Think about it: In and around 10 percent of NHL followers are Detroit Red Wings' fans and Yzerman is the opponent in 29 NHL buildings, yet in his 18-year career you've never heard anyone say a negative thing about him.

What's not to like? He plays hard, beats your team, tell the sports writers it's hard to beat your team, then goes down the road and does it in the next town. His team is the runaway leader in the NHL this season.

The longest-serving team captain in NHL history plays the game with skill and commitment, has never generated a negative headline and brings credit to his team, his family and himself.

Team Canada

2002 Olympics coverage 2/18: Canada 3, Czech 3 2/17: Canada 3, Germany 2 2/15: Sweden 5, Canada 2 Lemieux comes to Canada's aid It's Canada vs. the world Olympics a family affair for Brodeur Team Canada full roster 2002 Olympics Chat

Yzerman, 36, is the third-leading active NHL player in total points and assists and he's fourth in goals. With only Mark Messier, 41, and Ron Francis, 38, ahead of him in assists and points, there's a likelihood he could soon play a couple seasons as the NHL's leading active scorer. It would be a tremendous accomplishment, but when he was asked what it would mean to him, he answered in classic Yzerman fashion.

"Honestly, not a whole lot really," he replied. "It's not something that I've thought about, something I definitely wasn't aware of till you brought it up. It's just not important to me right now."

What is important to Yzerman, a native of Cranbrook, British Columbia, is helping Canada win a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, then returning to Detroit to help the Red Wings win their third Stanley Cup in six years.

Championships are as important to Yzerman as teamwork. Goals and assists are nice -- if they help win a championship. He spent too many years in Detroit racking up points only to hang up his skates in April. He's not going to be blinded by things that don't matter.

Yzerman said all the right things when asked if he'd be happy with a silver or a bronze medal, but it's clear he wants gold for himself and his fellow Canadians.

"Yeah, it would be nice to get a medal, but the only one we want is gold. Finishing first is what it's about." - Steve Yzerman

"Having any Olympic medal would be great," he said. "But we've played in team sports, a lot of individual sports, it's all about -- it's about there's a winner and everybody else. There isn't necessarily an award for second place or an award for third place. We've always been brought up that there's a champion and then there's everybody else.

"It's not about placing, or putting in a good showing, although in Nagano I think we put in a great showing. We played well. Our team did a lot of good things, represented the country well, the Canadian Olympic team real well, but it was a disappointment because we didn't win the gold medal.

"Yeah, it would be nice to get a medal, but the only one we want is gold. Finishing first is what it's about. That's the way we've played ever since we started. It's about winning a championship. You're successful when you win a championship. Second and third have always been irrelevant. We won the silver medal in '95 in the Stanley Cup finals. That didn't go very far, you know. It's kind of the same approach here in the Olympics. It's all about winning the gold. There is only one successful team."

Championships are won by teams with champion-caliber players. Team Canada should be in good shape with a man like Yzerman on the squad.