I was working at a medical device tradeshow in Las Vegas the late mid-2000s shooting the breeze with another guy who was also from Michigan and we starting talking about the Wings and I said that Datsyuk was my favorite player and he told me he was friends with the Reebok rep that worked with Datsyuk and I called BS on him. So he called the guy and put me on the phone with the rep who said he was in the locker room with Pavel right then. I still thought it was a prank. The rep asked me if I wanted a stick, I said "Sure, make sure it says to Mac from Pavel". weeks later the stick showed up at my office and it's still a prized possession.
I got this guy’s autograph when I was 11 years old. I saw him in the middle of the ice at Joe Louis Arena during the Red Wings' 2011 Hockey Fest event and my dad shoved my 11-year-old butt through security until I was close by to walk up to him close by and have him sign my fake knockoff Red Wings jersey-one my family bought me this fake jersey because we were poor. (We were gifted access to this event through other family.) I remember asking: Me: “Mr. Datsyuk, can you please sign my jersey for me?” Datsyuk: (in a very Russian accent) “yes ,sure” Immediately after, security rushed in and escorted him away-apparently, he wasn’t supposed to be signing autographs. I was the only one who got an autograph that day, even though my jersey was fake. That memory was the coolest moment of my young life at the time. I’m now 24 years old and still have that jersey in my closet. Only recently I've started my finance career, but that day still makes me feel like a young hockey fan all over again. Thanks, Datsyuk. Sincerely, Me and my family from St. Louis & Michigan
Pavel was impossible to get access to, congrats on that. As a kid I was always going to practices trying to get autographs. I’ve been face to face with everyone, even Scotty Bowman, but never Pavel. I had to pay for his signature lol.
I have lots of respect for people who grew up like I did! If you're A TRUE RED WINGS FAN, there's no such thing as a FAKE or KNOCKOFF Jersey... I remember in the 1980's when Dan Marino was leading Miami. I asked my Grandma to get me a Dolphins FOOTBALL JERSEY with the #13 on it. She bought me a Dolphins T-shirt and then used Iron-on Numbers that were fuzzy....smh Kids teased me about my shirt. I didn't give a shit...lol I've seen fans bring the most hideous looking Homemade Stanley Cup Trophies to games, but you know what? Just like Datsyuk being called the MAGIC MAN, their Homemade Stanley Cups were Magical because they believed in their teams and their favorite players... I'm glad you still have your Jersey! Its memorabilia and lasting memories for you and you alone!
that is simply amazing ... what a moment to meet such an incredible talent .. Historic for you ::) I havve McDavids autograph in my garage of all places ...... we got it during an event with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League .. Everyone knew then Connor was the 'next one ' All great moments :)
I remember watching one particular play in which Pavel dangled the puck for over 10 seconds (a lifetime in the fast paced game of hockey) while the other team was on a power play and he was in THEIR end of the ice when he did it. It was just absolutely jaw dropping.
@Khaymen223 Все эти парни-СОВЕТСКИЕ!Они родились и воспитывались Советскими тренерами!Советская школа!!!!Российская и Северо -Американская давно уже стали похожи друг на друга!СОВЕТСКАЯ ШКОЛА В КОРНЕ ОТЛИЧАЛАСЬ ОТ западной!
As a lifelong Pens fan, Pavel was still one of my favorite players. You cannot be a fan of hockey and not love watching him play. It was like a painting or ballet. True art. He was a menace all 200 feet, every shift.
As a life long hockey player and fan in Vancouver who grew up watching Bobby Orr, Pavel remains my favourite all time player to have watched. By Pavel’s second season, I would always make sure to watch the local nightly sports show SportsPage in Vancouver to check out all the latest Datsyuk highlights. He did not disappoint. Pavel was special because he did on the regular what no other player did - which is show me some brilliant flash of skill and creativity I hadn’t seen before. That is really rare, and hard to do in the NHL. Other players could be stronger, faster, tougher, and yet powerless to prevent being robbed of the puck , and undressed by this skinny Russian. Goalies never knew what Pavel might do . His creativity, skill , and hockey IQ was a once in a lifetime experience for a fan like me to behold.
I'm 62 and a life long Red Wings fan. We've been blessed with so many great players, but Pavel has to be the most fun to watch play. You never knew what you were going to see. He could turn the routine into magic in a split second and often did. One of all-time favorite players.
In 1999, I enrolled in a university in Yekaterinburg, and I immediately started going to matches of Dynamo-Energy where a very young Datsyuk was playing. Just a couple of years later, in 2002, he brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Yekaterinburg, and i was about to finish study :)
Детройт одна из самых русских команд, и за неё болеет огромное количество русских. Спасибо Scotty Bowman за идею русской пятёрки и любовь к талантам из России! Дацюк - один из умнейших игроков в истории хоккея.
Стоит отметить, что после драфта Дацюк (в 19 лет) получил серьёзную травму колена, которая могла поставить под угрозу всю её карьеру, думаю это было основной причиной, почему он три года не приезжал в НХЛ. Сначала была неудачная операция, после которой всё стало ещё хуже. Возникал вопрос, а нужен ли такой травмированный игрок кому-нибудь. Дацюк думал заканчивать карьеру, российские команды от него отказывались. Тогда его выкупил клуб Ак Барс, в который как раз перешёл его бывший тренер Крикунов и под свою ответственность перетянул и Дацюка. Клуб оплатил лечение и занялся его реабилитацией. Лучшие клубные медики применяли все возможные способы, чтобы поставить его на ноги, вплоть до привлечения медицинского института, возили его на моря и даже применяли пиявки. Дацюк ходил в палочкой и очень хотел бросить все попытки восстановиться, но его окружили такой заботой и поддержкой, что он поверил, что можно опять встать на ноги. И тогда начал упорно работать, даже врачи не могли его остановить. Он успешно восстановился, опять заиграл в хоккей и вот тогда переехал в НХЛ. Его жизнь была очень насыщена событиями, трудностями, падениями и взлётами. Если бы сняли фильм, он получился бы очень интересным.
That period of european scouting by the wings is legendary. They got so much amazing talent in late rounds. Federov 4th; Datsyuk 6th; Zetterberg 7th; Holmstrom in the 10th; Konstantinov in the 11th. Even Lidstrom was a mid-3rd rounder.
Ask Siri whos is the magic man and Siri literally says Pavel Datsyuk! Man It was a privilege being 1990’s baby and growing up in Michigan! All my whole family cared about is playing hockey and watching the Red wings game. Pavel Datsyuk was godly status at my house. I remember Datsyuk was sick of getting all those Lady Bing awards. So Datsyuk dropped the gloves and had his 1st NHL Career fight against Cory Perry. Man I was terrified he was gonna get injured or something but not surprisingly Datsyuk ragdolled Perry. Having Datsyuk and the Hall of Fame players throughout 1993-2010’s was a blessing to witness!
@jordanblum8143 THAT moment is always the "but he could hit too" memory for me. you could see him setting Shea up. and his playful work on Chara. this is why everytime he had the puck people gave him "respect space". they didn't want to get embarrassed or crunched by a reverse hit or a setup.
I am from Yekaterinburg, the city where Pavel was born, started and ended his career. I saw with my own eyes his last match and how he left the ice alone. It is very sad
Pavel Datsyuk certainly had incredible hockey hands. The Detroit Scout truly found a Diamond in the rough. Im glad Pavel made it to the NHL. Winning two Stanley Cups and multiple awards. An incredible center to watch play. 😅
We have so much in common with Hockey as a Canadian. We just don't invade sovereign countries and try to conquer them. We wouldn't fail at that anyway, like Russia has. I want to like you guys, and I get you live under a dictatorship. Please change, fight back. It'll never happen :(
@SonOfTamrielNo offense friend but Canada as a NATO member invaded: Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya. Without UN permission. Under false pretexts. And all of these are sovereign countries. And your government gives a standing ovation to the Nazis. Keep it up! 😃
Life long Habs fan who thinks that Datsyuk was the best stick handler the NHL has ever seen. He was simply breathtaking to watch when he had the puck. He was fast and graceful with incredible moves and a deadly shot. I watch reruns of him on YT just to watch him play.
Cool video. I met him back in 2008 when I was working at Whole Foods in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He still had bruises on his face from the Finals..got to shake his hand and speak with him for a while. Such a nice guy, I'll never forget it..Barry Sanders, Rasheed Wallace used to shop there too. Good times back then
I remember hearing someone interviewing Ken Holland about how he's such a genius at drafting Zetterberg and Datysuk. I believe his response was something along the lines of, (paraphrases) "We had no idea they would be this good. If we did, we wouldn't have picked them so late".
As a resident of South East Michigan I have had the pleasure of seeing Pavel Datsuk play hockey at the Joe Louis arena. Now imagine if you had the same opportunity 😮
He's a family friend of ours and he's one of the nicest people ever. He's living happily with his really nice wife in Russia. My grandmother is a fairly known religious righter and Pavel is a religious guy so he wanted to meet her when her and my father were in Detroit back in the day. Thats how they became friends
@DK-yc9qo не соглашусь. Но Павел действительно хороший человек и я рад что у него все хорошо. Добрый, скромный и очень талантивый. Всегда приятно когда такие люди добиваются успеха!
9:54 LOL, I am SO glad you put that clip in of that hit lmao. For all his fancy plays and amazing goals, that is maybe my favorite thing Datsyuk ever did on the ice haha
In Russia/ USSR, first thing they teach u is to respect opposition, and avoid checks not to hurt players, or accidentally end their carrier. That's why their style was superb, to N American, where it was only dump, chase, check....
Datsyukian deak, got to watch him live multiple times and for one of the cups and it just never got old, absolutely grateful to have watched him for so many years. Ty Mr.Datsyuk you sir were a joy to watch.
You managed to make a 23 minute video about Datsyuk's career without mentioning Henrik Zetterberg once. I'm impressed. That isn't easy. Thanks for including that footage of Ken Daniels from the 1870s. That mustache needs to be seen by all. Seeing how Zetterberg was picked in the 7th round, you might consider making a complementary video about him.
@j.peters1222 It wasn't a dig at him. Datsyuk and Zetterberg were known as the 'Euro Twins'. It is difficult to talk about one and not mention the other.
8:18 "Two Kids and an Old Goat Line" actually refers to both Devereaux-Datsyuk-Hull and Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Hull, so not his name but his line was mentioned.
Worked in the Detroit area in the early 2000's and became a Red Wing fan. Pavel was an absolute magician. His moves tricked every player that went against him. He added so much to the franchise.
I distinctly remember a game in which Pavel was on a line with Bertuzzi. The Wings were hemmed into their own zone for what felt like forever. Pavel, in the corner helping outman the puck carrier, gains access to the puck. Without even looking over his shoulder back onto the field of play, he immediately fired a backhand saucer out over the middle. The puck landed perfectly on a streaking Todd B's stick at center ice, springing him for a breakaway chance. It was unbelievable. My memory wants to believe Todd scored on that but I honestly don't remember. I was too enamored with how he used the glass like a mirror to backwards land a perfect strike to his teammate from 100ft away.
I believe Bertuzzi did score that goal and there’s a video out there somewhere with a reporter asking him about the goal and Bertuzzi replied “Pavel Datsyuk is the best player I’ve ever played with.” EDIT: I found it. Look up “Pavel Datsyuk When Hockey Becomes Art”. At about the 6:15 mark. Bertuzzi comments not long after.
Growing up in Detroit through the 90s and 2000s was a special time. We were so spoiled to have such massively talented team. It was common to see 6+ point games and 40 minutes or more puck possession of per game. The Red Wings were magical to watch an an absolute machine. I never felt the Red Wings were at a disadvantage, even if a guy was in the box and we were a man down. What a time to be a Red Wings fan.
Fantastic compilation of the most amazing player I have ever seen in my 68 years of playing, coaching and enjoying this heaven sent game. Thank you very much!
I consider myself lucky to have seen Pavel Datsyuk on a west coast trip the Red Wings made back in 2010. To see him in real life is nothing like television. He is so fast, so slippery and clever. Just an amazing talent.
Believe me we appreciated every second of this absolute legend. No one like him before, since, or ever again. I ran into him and Jiri Hudler outside of a bar after the 2008 Stanley Cup Parade in Royal Oak, there was no English spoken we were so drunk, just love. ❤From Detroit
Being able to see him live as many times as I have, is a massive blessing. His brilliance on the ice is unmatched, and easily one of the most entertaining players ive ever seen, in all sports. I remember once back in High School, Franzen, Zetterberg, Lidstrom (the sweedes all decided to live in my hometown) and Datsyuk were all playing tennis on our HS tennis courts. Naturally, like 20 of us kids were GLUED to that fenceline. The marching band director was almost upset with us for being late to practice, but deemed it a justifiable reason xD
As an old school Avalanche fan that grew up during the hay day of the Red Wings/Avalanche fued, I know there's one piece on each side that nobody will dispute on either side. Red Wings fans will admit that Joe Sakic was one of the best and classiest players in NHL history, and Avs fans will admit that Datsyuk was one of the most skilled players to ever play the game. Arguably the best stick handler of all time. Truly a legend with an absolute master class skill level.
I love this man. I have a front page of a local Detroit newspaper, as a poster, the dominant feature being Z lifting the cup after the 08 win, with Datsyuk's signature on it from an event I got to go to. I teasingly asked him to sign next to Z as a joke, and he said "If Hank saw that he'd get me benched." Then he signed it in the only white part that wasn't a jersey, bigger than anyone else ended up signing it. Datsyuk changed scouting forever too. Nobody in the NHL will ever miss a chance to spot a Datsyuk again, though they will still pick them later because of size.
Детройт одна из самых русских команд, и за неё болеет огромное количество русских. Спасибо Scotty Bowman за идею русской пятёрки и любовь к талантам из России! Дацюк - один из умнейших игроков в истории хоккея.
Pavel for sure had a shit ton of achievements in his career but my favorite is what he did in 2010. In a game in October Pavel got his Gordie Howe trick by fighting Corey Perry. Interestingly Pavel only had 4 fights in his career. 2 with Perry and 2 with Scott Niedermayer who was a pretty tough cookie in his day.
Absolutely brilliant video. Excellent research work. This might be the best datsyuk video. I thank hockey gods for giving us Barkov, right about the time Datsyuk moved to play in Russia.
I really like your videos. I'm from Québec and I think it would be really important to make a video about Maurice Richard and hiw he sparks a big mouvement by proving that Québécois can rival with englishman that were ruling all montreal finances. There is a movie that you could check to inspire yourself and pkenty of archive. That would be a banger. I cried in alot of your video, so well done ! I really like your videos. I'm from Québec and I think it would be really important to make a video about Maurice Richard and hiw he sparks a big mouvement by proving that Québécois can rival with englishman that were ruling all montreal finances. There is a movie that you could check to inspire yourself and pkenty of archive. That would be a banger. I cried in alot of your video, so well done ! Thank you so much for your work 🙏 🥅 🏒
A player that only comes along once in a generation. A life long Red Wings fan, I'll never forget the way he thrilled you with moves that seemed completely unreal. And to add one more notch to his legendary belt, this quiet, unassuming gentleman even once had a Gordie Howe hat trick!
Think of how many great players from the depths of the draft. Another one I can think of was Daniel Alfredsson, drafted 133rd in the 6th round and went on to play 18 seasons playing 1246 NHL games and scoring 1157 points, the majority of it with the Ottawa Senators. He was a 6 time NHL all-star, won the Calder, Messier, and Clancy trophies and is currently the assistant coach for the Senators.
I have a Pavel fact that is way lesser known, but he used an incredibly long stick for his height, and it also was weighted, so it was heavier than standard. If you’ve ever played hockey you know how much more impressive his stick handling is if you realize the stick is almost as tall as he is on skates, and it’s heavy.
He would do stick handling drills with barbells. He also NEVER skipped leg day. Dude may look little but he was STRONG. That's how he could box out 4 people at a time.
@_inveterate@smokescreenOG You guys know better than me so I'm not gonna argue (especially since I don't watch hockey or read Russian). Just know that what I said is meant to be a compliment; Rodney Mullen did things in skateboarding that no one else even thought of trying. To me that's what Pavel is like.
I absolutely loved this. As a long time Wings fan, Datsyuk is easily my favorite Red Wing player ever. The footage in here was great, a lot of stuff I've never seen before and I've watched just about all there is to watch on Pavel. Thanks for the awesome video and a trip down memory lane!
The first time I saw Pavel play was in a training camp game from Traverse City that FSD aired in 2001. All I remember from that game was the Russian dude, who made moves on the ice that I never knew were possible.
One of the scariest sights for a goalie when Datsyuk was on the ice was watching your defender skate behind the net while Datsyuk was on his tail. One of the highlights that comes to mind is when he scored on Pekka Rinne after stealing the puck. One of the sickest goals I've ever seen was in the Western Conference finals against the Sharks that went 7 games, 5 or 6 of those games were decided by 1 goal. The announcer on VS said that there wasn't a hockey school on the planet that could teach you to do what Datsyuk had just done. He's easily the BEST player I've ever seen.
I grew up close to Gretzky. I never played with or against him. I did however play with and against his long time backyard neighbor in Jr and highly competitive mens leauges for years following. The question is always ' who is the best player in history " ? The same replies repeated time after time as a tight competition between Gretzky, Orr , Lemieux and then a few others scattered in depending those in the conversation. I often wondered why not Valeri Kharlamov ? As an ardent Bobby Clarke fan throughout childhood and teenage years I always felt Clarke was a part of that conversation but as time offered us ' the Great One " and Magnificent Mario , leaving behind the Howe and Hull eras we have next to never included Pavel Datsyuk in that conversation. . And now we even have McJesus, Sid the Kid and the Great Eight to add to the discussion. There may never be a definitive answer to who the greatest player has ever been , and the newest generations of talent have made a clear choice even more impossible to make but in my estimation , 200 foot game , defence/offense,, faceoffs, backcheck, forecheck, shooting , playmaking , one on one or one on four I have to put Pavel Datsyuk in contention for the BEST PLAYER IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME OF HOCKEY. Others may contend in all of those areas but few are consistently strong . Crosby steps to the fore for me due to his longevity and work ethic , while OV had moments of 'best player ever ' years , he also became more singular in skill set with his massive shot from the off wing . Lemieux " if he had only more time . Mario a big body doing things that nobody else could do . Sure there are moments for all of these players that stand out and simply incredible but for skill , speed, stamina and able to turn a game single handedly - Im going with Pavel . He is a Magic Man
Okay based on your definition 200 ft. Game, def-off, etc. I will throw a name into the mix. ANZE KOPITAR! back check, 200ft Game, etc. Also take McJesus off your list til he gets at least one cup.
Never seen anybody like him. Probably never will. Is definitely one of a kind. They broke the mold after this guy. Special doesn't even begin to describe him. Thank you Magic Man!
You should look into Datsyuk and Zetterberg highlights & chemistry - it was insane. Has to be one of the best duos. Behind the back, from behind the net pass straight to tape
My favorite quote of datsyuk: (microphones close to his face) whoa too close, it’s not ice cream guys
He's known for having dry humor. God I love him.
As a Red Wings fan, I am truly blessed to see Datsyuk in the winged wheel. He was a different breed on the ice.
Can you imagine his goal totals if he was a selfish prick with the puck?
Datsyuk is one of those players that it doesn't matter what team you support, you can't help but watch him play! A genuine legend.
Any time someone asks about "best hockey player" Datsyuk's name is always in the mix
god bless zetterberg :)
@CZStyrон тоже хороший хоккеист, но Павел Волшебник😊
@tropickmani mean, when talking about hockey players from the wings, im taking lidström over datsyuk 10 out of 10 times but i get what youre saying.
He's my favorite non-Bruin of all time, no doubt about it. I loved when Detroit games were on TV.
I was working at a medical device tradeshow in Las Vegas the late mid-2000s shooting the breeze with another guy who was also from Michigan and we starting talking about the Wings and I said that Datsyuk was my favorite player and he told me he was friends with the Reebok rep that worked with Datsyuk and I called BS on him. So he called the guy and put me on the phone with the rep who said he was in the locker room with Pavel right then. I still thought it was a prank. The rep asked me if I wanted a stick, I said "Sure, make sure it says to Mac from Pavel". weeks later the stick showed up at my office and it's still a prized possession.
That’s so freaking awesome!!!! Jealous 😂
Fake stick and signature. They played you gooooooood :D
@007Hutchings That’s a possibility, but he can always take it to an expert to get it authenticated.
@miamivladhe can also choose, and obviously has, to not be cynical.
I am gonna call bullshit on this story.....🤯
The best hockey player I ever saw and I've seen them all since 1970.
I got this guy’s autograph when I was 11 years old. I saw him in the middle of the ice at Joe Louis Arena during the Red Wings' 2011 Hockey Fest event and my dad shoved my 11-year-old butt through security until I was close by to walk up to him close by and have him sign my fake knockoff Red Wings jersey-one my family bought me this fake jersey because we were poor. (We were gifted access to this event through other family.)
I remember asking:
Me: “Mr. Datsyuk, can you please sign my jersey for me?”
Datsyuk: (in a very Russian accent) “yes ,sure”
Immediately after, security rushed in and escorted him away-apparently, he wasn’t supposed to be signing autographs. I was the only one who got an autograph that day, even though my jersey was fake. That memory was the coolest moment of my young life at the time.
I’m now 24 years old and still have that jersey in my closet. Only recently I've started my finance career, but that day still makes me feel like a young hockey fan all over again.
Thanks, Datsyuk.
Sincerely,
Me and my family from St. Louis & Michigan
Pavel was impossible to get access to, congrats on that. As a kid I was always going to practices trying to get autographs. I’ve been face to face with everyone, even Scotty Bowman, but never Pavel. I had to pay for his signature lol.
I have lots of respect for people who grew up like I did! If you're A TRUE RED WINGS FAN, there's no such thing as a FAKE or KNOCKOFF Jersey... I remember in the 1980's when Dan Marino was leading Miami. I asked my Grandma to get me a Dolphins FOOTBALL JERSEY with the #13 on it. She bought me a Dolphins T-shirt and then used Iron-on Numbers that were fuzzy....smh Kids teased me about my shirt. I didn't give a shit...lol
I've seen fans bring the most hideous looking Homemade Stanley Cup Trophies to games, but you know what? Just like Datsyuk being called the MAGIC MAN, their Homemade Stanley Cups were Magical because they believed in their teams and their favorite players... I'm glad you still have your Jersey! Its memorabilia and lasting memories for you and you alone!
Well, that shirt went from fake to classic real fast.
that is simply amazing ... what a moment to meet such an incredible talent .. Historic for you ::)
I havve McDavids autograph in my garage of all places ...... we got it during an event with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League ..
Everyone knew then Connor was the 'next one '
All great moments :)
Frame it, don't keep it in the closet
Never skipped a Datsyuk appreciation video
🙏
This is solid! Rare early footage, deep cuts in the highlights, not the same few clips that get played on repeat.
From the one damn video with the Trap Queen remix lol
Thank you for watching 🙌
Wings fan here. I still remember years ago when you asked "Siri, who is the magic man?" It would respond with Pavel's biography.
so real!
:D
Still pulls up Dats when you type it into Google search hahaha 🤣 heroes get remembered but legends never die.
Про
When you say “when you asked Siri” you actually mean you saw Danny Cleary do it
I remember watching one particular play in which Pavel dangled the puck for over 10 seconds (a lifetime in the fast paced game of hockey) while the other team was on a power play and he was in THEIR end of the ice when he did it. It was just absolutely jaw dropping.
I think Patrick Eaves did the same thing a few years after that. His was more board play, but it was just as amazing.😂
Это Советская концепция хоккея-ДОРОЖИТЬ ШАЙБОЙ.Без шайбы не забьёшь,и не выиграешь.Павел-это именно Советская школа.
I think I remember that live. "He's a magic man, momma, he's got magic hands..."
@евгенийиванов-и2щ8б Without our Russian teammates, our 1990s Detroit team would have never have done what it did. Thank God for them.
@Khaymen223 Все эти парни-СОВЕТСКИЕ!Они родились и воспитывались Советскими тренерами!Советская школа!!!!Российская и Северо -Американская давно уже стали похожи друг на друга!СОВЕТСКАЯ ШКОЛА В КОРНЕ ОТЛИЧАЛАСЬ ОТ западной!
Best stick handler ever.
He could stuck handle in the shower and the puck wouldn't get wet.
There needs to be a pavel award too. He’s earned that honor
As a lifelong Pens fan, Pavel was still one of my favorite players. You cannot be a fan of hockey and not love watching him play. It was like a painting or ballet. True art. He was a menace all 200 feet, every shift.
As a life long hockey player and fan in Vancouver who grew up watching Bobby Orr, Pavel remains my favourite all time player to have watched. By Pavel’s second season, I would always make sure to watch the local nightly sports show SportsPage in Vancouver to check out all the latest Datsyuk highlights. He did not disappoint.
Pavel was special because he did on the regular what no other player did - which is show me some brilliant flash of skill and creativity I hadn’t seen before. That is really rare, and hard to do in the NHL. Other players could be stronger, faster, tougher, and yet powerless to prevent being robbed of the puck , and undressed by this skinny Russian. Goalies never knew what Pavel might do . His creativity, skill , and hockey IQ was a once in a lifetime experience for a fan like me to behold.
Это Советская концепция хоккея-ДОРОЖИТЬ ШАЙБОЙ.Без шайбы не забьёшь,и не выиграешь.Павел-это именно Советская школа.
I'm 62 and a life long Red Wings fan. We've been blessed with so many great players, but Pavel has to be the most fun to watch play. You never knew what you were going to see. He could turn the routine into magic in a split second and often did. One of all-time favorite players.
Those were amazing years
@christineharrison7815 way better then the bum Larkin they have now....won't make the playoffs as long as he is on the team
Idk gordie and Yzerman were pretty fun to watch
@2LEGION2 I agree, I have so many favorite players.
Это Советская концепция хоккея-ДОРОЖИТЬ ШАЙБОЙ.Без шайбы не забьёшь,и не выиграешь.Павел-это именно Советская школа.
In 1999, I enrolled in a university in Yekaterinburg, and I immediately started going to matches of Dynamo-Energy where a very young Datsyuk was playing. Just a couple of years later, in 2002, he brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Yekaterinburg, and i was about to finish study :)
выходит он вундеркинд или просто гений, одарённый Богом человек
My all-time favorite player ever since I was 4. When he retired from the NHL and moved back to Russia, I was absolutely crushed. LGRW
Exactly. I got to see him play against Buffalo. He only scored 2 goals. I think he felt bad for them.
I would never like (or dislike) your comment because now you have 13 likes.
I can write a whole fckn paragraph or more on how special this dude was to us Wings fans. My favorite player ever!
A whole paragraph? Wow
Детройт одна из самых русских команд, и за неё болеет огромное количество русских. Спасибо Scotty Bowman за идею русской пятёрки и любовь к талантам из России! Дацюк - один из умнейших игроков в истории хоккея.
Стоит отметить, что после драфта Дацюк (в 19 лет) получил серьёзную травму колена, которая могла поставить под угрозу всю её карьеру, думаю это было основной причиной, почему он три года не приезжал в НХЛ. Сначала была неудачная операция, после которой всё стало ещё хуже. Возникал вопрос, а нужен ли такой травмированный игрок кому-нибудь. Дацюк думал заканчивать карьеру, российские команды от него отказывались. Тогда его выкупил клуб Ак Барс, в который как раз перешёл его бывший тренер Крикунов и под свою ответственность перетянул и Дацюка. Клуб оплатил лечение и занялся его реабилитацией. Лучшие клубные медики применяли все возможные способы, чтобы поставить его на ноги, вплоть до привлечения медицинского института, возили его на моря и даже применяли пиявки. Дацюк ходил в палочкой и очень хотел бросить все попытки восстановиться, но его окружили такой заботой и поддержкой, что он поверил, что можно опять встать на ноги. И тогда начал упорно работать, даже врачи не могли его остановить. Он успешно восстановился, опять заиграл в хоккей и вот тогда переехал в НХЛ. Его жизнь была очень насыщена событиями, трудностями, падениями и взлётами. Если бы сняли фильм, он получился бы очень интересным.
Thanks for sharing that, very cool information that is pretty much unknown!
Вот это история! 👍
тройка Дацюк Квартальнов и Золотов - 2 ветерана и молодой игрок. Какое было удовольствие смотреть
Не надо, а то главную будет играть Александр Петров
Зеттерберга тоже бы стоило упомянуть
We all miss the Magic man and there's yet to be another like him. Awesome video!
Ну почему же нет? Ведь Бред Маршанд, уже сказал что научился у Дацюка😄
That period of european scouting by the wings is legendary. They got so much amazing talent in late rounds. Federov 4th; Datsyuk 6th; Zetterberg 7th; Holmstrom in the 10th; Konstantinov in the 11th. Even Lidstrom was a mid-3rd rounder.
Yeah crazy scouting!!!
Ask Siri whos is the magic man and Siri literally says Pavel Datsyuk! Man It was a privilege being 1990’s baby and growing up in Michigan! All my whole family cared about is playing hockey and watching the Red wings game. Pavel Datsyuk was godly status at my house. I remember Datsyuk was sick of getting all those Lady Bing awards. So Datsyuk dropped the gloves and had his 1st NHL Career fight against Cory Perry. Man I was terrified he was gonna get injured or something but not surprisingly Datsyuk ragdolled Perry. Having Datsyuk and the Hall of Fame players throughout 1993-2010’s was a blessing to witness!
Это Советская концепция хоккея-ДОРОЖИТЬ ШАЙБОЙ.Без шайбы не забьёшь,и не выиграешь.Павел-это именно Советская школа.
Так это был тот матч, когда Паша сделал хет трик Горди Хоу!) Шикарный матч и шикарный перформанс.
People also forgot how strong he was. Dude kronwalled so many people it was nuts.
And he gave couple of knuckles to Corey fkn Perry.. dude is STRONG!!!
I remember when he baited shae weber into hitting him and knocked him down with a countercheck. Unreal.
@jordanblum8143 THAT moment is always the "but he could hit too" memory for me. you could see him setting Shea up. and his playful work on Chara. this is why everytime he had the puck people gave him "respect space". they didn't want to get embarrassed or crunched by a reverse hit or a setup.
I am from Yekaterinburg, the city where Pavel was born, started and ended his career. I saw with my own eyes his last match and how he left the ice alone. It is very sad
This is exactly why the right scouts are key in any sport. The world could've literally went without witnessing Datsyuk be Datsyuk in the NHL
Pavel Datsyuk certainly had incredible hockey hands. The Detroit Scout truly found a Diamond in the rough. Im glad Pavel made it to the NHL. Winning two Stanley Cups and multiple awards. An incredible center to watch play. 😅
Это Советская концепция хоккея-ДОРОЖИТЬ ШАЙБОЙ.Без шайбы не забьёшь,и не выиграешь.Павел-это именно Советская школа.
Pasha is not a nickname, it is a diminutive of Pavel. Every Pavel in Russia will be called Pasha by his friends.
If u know a woman named Praskovya,be sure, someone's calling he Pasha😂
We have so much in common with Hockey as a Canadian. We just don't invade sovereign countries and try to conquer them. We wouldn't fail at that anyway, like Russia has. I want to like you guys, and I get you live under a dictatorship. Please change, fight back. It'll never happen :(
@SonOfTamrielNo offense friend but Canada as a NATO member invaded: Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya. Without UN permission. Under false pretexts. And all of these are sovereign countries. And your government gives a standing ovation to the Nazis. Keep it up! 😃
@SonOfTamriel in your country in parliament they literally applaud the SS officer, how pathetic these moral lectures look...
@SonOfTamrielwe don’t live under dictatorship. Why do u think so? Cuz your media said so? Come to Russia and you will be surprised.
Life long Habs fan who thinks that Datsyuk was the best stick handler the NHL has ever seen. He was simply breathtaking to watch when he had the puck. He was fast and graceful with incredible moves and a deadly shot. I watch reruns of him on YT just to watch him play.
the ghost you didn't see him until the puck was in the back of the net.
In football Ronaldinho and in hockey Datsuyk, those are two guys that are impossible to hate and super entertaining to watch.
Самые точные слова, которые я слышал. Это два Волшебника.
Cool video. I met him back in 2008 when I was working at Whole Foods in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He still had bruises on his face from the Finals..got to shake his hand and speak with him for a while. Such a nice guy, I'll never forget it..Barry Sanders, Rasheed Wallace used to shop there too. Good times back then
THE MAGICMAN!!!!!!! Let’s go RED WINGS!!!!!!!!!!!
сегодня, 30 августа, на «УГМК-Арене» в Екатеринбурге состоялся прощальный матч Дацюка
... не смог попасть и увидеть Павла на арене, - о чем жалею.
We love Datsyuk forever and always in Detroit. Farewell to the Magic man and I am happy he’s back home with his family in Russia.
@Thrashman-ye4cf вам очень повезло! Вы видели Волшебника на пике игры!
Хал, Ази, Пронгер...
Согласен. Каждое имя - легенда.
@Елыкit was amazing to see, brother. Very thankful I grew up very close to the arena. It was a treat.
I remember hearing someone interviewing Ken Holland about how he's such a genius at drafting Zetterberg and Datysuk. I believe his response was something along the lines of, (paraphrases) "We had no idea they would be this good. If we did, we wouldn't have picked them so late".
As a resident of South East Michigan I have had the pleasure of seeing Pavel Datsuk play hockey at the Joe Louis arena. Now imagine if you had the same opportunity 😮
I’m not too disappointed. I’m currently watching Kirill Kaprizov live multiple times a year in every season he’s been in the league
Brad Marchand used to watch clips of Datsyuk to pick up the little details that make a player tough to stop.
He's a family friend of ours and he's one of the nicest people ever. He's living happily with his really nice wife in Russia. My grandmother is a fairly known religious righter and Pavel is a religious guy so he wanted to meet her when her and my father were in Detroit back in the day. Thats how they became friends
Im happy to hear he's doing well.
I didn't know that about him. That's really nice to hear all around.
I bet he is an INFJ. I wonder if you ever had to take one of those tests?
Хмм. Тех "волшебных" людей, кого я встречал- религиозны. Они все верят во что-то высшее и очень просты в общении.
Все по-настоящему великие люди религиозны.
@DK-yc9qo не соглашусь. Но Павел действительно хороший человек и я рад что у него все хорошо. Добрый, скромный и очень талантивый. Всегда приятно когда такие люди добиваются успеха!
Career +249 is insane for modern hockey.
Outrageous, one of the best 2-way forwards of all time 💯
9:54 LOL, I am SO glad you put that clip in of that hit lmao. For all his fancy plays and amazing goals, that is maybe my favorite thing Datsyuk ever did on the ice haha
He was so fun to watch...very skilled...never cheap shots or dirty plays...great sportsman
Even better yet, he would do a reverse hit as the defense would come in to lay a big hit on Datsyuk!
In Russia/ USSR, first thing they teach u is to respect opposition, and avoid checks not to hurt players, or accidentally end their carrier. That's why their style was superb, to N American, where it was only dump, chase, check....
Detroit fan here; THANK YOU, PAVEL. You played so good.
Great documentary. There will never be another Datsyuk
to this day I still get goosebumps watching a Datsyuk highlight reel. He is and always will be a legend of the sport!
Datsyukian deak, got to watch him live multiple times and for one of the cups and it just never got old, absolutely grateful to have watched him for so many years. Ty Mr.Datsyuk you sir were a joy to watch.
There’s never been another Pavel and there never will be. Simply magical.
i don't even like the fucking redwings, but i'd pick this guy in one of my top 2 picks if i could pick an all time team. and his teammate on d.
Great story and great career. He was always exciting to watch.
You managed to make a 23 minute video about Datsyuk's career without mentioning Henrik Zetterberg once. I'm impressed. That isn't easy.
Thanks for including that footage of Ken Daniels from the 1870s. That mustache needs to be seen by all.
Seeing how Zetterberg was picked in the 7th round, you might consider making a complementary video about him.
Detroit had a lot of Hall of Famers from that time, not surprising he may of missed one just saying.
@j.peters1222 It wasn't a dig at him. Datsyuk and Zetterberg were known as the 'Euro Twins'. It is difficult to talk about one and not mention the other.
8:18 "Two Kids and an Old Goat Line" actually refers to both Devereaux-Datsyuk-Hull and Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Hull, so not his name but his line was mentioned.
That was definitely Porn-stache Ken Daniels!!lol I forgot all about his stache...smh
Couldn't miss a game fearing I would miss his magic ✨️ Henrik was nasty too.
Worked in the Detroit area in the early 2000's and became a Red Wing fan. Pavel was an absolute magician. His moves tricked every player that went against him. He added so much to the franchise.
Thanks for this wonderful "dedicace" to Pavel Datsyuk!
I distinctly remember a game in which Pavel was on a line with Bertuzzi. The Wings were hemmed into their own zone for what felt like forever. Pavel, in the corner helping outman the puck carrier, gains access to the puck. Without even looking over his shoulder back onto the field of play, he immediately fired a backhand saucer out over the middle. The puck landed perfectly on a streaking Todd B's stick at center ice, springing him for a breakaway chance. It was unbelievable. My memory wants to believe Todd scored on that but I honestly don't remember. I was too enamored with how he used the glass like a mirror to backwards land a perfect strike to his teammate from 100ft away.
I believe Bertuzzi did score that goal and there’s a video out there somewhere with a reporter asking him about the goal and Bertuzzi replied “Pavel Datsyuk is the best player I’ve ever played with.”
EDIT: I found it. Look up “Pavel Datsyuk When Hockey Becomes Art”. At about the 6:15 mark. Bertuzzi comments not long after.
@bradwhitmer3057yeah seen that too. Bertuzzi played with many great players, and still he said Pavel is the best😊
Growing up in Detroit through the 90s and 2000s was a special time. We were so spoiled to have such massively talented team. It was common to see 6+ point games and 40 minutes or more puck possession of per game. The Red Wings were magical to watch an an absolute machine. I never felt the Red Wings were at a disadvantage, even if a guy was in the box and we were a man down. What a time to be a Red Wings fan.
Это Советская концепция хоккея-ДОРОЖИТЬ ШАЙБОЙ.Без шайбы не забьёшь,и не выиграешь.Павел-это именно Советская школа.
Fantastic compilation of the most amazing player I have ever seen in my 68 years of playing, coaching and enjoying this heaven sent game.
Thank you very much!
I consider myself lucky to have seen Pavel Datsyuk on a west coast trip the Red Wings made back in 2010. To see him in real life is nothing like television. He is so fast, so slippery and clever. Just an amazing talent.
When I was a kid and a young man, I called him the Barry Sanders of hockey. I LOVED watching every moment of this man on the ice. Ty for this.
Believe me we appreciated every second of this absolute legend. No one like him before, since, or ever again. I ran into him and Jiri Hudler outside of a bar after the 2008 Stanley Cup Parade in Royal Oak, there was no English spoken we were so drunk, just love. ❤From Detroit
Being able to see him live as many times as I have, is a massive blessing. His brilliance on the ice is unmatched, and easily one of the most entertaining players ive ever seen, in all sports.
I remember once back in High School, Franzen, Zetterberg, Lidstrom (the sweedes all decided to live in my hometown) and Datsyuk were all playing tennis on our HS tennis courts. Naturally, like 20 of us kids were GLUED to that fenceline. The marching band director was almost upset with us for being late to practice, but deemed it a justifiable reason xD
As an old school Avalanche fan that grew up during the hay day of the Red Wings/Avalanche fued, I know there's one piece on each side that nobody will dispute on either side. Red Wings fans will admit that Joe Sakic was one of the best and classiest players in NHL history, and Avs fans will admit that Datsyuk was one of the most skilled players to ever play the game. Arguably the best stick handler of all time. Truly a legend with an absolute master class skill level.
Lmao dont make claims that are untrue
To bring up another player the videos not about is wild...
The Avalanche/Wings feud was more about Yzerman and Fedorov going against Forsberg and Sakic. What an era.
We all agree - Claude Lemieux was the best.
lmfao....Datsyuk was never part of that bad blood rivalry between Detroit and Avs lol.... more like Sakic and Yzerman and Fedorov and Forsberg
I love this man. I have a front page of a local Detroit newspaper, as a poster, the dominant feature being Z lifting the cup after the 08 win, with Datsyuk's signature on it from an event I got to go to. I teasingly asked him to sign next to Z as a joke, and he said "If Hank saw that he'd get me benched." Then he signed it in the only white part that wasn't a jersey, bigger than anyone else ended up signing it.
Datsyuk changed scouting forever too. Nobody in the NHL will ever miss a chance to spot a Datsyuk again, though they will still pick them later because of size.
Детройт одна из самых русских команд, и за неё болеет огромное количество русских. Спасибо Scotty Bowman за идею русской пятёрки и любовь к талантам из России! Дацюк - один из умнейших игроков в истории хоккея.
Pavel for sure had a shit ton of achievements in his career but my favorite is what he did in 2010. In a game in October Pavel
got his Gordie Howe trick by fighting Corey Perry. Interestingly Pavel only had 4 fights in his career. 2 with Perry and 2 with
Scott Niedermayer who was a pretty tough cookie in his day.
Absolutely brilliant video. Excellent research work. This might be the best datsyuk video.
I thank hockey gods for giving us Barkov, right about the time Datsyuk moved to play in Russia.
Barky!!
Appreciate it 🙏, Barkov is a beast too! 🔥
Awesome video, thank you! Pavel was unique player!
Thank you! He is / was extremely unique and a joy to watch 🙌
Man I remember hitting a datsyuk in a tournament shootout. Man we all went crazy. Makes me miss playing hockey and remembering all the fun I had.
One of Håkan Anderssons great picks (Lidström, Zetterberg etc). Lots of teams were really incompetent at European scouting.😅
I really like your videos. I'm from Québec and I think it would be really important to make a video about Maurice Richard and hiw he sparks a big mouvement by proving that Québécois can rival with englishman that were ruling all montreal finances.
There is a movie that you could check to inspire yourself and pkenty of archive.
That would be a banger.
I cried in alot of your video, so well done !
I really like your videos. I'm from Québec and I think it would be really important to make a video about Maurice Richard and hiw he sparks a big mouvement by proving that Québécois can rival with englishman that were ruling all montreal finances.
There is a movie that you could check to inspire yourself and pkenty of archive.
That would be a banger.
I cried in alot of your video, so well done !
Thank you so much for your work 🙏 🥅 🏒
Appreciate the kind words! We will definitely look into it 🫡. A video on the rocket would be great! 🙌
Happy Birthday Pavel!
Great video, just a minor remark: Pasha is not a nickname, but short for Pavel, like Alex for Alexander. Thanks
When I first time discovered NHL I fell in love to Datsyuks skill and became fan of Detroit. He is my pick as nr1 player of all time.
Datsyuk was my favourite player growing up, its so nice to see this and know he’s still a big memory for many other fans
I never really watched NHL but I was regularly coming for Datsyuk highlight reels
Weren’t we all 🥹
His Datsyuk Deke + flip over goalie’s glove was best goal I’ve ever seen. I bet he even smiled on that one.
At the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, my co-worker got his autograph, on his shaved head!
Awesome video. Pavel was my favorite player growing up, so it was cool to learn about his path to the NHL a little more
A player that only comes along once in a generation. A life long Red Wings fan, I'll never forget the way he thrilled you with moves that seemed completely unreal. And to add one more notch to his legendary belt, this quiet, unassuming gentleman even once had a Gordie Howe hat trick!
1000%!!!!!! Long live all the legends!!!! Saw two games at the Joe and the rest at Little Ceasars. LGRW!!!
Think of how many great players from the depths of the draft. Another one I can think of was Daniel Alfredsson, drafted 133rd in the 6th round and went on to play 18 seasons playing 1246 NHL games and scoring 1157 points, the majority of it with the Ottawa Senators. He was a 6 time NHL all-star, won the Calder, Messier, and Clancy trophies and is currently the assistant coach for the Senators.
Zetterberg went 210th in the 7th round of the ‘99 draft, and Konstantinov was picked 221st of the 11th round in that fabled ‘89 draft.
13:11 One NHLer told a reporter that he tried the move in practice the day after and nearly broke his ankles 😂
I have a Pavel fact that is way lesser known, but he used an incredibly long stick for his height, and it also was weighted, so it was heavier than standard. If you’ve ever played hockey you know how much more impressive his stick handling is if you realize the stick is almost as tall as he is on skates, and it’s heavy.
He would do stick handling drills with barbells. He also NEVER skipped leg day. Dude may look little but he was STRONG. That's how he could box out 4 people at a time.
@nbieghler5 foot 10 and 210lbs, he was a tank.
One of the greatest to ever do it.
I feel old watching Datsyuk video essays get made
Pavle Datsyuk is the Rodney Mullen of hockey.
Nope. He is just Павел Дацюк! 🫡
nah, he is the Ronaldinho of Hockey
@_inveterate@smokescreenOG You guys know better than me so I'm not gonna argue (especially since I don't watch hockey or read Russian). Just know that what I said is meant to be a compliment; Rodney Mullen did things in skateboarding that no one else even thought of trying. To me that's what Pavel is like.
Good datsyuk doc.. I enjoyed the way it was put together. Sounds like you narrated your self, hopefully. I hope I wasn’t tricked by AI😂
😂 Thank you! Glad you enjoyed 🙌
some of the best Red Wings memories of the late 2000s
God I miss me some daty! Such a legend!
Love this, would love to see more videos about late round picks.
We’re on it 🫡 glad you enjoyed and thank you for watching!
I absolutely loved this. As a long time Wings fan, Datsyuk is easily my favorite Red Wing player ever. The footage in here was great, a lot of stuff I've never seen before and I've watched just about all there is to watch on Pavel. Thanks for the awesome video and a trip down memory lane!
Awesome video. As a guy who always roots for the underdog, hearing Pavels story is heartwarming.
The first time I saw Pavel play was in a training camp game from Traverse City that FSD aired in 2001. All I remember from that game was the Russian dude, who made moves on the ice that I never knew were possible.
Absolutely awesome video and tribute to one of hockey's greatest. Thank you so much for putting this together.
One of the scariest sights for a goalie when Datsyuk was on the ice was watching your defender skate behind the net while Datsyuk was on his tail. One of the highlights that comes to mind is when he scored on Pekka Rinne after stealing the puck. One of the sickest goals I've ever seen was in the Western Conference finals against the Sharks that went 7 games, 5 or 6 of those games were decided by 1 goal. The announcer on VS said that there wasn't a hockey school on the planet that could teach you to do what Datsyuk had just done. He's easily the BEST player I've ever seen.
Top shelf backhand in game 7 . Hate they lost but that shot is immortal. Great call too
I grew up close to Gretzky. I never played with or against him. I did however play with and against his long time backyard neighbor in Jr and highly competitive mens leauges for years following.
The question is always ' who is the best player in history " ? The same replies repeated time after time as a tight competition between Gretzky, Orr , Lemieux and then a few others scattered in depending those in the conversation.
I often wondered why not Valeri Kharlamov ? As an ardent Bobby Clarke fan throughout childhood and teenage years I always felt Clarke was a part of that conversation but as time offered us ' the Great One " and Magnificent Mario , leaving behind the Howe and Hull eras we have next to never included Pavel Datsyuk in that conversation. . And now we even have McJesus, Sid the Kid and the Great Eight to add to the discussion.
There may never be a definitive answer to who the greatest player has ever been , and the newest generations of talent have made a clear choice even more impossible to make but in my estimation , 200 foot game , defence/offense,, faceoffs, backcheck, forecheck, shooting , playmaking , one on one or one on four I have to put Pavel Datsyuk in contention for the BEST PLAYER IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME OF HOCKEY.
Others may contend in all of those areas but few are consistently strong . Crosby steps to the fore for me due to his longevity and work ethic , while OV had moments of 'best player ever ' years , he also became more singular in skill set with his massive shot from the off wing . Lemieux " if he had only more time . Mario a big body doing things that nobody else could do .
Sure there are moments for all of these players that stand out and simply incredible but for skill , speed, stamina and able to turn a game single handedly - Im going with Pavel .
He is a Magic Man
Okay based on your definition 200 ft. Game, def-off, etc. I will throw a name into the mix. ANZE KOPITAR! back check, 200ft Game, etc. Also take McJesus off your list til he gets at least one cup.
Never seen anybody like him. Probably never will. Is definitely one of a kind. They broke the mold after this guy. Special doesn't even begin to describe him. Thank you Magic Man!
The heart doesn’t concern itself with what surrounds it
One of the best to wear the winged wheel, we loved Pav on the team for years. Geez, we were so lucky to have him, those were incredible years.
Omg thats the coach Stapleton was talking about on Chiclets 😂😂
You should look into Datsyuk and Zetterberg highlights & chemistry - it was insane. Has to be one of the best duos. Behind the back, from behind the net pass straight to tape
Amazing content. I’d love you to continue this style content
Thank you! Many more to come 🙌
that 'huge gamble' they took with a 6th round pick...
enjoyed watching this!
Needs to be a movie about him
I have never seen Brett Hull sooo happy with smiles playing for St Blues, he never had an assistant like that before 😅 as Pavel
Legend in a city of legends.