Datsyuk becomes latest Red Wings player elected into Hockey Hall of Fame

When Pavel Datsyuk arrived in the NHL in 2001-02, he joined the Detroit Red Wings, a team with a Hall of Fame coach and what was thought to be nine potential Hall of Fame players.

Turns out, Datsyuk made it 10.

The center was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday and will be inducted as part of the Class of 2024 on Nov. 11.

He will join coach Scotty Bowman (inducted in 1991) and former 2001-02 Red Wings teammates Chris Chelios (2013), Sergei Fedorov (2015), Dominik Hasek (2014), Brett Hull (2009), Igor Larionov (2008), Nicklas Lidstrom (2015), Luc Robitaille (2009), Brendan Shanahan (2013) and Steve Yzerman (2009), plus executives Jim Devellano (2010) and Ken Holland (2020).

“Of course, I’m pumped,” Datsyuk said.

No one knew what to expect from Datsyuk as a rookie. He was a 23-year-old from Russia who spoke little English and had been selected in the sixth round (No. 171) of the 1998 NHL Draft. But soon he was on a line with Hull.

“It’s a good memory,” Datsyuk said.

He said in the locker room he didn’t know to whom to turn first. He just looked around. But the good people around him talked to him and helped him, making him better on and off the ice.

“Always nice to me,” he said.

Datsyuk ended up playing 14 seasons in Detroit, winning the Stanley Cup in 2002 and 2008. He became one of the best two-way players in the NHL.

Known as the Magic Man, he had now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t moves and produced 918 points (314 goals, 604 points) in 953 games. Three times, he won the Selke Trophy, voted as the NHL’s best defensive forward. Four times, he won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and playing ability.

“Playing against Pavel Datsyuk was probably one of the most frustrating things for any player, whether it was a forward, defenseman or goaltender,” said Jeremy Roenick, a fellow member of the Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2024 and former forward who played against him from 2001-09. “Not many people have the brains, the talent, the creativity of a Pavel Datsyuk. You look like you can catch him, and the next thing you know, you’re embarrassed watching him go right past you.

“Detroit has a lot of those guys, but Pavel kept an amazing, a really amazing, tradition in Detroit of great hockey players alive, so it’s pretty cool to be going in with one of my idols too in Pavel.”

Shea Weber, a fellow member of the Hall's 2024 class and former defenseman, entered the NHL with the Nashville Predators in 2005-06, when they were in the Central Division with the Red Wings.

What was it like to defend Datsyuk?

“It wasn’t fun, to be honest,” Weber said with a laugh. “Especially as a young guy coming into in the League and a defenseman trying to earn your way.

“He’s one of the hardest guys. His puck protection. His takeaways, stripping you going back up the ice. Not to mention, you obviously want to make a physical presence known on a guy like that, but his reverse hits and the way he protected the puck and found the open ice was obviously a talent and trait that he had a lot of.”

Datsyuk played in the Olympics five times, winning gold in PyeongChang in 2018. He also played professionally in Russia from 1996-2001, in 2004-05, for part of the 2012-13 season and from 2016-21.

“I’m lucky boy,” he said. “I’m happy.”