The Captain's new look

Wings fans will get their first look at the new visor-wearing Steve Yzerman on Thursday when he plays in a charity game at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor. The game will feature five Red Wings (Yzerman, Chris Chelios, Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Draper and Manny Legace Update: Derian Hatcher will also participate) as well as other current and former NHLers: Aaron Ward (Carolina) Chris Tamer (Atlanta) Sergei Samsonov (Boston) Brian Rolston (Minnesota) Bryan Smolinski (Ottawa) Doug Brown Dave Oliver Dave Harlock Kip Miller Kevin Miller They will play the US National U-18 team and the game "will benefit the Champions for Children campaign to build a new University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital." The game will start at 8:00 PM. The $10 tickets can be purchased at M-Den stores and the Ann Arbor Ice Cube as well as at the gate. Yzerman has worn a visor for short periods of time before in his career but he will be wearing it permanently now. No one really believes it will affect his game but it will take some getting used to after so many years, I'm sure. His eye is still sensitive to light and because of that, his visor is slightly tinted. The Captain will also appear in a game in Moscow on December 13th honoring Igor Larionov. He will be on the World Team with Martin Brodeur, Chris Osgood, Jiri Fischer, Aaron Ward, Nick Lidstrom, Sandis Ozolinsh, Mathieu Dandenault, Chris Chelios, Steve Duchesne, Brendan Shanahan, Kirk Maltby, Steve Yzerman, Luc Robitaille, Jay Pandolfo, Martin Lapointe, Scott Gomez, Darren McCarty, Kris Draper, Henrik Zetterberg, Ray Whitney, Tomas Holmstrom, and Patrik Elias. (current Wings in bold and former Wings in italics) Igor Larionov picked Yzerman to captain the team but apparently Draper has laid claim to the title too. The Russian team will have Yevgeny Nabokov, Nikolai Khabibulin, Slava Fetisov, Danny Markov, Maxim Kuznetsov, Sergei Gonchar, Igor Larionov, Oleg Tverdovsky, Pavel Bure, Sergei Samsonov, Slava Kozlov, Pavel Datsyuk, Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Mogilny, Alexei Zhamnov, Ilya Kovalchuk, Valeri Kamensky. Scotty Bowman, Barry Smith and Dave Lewis will coach the World Team while Sergei Makarov and Vladimir Krutov will coach the Russians. The game will be broadcast by Comcast. Wow, what a lineup. I'd love to see that game. I think it's a great way to honor one of the greatest players in hockey history and I think it's great that a lot of former teammates are getting together to do it. Lastly, here's something I found a little scary:

"If we don't play this year, I don't know if I will continue to get ready for another season. I really don't know. We'll wait and see." -- Steve Yzerman

That would be a real shame. I'm sure I speak for all Wings fans when I say I do not want my last memory of The Captain to be him writhing in pain on the ice. Come on, Bettman and Goodenow, get off your lazy behinds and start some negotiations! (via. Freep and DetNews)