Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Speech: Pavel Datsyuk

[@MarvinClay-ck7zj]

My goodness that 01-02 Red Wings team was stacked. 10 hall of famers. The honor was ours Pavel as Red Wings fans with the privilege of watching you play this great game. Thank you for playing this game with such class and dignity.Go Wings!😊

[@jonathangarmuth8975]

The honor was ours. Congratulations Pavel!

[@greghawkman]

Hockey Town loves Russians!

[@t.b.player7102]

​@@greghawkman The Hockey HoF has no credibility. Congratulations indeed to all who entered, but until Alex Mogilny gets inducted, that place is a joke.

[@mwbrada]

I lived there 20 years and we won 4 Stanley Cups. It was indeed our honor. ❤🤍🏒

[@Coyote2409]

The Magic Man made videos for everyone and Hockey Players too to watch them to make them better. Thank You Pavel for the memories that go on forever…..

[@DetVen]

This man's hands alone need to be in the Smithsonian.

[@SerbiAna47]

You know Datsyuk is a good man when he even thanks Mike Babcock, who is a sociopath.

[@MrPolkaParty]

the guy was a true joy to watch

[@jon5104]

Barry Sanders of hockey by far!!!

[@jmarx3943]

One of the 5 most skilled players I've ever seen. Well deserved.

[@walnutsxv]

#1

[@user-hb2tq5ep9n]

@@walnutsxv true

[@daman7273]

1🧙

[@matturibe5256]

One!! By far

[@BostonRocks55]

There will never be another player like the Magic Man.

[@starina.ziczag]

There will be talented players, but there is only one wizard 🥇 Thank you for believing in him

[@Vili-mf4wx]

Alexander Barkov is the modern version of Datsyuk.

[@BostonRocks55]

@Vili-mf4wx Barkov is a great player but he is no Datsyuk.

[@Vili-mf4wx]

@@BostonRocks55 well of course but they have the same talent. Both have the amazing skill to "slow the game" and amazing hands. Both are good at penalty shots, they both are good at stealing the puck and protecting it. Amazing passing skills and they both make very little mistakes, they read the game perfectly. I think Barkov is not far from Datsyuk level and he has said that Datsyuk was his childhood hero.

[@animoetprudentia2865]

They broke the mold with Pavel. 1 of 1.

[@Lebowski55]

Huge Blackhawks fan here. Pavel Datsyuk is an all time great player. One of the absolute best of all time.

[@harmanbasra2680]

Federov & the magic man were my favorites players .. congratulations magic man of a hall of fame career.

[@Costa-K]

same here - both numbers need to be retired by the Wings asap

[@ДмитрийКалинин-ц1у]

​@@Costa-KTarasenko did not choice his usual #91. We can say that they retired. Unofficially.

[@travzimmerman1340]

*Fedorov

[@anthonygalbo9348]

@@ДмитрийКалинин-ц1уthank you for now no one dare chooses to wear 13 and 91 have you seen another wing wear 13 and 91 post Datsyk and Fedorov. They don’t dare, trainer will say…You don’t know? Just choose a different number?

[@SerbiAna47]

Tarasenko ❤ my favorite

[@johnnyraven4217]

Great heartfelt speech by the incomparable Pavel Datsyuk . To me one of the greatest who ever played hockey. Red Wings must retire his jersey .

[@HockeyTube1]

If they retire datsyuks jersey they should retire fedorovs too.

[@VincentA-sw6ez]

To me is a no-brainer to retire but I know wings have pretty tough criteria probably the toughest in the league

[@MrMistrEnigma]

So much respect for this man! Outstanding skill that was displayed any time he was on the ice! Quiet and humble and such a great team player. As a lifelong Red Wings fan I was happy for him when he went home to finish his career, he had given us all so much and he still had all that skill for his fans at home! Thank you Magic Man! LGRW!

[@richardmaguire1207]

I am a life long Boston Bruins fan and Pavel Datsyuk #13 is my favorite player. His skill is off the charts. He is the best all around player I have seen both offensively and defensively. He is the most creative player I have seen. He thinks of things that others do not. He is a man of character. He is also a pretty good leader due to that. I hated to see him leave the NHL but was happy for him and his family to return to Russia. I have watched all of his videos for years and have watched all of them many times. I have learned so much from him. Being accepted into the Hockey Hall of Fame could not have went to a better person. We were lucky to have had him for the 14 years we did. Thank you Pavel for all you did. You were in my opinion a generational player and we were blessed to have you. God bless you and yours and thank you for the memories.

[@Украшения_ручной_работы]

💯%

[@kediddy]

That was a very good speech from him, He’s always struggled with English and it was great!!!

[@Kwright304]

“I’d like to speech longer, but my English is short”

[@RobertVincentMusic]

We have been lucky in Detroit to have so many great players. I started watching hockey as a kid in the 70s. We had some pretty bad teams back then.. but I was still a huge fan, and Mickey Redmond was my favorite player. Everything changed when we drafted Yzerman. It became fun to watch the Red Wings. That continued into the 90s with the Russian 5.. and Stanley Cup championships in 97 and 98. In Pavel's rookie year, it was obvious he was going to be something special. He was an important part of the Stanley Cup championship that year.. on a team loaded with future hall of famers. I'm 62 now.. I've seen a lot of great players, and I can say that Pavel was my favorite player to watch. A hardworking two-way player. His offensive skills were unmatched.. but I also remember him penalty killing, stealing pucks, frustrating opponents, and playing keep-away with the puck. I've only owned one Red Wings jersey in my life... and it's Datsyuk's. We need to put #13 in the rafters. His number needs to be retired.

[@sammyweed4771]

There’s 3 to 4 Red wings in the Top 10 of all time……

[@JimFG]

Retired by the Wings AND the league!!

[@rustybarber3016]

Loved hearing him say to himself “just have fun Patel” before he started! One of the greats!!!!

[@fz0gtg]

What a humble guy Pavel is. Along with Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom, we in Detroit have been blessed to have such incredible men leading the Red Wings for the past four decades! They set the bar very high for what it meant to be professional athletes and role models for all the young hockey fans from around the world, congratulations for this well deserved honor!

[@kevindoe1000]

Man I miss datsyuk one of the best of all time

[@msg7007]

I miss him too..

[@dorisganz1631]

One of the greatest who played the game!

[@di1301]

I hope that younger generations will always remember this legend, hat off, Pavel well deserve

[@----john----]

No other player had my attention like Datsyuk did. He was a must watch every time he was on the ice. Always wonderinxg what he might do. One of the greatest NHL players and very fun to watch.

[@kazemiralmazov331]

Павел профессор в хоккее и замечательный человек по жизни. Награда нашла героя. Поздравляю от души.

[@dabbadoo2226]

Sorry Igor Larionov is the professor try again

[@JigsawJoe13]

My Favorite Red Wing of all time.

[@misternewman1576]

I hope nobody else likes your comment in honor or #13.

[@richierich398]

As a Red Wings fan, I had the honor of watching this guy play. I was fortunate enough to be at the game when he scored that highlight reel shoot out goal. Watching that goal on video does not do it justice. He was a class act off of the ice as well. After the game, fans would wait outside of the parking lot when the team would leave. Some players would stop and sign autographs. Pavel always took the time to stop for the fans. He also kept teddy bears in his car which he would give to the kids. Class act all the way around.

[@mikemurphy8996]

What a player he was. Even as a Leaf fan and Canadian he was easy to root for.

[@NikitaKovalev.]

He still is... unfortunately He stoped to play. 😁

[@stitch1960]

This is what makes hockey the best game. The honesty is always on display. Those of pure heart and talent rise to the top. Pavel was an inspiration to generations of new young players that have taken the Neanderthal stigma out of hockey. Sure it’s a physical sport. When a generational talented comes onto the ice and his skill raises the bar to prolific heights… you stand in awe witnessing seamless transition time and time again. This is our lord at work His grace on and off the ice is second to none. Congratulations Pavel. You truly deserve it. From one of your biggest fans from day one.

[@willydiesell229]

Absolute beast of a hockey player! I grew up watching this guy play. So creative ahead of his time! ❤

[@sarblade]

Always looked forward to watching the Wings when Pav and Zee were playing, the Euro twins!

[@SilenceDogood13]

Best hands in the business. Grew up watching him play. You...were the opponent's nightmare! ;)

[@Coldbluesky]

Well deserved recognition , I loved watching him play , hockey hasn’t been as interesting without players like him. Knew him in private and he is as he seems, a very humble and thankful for opportunity given. Miss him dearly .

[@clintmcdonald4079]

Datsyuk god bless you! I cant express enough how greatful i am to have had you on red wings, best hockey player of all time!

[@CoachMacdaddy]

Incredible speech, LONG LIVE DATSYUK

[@JP18729]

We were blessed to see this man play here in Detroit. My father's favorite modern time player, I hope you can see this from the Heaven's dad, Pav made it to the Hall

[@johnny316b]

thanks for sharing your gift Pavel. God bless you

[@Costa-K]

amen

[@neHam3575]

What a Gentleman and a badass. Reminds me of Barry Sanders from football, those humble types that do the talking with their play are always my favorite players and they serve as amazing role models for the kids

[@doro6203]

if was always amazing of what Pavel did when he had the puck...

[@frankharris1649]

Put #13 in the rafters Detroit?

[@bobbycooper2530]

It'll be done, probably next season with 40 Zetterberg

[@mikemeyer7759]

91 before anybody

[@JarradBruessel32]

​@@mikemeyer7759not happening. Not with devellano still being in the organization

[@travzimmerman1340]

​@JarradBruessel32 Which is a moronic travesty. Guy needs to stop with the pink-panky cry party.

[@derfman1792]

After all my childhood heroes retired (Gretzky, Roy, Yzerman), he became my favourite. Grew up a Habs fan, but the Red Wings were my 2nd favourite because of Stevie Y, and they still are today because of Datsyuk. I remember his rookie year thinking "who the heck is wearing Kozlov's 13, and why is he so friggin good", and I remember the morning after he did "The Datsyuk" for the first time on Turco... instantly became a favourite of mine. The level of fear I experienced when he had the puck in the O-zone was a notch below the fear I experienced as a kid when Lemieux or Gretzky had the puck. I still remember the top corner backhand he scored over Carey Price's catching glove, thinking "how the heck did he pull THAT off..?"

[@Kells-Cardinal]

That list of teammates ALL legends . Some still active 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@Magic_Conch13]

This guy has been such an inspiration for me growing up I’ve probably watched his highlights a million times and still amazed at his play on the ice! Congrats on being inducted into the hof Magic man!

[@g0ec]

my idol. well deserved. congratulations pavel.

[@НарымСадриев-г6с]

Доброго времени суток!Я горжусь своим кумиром!Годы проведённые в НХЛ по настоящему помогли раскрыться его таланту!Благодарю НХЛ,за истинную приверженность спорту,несмотря на предрассудки в мире!Процветания желаю Вам!

[@vassilysalytchev1111]

Поздравляю Павел with induction into hockey hall of fame Your game was unbelievable

[@surudog4929]

Thank you Pavel for playing in NHL and making it so much better. A gentleman is in NHL hockey fame. He is worthy of it not just what he did for hockey but his humility and playing the game with class.

[@johnmanor5236]

It was almost unfair to have a guy like Pavel on a team already loaded with talent. He made it look so easy, but his skill and talent were unparalleled even to this day. Congrats!

[@Nichaelas]

One of the reasons I don't think we'll see another player like this. Him and Z were steals for sure, but it was the culture that the Wings had that really made those two be able to develop to their highest potential. Takes a lot of maneuvering with the salary cap to build something similar. Definitely don't think we'll have that many hall of famers on one team ever again.

[@michigan_made4900]

This brought tears to my eyes. Love this man. True class. I grew up watching the "Magic Man".

[@АлександрШихов-д8ь]

The Legend!

[@magsmags4534]

I am so thankful to be able to grow up watching the Wings. Pavel Datsyuk will always be my #1 of all time player. Thank you so much.

[@СергейЗамалеев-ж3в]

...МОЖНО БЕСКОНЕЧНО ЛЮБОВАТЬСЯ ИГРОЙ ЭТОГО ВОЛШЕБНИКА ХОККЕЯ...

[@brianlu8354]

One of the best offensive and defensive forwards ever! Insanely skilled and dedicated! Congratz to the Magic Man!

[@tyhara9215]

Sickest hockey player I've watched. Lucky we got to see him play

[@tydangles13]

Great now I’m crying. Pav, you were my hero growing up. Thank you

[@narimanvolkov3590]

Thank you to the Red Wings, for opening up and supporting his talent. That guy deserves to be part of the Hockey Hall of Fame. We never see the second Magic guy 😢

[@frankdeyoub5124]

#13 was and is the best. Glad I got to see him at the Joe!

[@calvincharlie703]

Pavel, Nickolas, Steve, Hasek, and many more are the reason why I loved the Red Wings back in the day. Congratulations Pavel, you finally made it. I was just asking Gemini why wasn't you in the Hall of Fame yet. And here you are now, getting induced.

[@Kwright304]

This was his first year eligible

[@alexeyromanenko4656]

Just the best!

[@93ryan5]

I feel so lucky to have been able to watch his career. I was 9yo when they won the championship in 2002. So I didn't quite understand how special he was. A humble gentleman off the ice. One of the best ever. Thank you, Pavel, and congratulations.

[@derekbooth1540]

This guy is such a legend. Amazing player. He and Anze Kopitar are my two fav all-time players. Both class acts and legends

[@fringeminority3224]

Man he was in a league of his own ... miss him plaiying

[@BillyBats773]

As a Hawks fan Pavel was truly a nightmare guy to have your favorite team to face. Impossible to hate him but so easy to hate him at the same time because he was so damn spectacular. He didn’t need to be flashy with his words. His game spoke for it.

[@johnboisvert993]

Very well deserved! A true example of actions speaking louder than words and giving everything he could for his teammates and organization as a whole!

[@brandondebroy1955]

There’s no words! Absolutely perfect, amazing!!! Makes me so happy to be a lifelong wings fan and so happy for Pavel! Great speech, love it.

[@HutchEntertainment]

Hats of the you sir! Pavel you are a class act and an inspiration! I'm glad I was blessed to watch you play and hear your speech. You Da Man!!!

[@donskermont]

Cant count how many times i watched his highlights and i'm sure many others can't either Amazing!

[@fasteddie777666]

Very well said and well written.....the guy was so great !!!

[@alex79suited]

What a Legend, well done. Peace ✌️ 😎.

[@everly-shadystudios9900]

Hard to watch this without crying

[@Voldrani]

What a man of class. I miss watching him on the ice.

[@mathewdymski7905]

I miss Pavel what an incredible talent absolutely revolutionized the game. A pleasure watching you in Detroit all those years. Thank you for the memories

[@DerekOlsons]

The smile on 19s face says it all

[@robertlevasseur6843]

Sixth round pick. It's not that other teams didn't get a chance to get him. Good job, Wings.

[@travzimmerman1340]

Many GMs are, or were, reluctant to draft Russians not knowing if they'd cross the pond.

[@Detroitgondoit]

​@travzimmerman1340 back then most GMs didn't even know about Datsyuk, scouting was not the same back then.

[@dmitrygureev4574]

When hockey becomes an art

[@nahbruhnope]

I firmly believe that he is the greatest overall player that has ever lived. I don't think this is much of a hot take either.

[@filipohman7277]

Awesome and Congratulations Pavel👍👍👍 Greetings from Helsinki, Finland

[@jamesh1402]

Thank you for all the great memories and the championships you brought to Detroit and the state of Michigan!

[@Lukeduke7773]

Magic Man was the most talented player in NHL history. Hands down. No debate. Elite both sides of the puck. Unparalleled in puck handling & general creativity.

[@jogendron6320]

I disagree. Therefore, there’s a debate. He was ok.

[@Lukeduke7773]

@ anybody can debate anything. You aren’t real. I am you. Pancakes are alive. Some debates have more validity than others. Yours has zero.

[@ATF1985]

LETS GO RED WINGS ❤ , u will forever be loved in DETROIT ❤️

[@Nichaelas]

This was a player that if he was on the ice you better be watching him. I don't care who has the puck, you watched Datsyuk because you DID NOT want to miss anything he did. One of the best players off puck as well, so it really didn't matter if the puck was on his stick or not he could control a game regardless of the situation.

[@МаксГильчик]

One of the best...

[@Costa-K]

The GOAT #13 - God bless you Pavel

[@justappearances]

One of the most entertaining hockey players ever, well deserved!

[@MarkPiekacz-j4u]

I got too see him live at the Joe and I play hockey if I have 10% of want he has I would have been pro out off high school. I was good but not make it. Made to almost pro it was some of the best times of my life as a young man.

[@jaaaybs1988]

miss you Pav, congratulations

[@ChrisCardenDrums]

When you look at datsyuks stats, they dont jump off the page. You had to see it, especially the way he dedicated himself to the full 200 feet. If he were more selfish, he couldve had another 500 points in his career pretty easily, the skills were there. He played to try to help the team win the game, though. Coach's dream, guys like pavel, and the hall of fame is well deserved.

[@sergkor6038]

Трудно себе представить сколько мальчишек пришло в хоккей, благодаря Мэджику!

[@champdancer19]

He was magic on the ice

[@BarDur063]

Один из лучших за ВСЮ историю!!! Ну а владение шайбой у Павла вкупе с видением игры просто недостижимы пока ни для кого!!!

[@Workingman22]

As a lifelong wings fan Datsyuk was a favorite of mine. I hope Zetterberg gets in one day too.

[@MrClebophd]

Indeed, Zetterberg and Datsyuk were the most feared tandem for years. "Talk about the sorcery"... To me the Euro Twins are intertwined so much that it feels unfair to mention one without the other. They should be in the HoF at the same time.

[@modus18]

Thanks for the fun memories Pavel!

[@roneified4405]

As an Avs fan - if this guy didn't go in during his first year of eligibility - I'd be upset!

[@animoetprudentia2865]

Just when I thought I couldn't be a bigger fan of Pavel he proves me wrong, again. Congratulations magic man. I'll continue watching, and enjoying your highlights until I no longer am able.

[@guennyguenstig9928]

hes not the ronaldinho of hockey... ronaldinho is the datsyuk of football.

[@VincentA-sw6ez]

There will be no player like him for a long time. I always viewed him as the Zidane of hockey: Disciplined, artist, winner, laid back person

[@den-oc1dc]

Легенда русского и мирового хоккея

[@Mamir-c5k]

Живая легенда

[@oneofyou9573]

When I was in Ekaterinburg (Pavel's home town) I was truly amazed by Datsyuk hockey school sponsored by Pavel. I grew up playing NHL on my PC and now I play it in real. Pavel Datsyuk, thank you for popularization the hockey around the globe

[@James_Blazer]

Great speech.

[@youvegottabekiddingme1955]

This is a comment I left on another Datsyuk video - a tribute/memorium to my favorite player. It's certainly biased and hyperbolic in some areas. But I think #13 deserves the best. Congrats on making the Hall, Pavel! It's well-deserved! "I don't use the word genius often, only for those who are deserving of that inexplicable label, but Datsyuk was one of those rare few. Every movement he made and every action he committed was calculated; there was a deep intelligence in everything he did on the ice. You could see him analyzing everything during the moment and foreseeing plays before they happened. Watching him play, there is a constant, perpetual inventiveness, a sweeping gaze that analyzes those around him, the direction of the puck, the flow of the play, all so he can make the perfect, right play that's premeditated in three or even four dimensions. Watching Datsyuk, you see the endless depths of the human mind, stretching outward like the horizon and down like the slope of the mountain. "Talent is hitting the target that no one else hit; genius is hitting the target that no one else can see." (Arthur Schopenhauer). There are very few players in the history of hockey to whom that applies, but Datsyuk is one of them, for he changed the way we watch and play the game. Since eras are such a significant signifier of greatness and determine the level of greatness ("Oh, Gretzky was only so good because he played in that high-scoring era!"), look at the eras and the change in hockey's style across the decades. From Gordie Howe to Conner McDavid, the proto-typical "great" hockey player has changed in its definition and perception. Hockey players come and go, and the greatness that once was is shunned for the greatness in the Now. Who were the players in the 80s and 90s who were renowned and thought to be the heralds of a new game? Who were the names of those who all fans thought would be great and the best? Who were those men fans would die by in their excessive defense of the greatness of those men? I bet many of those names are forgotten-or will be in the coming years. No one speaks nowadays about Rocket Richard or Gordie Howe, not really. Those are just "figureheads" for a rougher, less evolved form of hockey, and we are too petty to perceive them as actual titans of the sport, brushing them aside with the arrogance of the casual bandwagon fans. But there were great players before Rocket and Gordie, and what about them? What about their greatness? What about their names? The greatness diminishes in our minds, reduced in favor of the "new" greatness seen in younger, fresher players, and the cycle will never end. But to play to the limits of your era is a transcendent act, and that is why we ardently defend the names of those rarified few who played to the limits of their eras - because maybe one hockey player in an entire generation, if that, is actually capable of playing to the limits of his generation. These players actively defined their eras by revealing the limits of their eras. Gretzky is the best example of that, and following him is Gordie. But I think Datsyuk is up there. However, I think Datsyuk actually transcends those limits, unlike the others, for his artistic influence is too immense and creative, burning too brightly, to be snuffed out - because that is genius, an imprint eternalized in the sand that Time's waves can never wash away. Gretzky is the most intelligent player to ever play, which will never change, but Datsyuk is absolutely the most creative and artistic. To watch Datsyuk in his prime, at his absolute best during a game, was worth any price - for that is what genius means. I would pay a max limit to watch any other player in his prime at his absolute best, having the game of his life - including Gretzky, Howe, Lemieux, Orr, Lidstrom, Crosby, and McDavid, and that price would probably max out at around $1,000 (I'm a cheap guy, what can I say?) - but for Datsyuk, it's different. I can't conceive a price I wouldn't pay to watch Datsyuk in his prime at his absolute best. To see that level of creativity, artistry, dedication, determination, intelligence, and proactive subtlety is priceless; to see genius work in the moment is mesmerizing. His elite influence on both ends of the ice simultaneously was unparalleled. I watch other hockey players who impact on a shift on one end of the ice, but Datsyuk was the only player I've ever seen who was the most impactful player on the ice on both ends of the ice-on the same shift, time and time again! He never took a shift off. He didn't half-ass some shifts in which he would focus on offense and then do the reverse on the next shift, alternating between his focuses. No, every shift was played with critical attention paid to both ends of the ice, and I've never seen that with another player, specifically at his level. Yes, Patrice Bergeron is an excellent two-player, but he noticeably lacks that intrinsic spark-the genius-that Datsyuk so obviously, brilliantly possesses. You always notice Datsyuk on the ice; you always have one eye glued to him, anticipating the moment you watch a creative act that robs you of your breath and stirs your heart with its artistry. He is like a magnet, attracting your gaze, attention, respect, and awe, for he has that "it" factor that no other hockey player has had in such spades - to my amateur eye, of course. But it is priceless all the same, for you never see that. It takes an exceptional player to do that, and Datsyuk transcends the limits of time and space. Nowadays, people deride Gretzky and Lemieux in favor of Crosby and Ovechkin (or, for a more modern-modern example, McDavid and Matthews), but even fifty years from now, no one can deride a player in favor of Datsyuk for his influence transcends petty subjectivism. His creativity and artistry are eternal forces that those blessed of us who watched him play live will remember forever and praise until the days we die. There will be another Lemieux in terms of the physical gifts (and arguably has been with Lindros and Malkin, albeit not with the long-term impact); there will be another Crosby (and many argue that there already is another Crosby in either MacKinnon or McDavid); there will be another Ovechkin (not in terms of longevity for scoring but the elite impact in the moment, absolutely); and there will be another McDavid. But like Gretzky, there will never be another Datsyuk, not the quantified, conceived whole of him who was exceptional and profound at all levels of the game, lacking any weak area."

[@tonydesimone60]

Wow man, I read all of it. Well said, thanks for the comment

[@Dhane-0]

Well deserved is an understatement, what an absolute class act.

[@jeremyhewitt2637]

Most deserving out of the players in the class. His skill set was a bench mark that changed the game.

[@05D05]

My most favourite player ) I once set right in front of him, being his crazy fun in the restaurant it was so dark I couldn’t see faces ) imagine my face when he left and my body told me it was the Magic Man himself. Such a humble guy) I was so cheesed that I didn’t even take pictures.

[@GregSaddleback-u4s]

He was one of the best player to lace up the skates , they called him the magic man yes he was one of the best

[@NA-cd2eq]

Great player!!!

[@timsampson6559]

He is by far my favorite player of all time. I was so sad to see him retire, but I think he knew what was about to happen to the wings (rebuild) and decided to go out with grace. it was such a pleasure to watch him play. I still watch his highlight reals and can't believe them to this day