31 replies to this topic

[YzerFan19]

Starting this thread a few days early to give a spot for any info should be shared about the Yzerman Night festivities.

One thing mentioned on the FSN broadcast tonight... The game is expected to start around 8:00, so if anyone is skipping it to wait for the game, that's when you would need to wait until.

Awhile ago I predicted that the Wings would probably unveil a new banner style for their retired numbers. If an FSN promo graphic is to be trusted, it looks like that's the case. During a commercial tonight, they showed a banner that looked like this...



As opposed to the ones at http://www.detroitho...ory/retired.php

It could just be a promotional design or it could be the new design, not sure. I like it, though. If it's real, I wonder if the "C" is just for Yzerman or if new banners for Delvecchio, Howe, Lindsay and Abel would include it, as they captained the team at various times as well.

[mievl]

Starting this thread a few days early to give a spot for any info should be shared about the Yzerman Night festivities.

One thing mentioned on the FSN broadcast tonight... The game is expected to start around 8:00, so if anyone is skipping it to wait for the game, that's when you would need to wait until.

Awhile ago I predicted that the Wings would probably unveil a new banner style for their retired numbers. If an FSN promo graphic is to be trusted, it looks like that's the case. During a commercial tonight, they showed a banner that looked like this...



As opposed to the ones at http://www.detroitho...ory/retired.php

It could just be a promotional design or it could be the new design, not sure. I like it, though. If it's real, I wonder if the "C" is just for Yzerman or if new banners for Delvecchio, Howe, Lindsay and Abel would include it, as they captained the team at various times as well.

i just wanted to say hello, im new here. also, i had the wonderful opportunity to meet joe kocur yesterday, and he said that both he and probert will be on the ice for the ceremony. should be awesome!!!!!!!!

[YzerFan19]

That's sweet, I've heard Kocur is a really cool guy, congrats on getting that opportunity.

Glad to hear that he and Probie will be there. The only names I keep hearing are the Hall-of-Famers, wouldn't be right to have no one from the '80s teams there.

[SYfanSD]

Stevie will be in the spotlight on FSN Detroit tomorrow night, don't miss out.

[YzerFan19]

I got confirmation that the current retired number banners will be replaced on Tuesday. No other details yet.

[SYfanSD]

That would make sense, can't imagine having all of them not look alike

[Redwings91]

I would like to welcome mievl to this site . I started new a couple of weeks ago and everybody was really welcoming especially SYfanSD and YzerFan19 . Do you think that they will retire number 19 in future years for the whole league because he was the longest reigning captain and he was a really great hockey player. For anybody who dosent know on MSG they will have a ceremony coverage at 7:00 And the game will kick off at 7:30

[YzerFan19]

No way they retire it league-wide, I don't think we'll ever see that happen again. Of course, I don't think they should have done that with Gretzky. The problem becomes "If Gretzky gets his number retired, how good does the next person have to be to have it retired?" Why isn't Howe's #9 retired everywhere? Or Orr's #4?

It was a PR move, and the NHL doesn't need to do it again so it won't.

What'll be interesting to see is whether or not the retirement of #19 by Team Canada continues. Gretzky called it retired at the 2006 Olympics but everyone else seemed to imply that it just wasn't being worn that year.

[Redwings91]

what does PR mean

[Shade]

If I recall properly, PR= public relations. The new banners look nice, if that graphic that YzerFan19 posted is true. Either way, what do you guys think the game's going to be like this evening?

[YzerFan19]

Yeah, I meant that Gretzky's number being retired was something good for public relations. The NHL could have a big to-do at their All-Star Game and all that.

The game tonight should be interesting, with Anaheim missing so many key players. I won't complain about that, anything that gives them less of a chance of playing spoiler.

[YzerFan19]

Banner update...

The old retired numbers are gone. The Cup banners are split to have a gap in the middle. In front of the gap is a rolled up tarp-like something.

And there's a #19 behind each goal on the ice'

[YzerFan19]

That might be the coolest thing I've ever experienced...

[Stormo]

That might be the coolest thing I've ever experienced...

If not the coolest, then the longest...lol...A very fitting tribute. Classy to the end even apologizing to Ducks for having to wait too long.

[YzerFan19]

Heh, my boss is a Devils fan (her husband is a Wings fan) and she texted me during the ceremony complaining about its length.

I forgot to mention it, but damn cool that Pang could MC.

As far as the game goes... Horrible officiating all over the place, both ways. The pass from Homer on Zs goal was beautiful though.

[klaitinen]

Being a HABS fan but also an Yzerman fan I thought the ceremony was too long but what can you do when your
celebrating perhaps the most classiest player ever to play the game.

You'll be sorely missed Stevie !!

[Redwings91]

Last nights ceremony was freaking amazing and i think that it was perfect. I was reading on another website that people were complaning that the ceremony was too long and that was p*ssing me off. I think that thatwas probably one of the greatest moments in the NHL. It was on Hockey Night in Canada on the weekdays and that has never happened before especially with a non canadian team. It was already said but i think that was classy of yzerman to say thankyou to the DUcks and apologizinging for making them wait. Ia lso think that that was freaking amzing to send him to the world cup aand to give him a 2007 Tahoe. That was definetly the best and is going to be the most memorable and most amazing tribute for the rest of this year. I was also very suprised that they did not announce Sergei federov and Brendan shannahan. (you ALL KNOW THAT I AM A HUGE FEDEROV FAN)

[YzerFan19]

Fedorov and Shanahan weren't there, so they weren't announced. A lot of players who weren't there had video messages played on the scoreboard during stoppages and I was surprised that neither Shanahan nor Fedorov had one. Off the top of my head, there were ones from Gretzky, McCarty, Sakic, Lapointe and Iginla. Probably at least one other, can't remember who.

Unrelated... My pictures are posted. I was in a bad spot for the ceremony and couldn't get to ice-level for pregame so I'm not too happy with my selection. There are 29 posted out of the ~170 I took.

Pictures at the Gameday page

Browse them all by thumbnail

And one thing about the length of the ceremony... I was re-watching part of it this morning while stumbling around barely awake and it seemed a lot longer than it did the first time around. Not sure if it was the fact that it was the second time through or that the arena atmosphere made that difference the first time.

[nrmoore]

I don't care how long it was, for what it's worth the ceremony could have lasted another two hours. This guy dedicated his entire life to the Red Wings and to Hockey, what is a few hours to pay our respects to him?

By the way, did you shed any tears at all during the ceremony?

[YzerFan19]

Agreed that it could go on for hours and it wouldn't matter.

There were no tears shed by me but I will admit that I did get choked up a couple times. Was probably helped by the fact that I was taking pictures as best as I could, so I had something to distract me. It probably would have been worse if I had been at home on my couch.