In a month, Marco Kasper has gone from minors to centering Detroit Red Wings' second line "A good memory I have is Ken Holland bring me and Yuri Butsayev to Joe Louis Arena," Datsyuk said. "Joe Louis Arena is empty, no ice. We are standing, like, second floor. The arena is so big. He tells me, if you practice hard, you can maybe play one day here. This I remember. And actually my season tickets (ended up) being under where we were standing." Datsyuk played for the Wings that fall, and all the way through 2015-16, winning the Cup in 2002 and 2008. His electrifying skills stood out even on the star-loaded 2001-02 team, to the point he played on a line with veteran Brett Hull, who was inducted into the Hall in 2009. "Brett Hull is great player, I learn lots from him," Datsyuk said. "Just throw puck to where he is and he will take care of it. But when I play first year, we have unbelievable team and I can learn everyday from anybody. I can turn left, learn, turn right, learn. Lots of great players and they have patience with me and explain things to me, even though I don’t understand English. This is appreciated." These days, Datsyuk, 46, enjoys being a developmental coach with his old team in Yekaterinburg, Russia, for 16- to 20-year olds. When they ask him about the NHL, Datsyuk said he tells them his former teammates in Detroit, "are good players, professional, not only on ice but off ice. "Also tell them to enjoy every moment. You never know what’s going to happen." Datsyuk called his time with the Wings, "awesome. I had a good 14 years, good memory." Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.