Release from 28.04.2023

Steve Yzerman: "You can make it to the NHL from everywhere"

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On Thursday, some representatives of the win2day ICE Hockey League were invited by the title sponsor to the international game between Austria and the Czech Republic in Vienna. Among the visitors at the STEFFL Arena were two NHL legends, Steve Yzerman and Kris Draper.

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Steve Yzerman and Kris Draper belong to the all-time greats of hockey, together they won the Stanley Cup three times with Detroit (1997, 1998, 2002). Draper also lifted the world's most important hockey trophy for a fourth time in 2008 - the Red Wings' last title win to date. While Yzerman currently serves as general manager of the Michigan based team, Draper is responsible for scouting. Both are currently attending the U18 World Championship in Switzerland (Basel and Ajoie). In the course of their stay in Europe, they also travelled to Vienna on Thursday to watch the international game between Austria and the Czech Republic.

From the ICE to the NHL
With Libor Sulak, a player from the win2day ICE Hockey League made the jump to the Detroit organization a few years ago. The Czech played two seasons with Znojmo, with whom he was even runner-up in 2016. The defenseman's strong performances sparked international interest and Sulak moved to the Lahti Pelicans in Finland in the summer of 2017. That campaign, he already made his debut with the Red Wings farm team Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. And just a year and a half after his last ICE game for Znojmo, the Czech made his NHL debut on October 4, 2018. In total, Sulak played six games in the world's best hockey league. "Scouts in Europe follow all leagues very closely, you can make it to the NHL from everywhere. Last year, the number one and two picks in the draft came from Slovakia. It's important to have a good youth program, the sport of hockey is growing all over the world," explained the 57-year-old Yzerman during his stay in Vienna.

Yzerman earned the nickname "The Captain" through his 20-year tenure as team captain in Detroit - the longest in NHL history - and was always regarded as a leader. "You can learn anything. You learn through experience to be a better leader. You learn through playing with guys who are leaders in your team and as you get older you mature and all the experience make you a better leader."


Dieter Kalt and Linz coach Phil Lukas talking to the guests from Detroit.

Kasper made the jump to the Red Wings
Marco Kasper, who was in the KAC junior program and also played in the ICE junior leagues, made his NHL debut in early April in a Detroit Red Wings jersey. The 18-year-old center thus became the ninth and by far the youngest Austrian ever to play in the world's best hockey league. However, in the first game against Toronto, the Klagenfurt native suffered a broken kneecap, which meant an early end to the season. "Over the last couple of years Marco really developed well. We want to give him the chance for the next step. As an organsiation we want to be patient with our prospets," Draper expressed satisfaction.

For the now 51-year-old it was a return to Vienna on Thursday, where he lost with Canada to the Czech selection in the 2005 World Cup final - the current Capitals head coach Marc Habscheid was coach of team Canada that time. "We played the group stage in Innsbruck and moved to Vienna for the semifinals. It was fantastic, my wife and father came over," Draper recalled. Two years earlier, the former center won the gold medal at the World Championships in Finland.