Pavel Datsyuk: Red Wings Rookie Season Felt Like Arriving On A "Crazy Planet"

Yahoo

8 hours ago

It's hard to believe nowadays that the legendary 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings roster featured an astounding 10 future Hall of Fame players, a feat that we'll likely never witness again in the modern NHL.
Oh, and they were also coached by Scotty Bowman, arguably the greatest head coach in professional sports. That team was nothing short of a juggernaut, and they capped the campaign by winning the 10th Stanley Cup in Red Wings history.
There likely weren't many who would have expected young rookie forward Pavel Datsyuk, a fresh-faced rookie who didn't yet speak English, would not only soon be paired on a line with Brett Hull but would eventually have his own Hall of Fame career in Detroit.
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While stepping into a dressing room filled with some of the sport's most iconic names might have been intimidating for a first-time NHL player, Datsyuk never showed it outwardly.
Datsyuk's entrance into a brand new culture was partially aided by the presence of Russian veterans Igor Larionov and Sergei Fedorov, whom he was able to communicate with in his native tongue as he adjusted to life in North America.
Datsyuk recently appeared on Larionov's podcast, 'PARI with Larionov', and spoke about his feelings all those years ago on earning a roster spot with the Red Wings in the fall of 2001.
"I got to some crazy planet, where another world opened up to me, the hockey world," Datsyuk said. "I could attend a training session, where every training session was like a lesson for me. One day I could watch one player, another day another."
"It was such a wonderful time," he continued. "I remember it like this, like it happened to me in one day. How I ended up in Detroit and the whole time it was like I didn't close my mouth."
Datsyuk quickly became a permanent fixture on the Red Wings and soon earned recognition as one of the most gifted and dynamic players in modern NHL history. He was praised as much for his offensive brilliance as for his defensive play, winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward in three straight seasons.
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024, Datsyuk became the 10th player from the 2001-02 Red Wings roster to be forever enshrined in Toronto.
"I ended up with NHL stars on a team where I could learn, I ended up with the guys we were watching," he said. "Yes, I was a little shy talking to them, but I was there the whole time, watching, listening, getting advice."
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