Will British Guys Be Impressed by Pavel Datsyuk? (FIRST TIME REACTION)

Hockey Reaction with British Guys reacting to Detroit Red Wings and NHL legend, Pavel Datsyuk. In
our Pavel Datayuk Reaction, we watch his Greatest Ever NHL Highlights, from 2001 all the way to
2016.
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[@positivelybobby]

Lady Byng Award is for fair play and sportsmanship. Usually awarded to players that have extremely low penalty minutes. Great reaction guys. My favorite player on my favorite team.

[@positivelybobby]

Selke is best defensive forward in the league

[@joellafleche1071]

@DNReacts Now that you boys are watching deke and dangles from some of the best players I think you should learn something that makes them even greater than what meet the eyes. Notice that you'll hear ''backhand'' often in those videos, thats the back side of the stick blade as you know. Take a spoon and shoot a piece of cereal with the inward curved side, easy, make the same shot with the outside curved side now. Get it? And if you only saw what the players blade curves look like... you'll be thankful for a beautiful oval curve on your spoon

[@AbrahamdeLacy-xm8sb]

It is very hard to explain to someone that didn't grow up with hockey to understand the impact of Datsyuk on the game. I am from Sweden, and so I've watched hockey all my life from a very young age. I am 60 years old now. Let me put it this way. Kids in their teens, today, still look at Datsyuk videos and try to emulate him. He was never the greatest goalscorer, nor the big leader, he was instead mr cool with a stick. He'd do things with a stick and a puck that no one else could do or dared try. A bit like Messi and Ibrahimovic and the other football superstars without being a leader. He had instead these weird ankle breaking moves and a dead calm execution. Mostly though, he was a defensive player and a passer, but he always had this “magic” otherworldly quality to him. Datsyuk slithered like a snake along the boards or just stole the puck on open ice like he could read his opponent's mind. His stick and puck control was otherworldly, he was never fast like McDavid is, but he didn't need to be. He also barely could speak English, so his interviews were often awkward and strange. Most of these highlights are of goals and shoot-outs, but that doesn't even begin to tell the story. He was never dirty, despite playing in an era that was not kind to stand up players, hence the Lady Byng awards. He was everything a hockey fan wants the game to be, but isn't. I would also like to add, though I know you gentlemen understand the game better than most average Brits, that unless you've seen hockey played by ordinary hockey players (NHL or Europe), this is not how every one plays, by far. It most certainly isn't. Datsyuk is an original by all measures. He is also a member of the very rare and exclusive “triple gold club” which today in 2023 contains only thirty players in the entire 100-year history of hockey. Stellar player, wish we had more people like him in the game. And for the record; I hated the Detroit Red Wings back then, and still do. Cheers 🍺

[@jhedges8301]

As someone that grew up hating the red wings, I can pretty confidently say he had the best hands ever in the game. If you had to choose 1 person to take a shootout to save your life, you would want in-his-prime Datsyuk.

[@Detwhat]

I know this is a old post. But why did you hate the Wings?

[@mattsantic-rafiq462]

I agree 👍

[@donbrink5540]

Tonight's game I hate . I love both the wings and pens

[@tmony619]

Chicago fan? lol

[@rogerdodger9752]

You know you’re a legend when your name turns into an adjective. The amount of times “Datsyukian” was said in this video shows how unique of a player he was.

[@andrewreimer9160]

Similar with Niklas Kronwall. His hits were so hard that getting "Kronwalled" became a hockey term lol

[@ZachWilsonsMomsFriend]

@@andrewreimer9160I’m a new(ish) hockey fan and I’ve heard the term but never knew where it came from. That’s dope!

[@robbymayne6643]

​@@andrewreimer9160love Kronwall

[@Knards]

That was ken Daniels term for Datsyuk. Those were great times between 1997 - 2013

[@livetotell100]

Who is this guy? He hasn't been relative for 10 years. LMFAO

[@GeoffC19]

Pavel was just filthy. Best and softest hands I've ever seen, pinpoint accuracy with forehand and backhand shots, could steal your wallet in phone booth and always in the right place at the right time. If you could equivocate hockey and football, he would be Ronaldinho.

[@bozidarborojevic4131]

Thats what i was thinking he is Ronaldinho of Hickey

[@Lon808]

My favorite player of all time! No other athlete in any sport has ever continually made me laugh like Datsyuk. He was truly one of a kind and one of the best to ever do it. He didn’t have the huge stats like the other stars at the time but no one dominated the game like Datsyuk. A genius on both ends of the ice. The respect he had among players in the league tells you a lot

[@DNReacts]

Love this, great comment, thanks for this 🤝

[@MuriKakari]

If only there was a stat for 'took the puck off the other team' or 'time puck spent on the back side of your blade' or 'time spent within 1ft of another player without a penalty'

[@neilpountney9414]

Totally agree I lost complete interest in the sport when he went back to Russia, I have a signed 18 x 24 Framed photo of him that I brought in Joe Louis Area. Its a prized possession

[@tomace194]

Laughing is all we could do.

[@tomace194]

@@neilpountney9414 i agree with this. Im sad now.

[@jona.scholt4362]

As a 39 year old Michigander who has watched the Wings for as long as I can remember, Datsyuk is definitely the most "Oh my god, did he just do that?" Red Wing that I can recall. Others have had their moments, namely Sergei Federov, but nobody is in the league of Datsyuk when it comes to consistently making jaw dropping plays. And he was a good-great defender his whole career as well. Definitely one of the all time greatest Red Wings.

[@stickitupyourasteric]

I'm from Harrison twp, look up Steve yzerman said, jealousy just oozing out..

[@tiagomaia1365]

As a Red Wings fan I am proud of Datsyuk.

[@SuperAldente]

As a Russian and Red Wings fan I am proud of Datsyuk Pavel Valerievich .

[@alechiggins6515]

@@SuperAldente Red Wings could use more Russian players! Such fond memories as a child watching Fedorov, Konstantinov, Kozlov, Fetisov, and Larionov. They raise some superb hockey players over there.

[@patinthechat6452]

Datsyuk was a monster and if you ask me under appreciated by the NHL fan base.

[@jaskau2462]

​@@alechiggins6515 They USED TO raise good quality players, great players! Guess it's a whole another story in these uncertain days when RUS is excluded out of from the international sports and majority of interests within the goverment seems to be waaayyyyy off from the sports, in all of it's variety, atleast in the way it used to be few years back in time. Suffogating any country out of the international level pulls back the progression from back and forth.

[@Detwhat]

​@@alechiggins6515A couple years ago we drafted a Russian player in the 2nd round. I've heard the guy is really talented. I believe we just signed him to a contract.

[@NetVoyer]

This man is a big part of why the Redwings went to the playoffs 25 years consecutively.

[@ubilo]

He made everyone around him play better. Humble guy who never tried to pad his stats. So valuable.

[@SaltyLegion]

I am a huge Red Wings fan. I named my dog Pavel Dogtysuk( we just called him Mojo) I think the main reason he never won a Hart trophy was that he was as good a defensive player as he was a goal scorer. In his career, the team around him was not as good as other teams in the league. He couldn't just focus on scoring, he had help in the back end. I saw him steal pucks from players endlessly. He would score a goal before they even knew he took it. Best two-way player I have ever seen.

[@donpietruk1517]

That's an extremely flawed analysis of the Red Wings, especially between 2002 and 2012 The Wings won 2 Stanley Cups in that period and went to one more Cup finals. In his rookie season 2002 the Red Wings had a total of 10 players on the roster who are now in the Hockey Hall of Fame. It was maybe one of the most talented teams ever put on ice. In 2008 and 2009 (back to back Cup final years) although some of the older Wings had retired they still had 3 HOF players and it is likely his longtime linemate Henryk Zetterberg will be inducted as well. Many people make a strong case for Goalie Chris Osgood to be inducted also. The 2008 and 2009 teams had Lidstrom and Chelios, both HOF defensemen and Brian Rafalski was considered a top 10 defensemen in the NHL at the time. I'm not sure where the lack of a supporting cast defensive lineup argument comes from. This may be true of say his final several seasons with the Wings but to say it about his first decade is a blatant misrepresentation of the talent on the team. Also you forget that both Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov before Datysuk curtailed their offensive games to become responsible defensive centers just as Datysuk had done. Responsible defensive center play was a hallmark of the Red Wings great teams from the mid 1990s to 2012.

[@konstantinkazakov2066]

Ты правда назвал собаку Павлом?

[@SMG41]

to have guys like Wayne Gretzky, Brenden Shanahan, Brett Hull, and Nick Lidstrom, who are some of the greatest players of all time, praising and "marveling" at Datsyuk's skill level, says all you need to know. we sure do miss the magic man in Detroit

[@christopherbittell6501]

You forgot Steve Yzerman….👌🏼👍🏼

[@iPhailepically]

The Selke award is for an offensive player that demonstrates the most skill in the defensive aspect of the game.

[@bobsmith-qu8tx]

and 100% why he never won a rocket or hart. Pretty rare to win the selke and one of those.

[@vaultsuit]

With a caveat - winner has to produce too, so purely defensive forwards are neglected, just as defensive defenseman

[@thekillers1stfan]

Yeah and Lady Byng is for both skill and "gentlemanly play" so very fair, clean players that are also super skilled

[@DaveRSuperstar]

@@bobsmith-qu8tx what this video fails to highlight, is he wasn't selfish enough. He used to have a tendency to overpass, and a lot of times dudes couldn't score. Look at Justin Abdelkader as a player with Pav and Z, vs without them. I'm not saying he carried people, but he and Z could have carried me to a Cup, and I'm a 35 year old C league 2nd line dman.

[@sparkyguitar0058]

@@DaveRSuperstar L O L. Quit being so honest. Lie a little bit to us.

[@fractaljack210]

A pure wizard. One of my all time favourite players .

[@yourdownside420]

It's just amazing how many great players and goaltenders this 6th round pick legend had broken down

[@Beltran15x]

he was notoriously a clean player, he never instigated didnt take cheap shots. virtually never fought. he wont show up near the top of any record books because he didnt care about that, hes one of those you have to watch to understand how great he was. he won two stanley cups. his greatest goal will always be against nashville when he went end to end beating all 5 guys and the goalie to score.

[@user-ps9en4lo1k]

And he won Olympic Games and World Championship.

[@blueyberries_]

that's not necessarily an accurate description of Pavel. Pavel had amazing capabilities and intuition with his decision-making. The reason he was never at the top was because he wasn't as accurate with his shots. any player can score most the goals he was scoring in terms of shooting the puck at the net, but he had quite a few misses or shots on net that weren't goals, aside from his more predominant focus of trying to create plays as opposed to focusing strictly on scoring, but then you could argue he'd have less assists in compensation for potentially more goals that might've resulted in less overall points. So TL;DR, he was a great showman and very smart team player, but by no means in terms of stats was he an insane player. You don't need to be flashy with the puck to have very accurate/lucky shots that often make it into the back of the net. Datsyuk just wasn't one of those players and it wasn't a matter of him not wanting to be, it's a matter of he couldn't be and there's nothing wrong with that.

[@josephcrowe2908]

​@@blueyberries_everything you just said is wrong

[@nicke5056]

😂

[@Beltran15x]

@@nicke5056 😂😂😂

[@himduncan4106]

As a casual Flyers fan, he is my favorite player 😂 just so fun to watch

[@bradybirmingham8350]

Datsyuk revolutionized the skill of the nhl, he was so creative with the puck and a lot of the moves he used have become staples in hockey

[@codyg.4767]

The only player to ever make me want to watch the bench more than the ice, just waiting for him to join the play. Offense or defense, if he was on the ice, you knew he would do something amazing. He was the best at the nuances of the game--the stuff that doesn't always make the highlight reels. While he didn't achieve the same number of points, awards, or trophies as others on the list of GOATs, he will forever be the most exciting player to me. Glad you reacted to him. Great channel.

[@DNReacts]

You’re welcome, thank you for the support 🤝 Loved Pavel, in awe of his skills

[@adamproctor5067]

Datsyuk is one of the best two way players to ever play, hence all the selke trophies and finalists. The selke is given to the best defensive forward every year and he was always in the conversation. He sacrificed a lot of offence for defensive play and probably missed out on an MVP or 2 because of it.

[@adamd8118]

And it probably should've been more selkes. The idea that he was only best defensive forward for 3 times in his career seems wrong

[@factsdontlie4342]

​@@adamd8118I looked it up because I felt the same. But Kesler won in his amazing season, then Bergeron, then Toews in his prime. Then it's like all Bergeron. Before datsyuks 3 in a row, it was rod the bod brindamour who won twice. He was also really good.

[@zacharyliles8657]

The stuff Pavel could do with the puck was amazing, but what made him a truly special player was the fact that he is also one of the greatest defensive forwards to ever play the game. Nobody until him had ever had his combination of pure skill combined with physicality and defensive ability. Thanks for doing this video, always a joy when we get to see Detroit on the channel!

[@DNReacts]

You’re welcome 🤝 We were in awe of Pavel’s skill. This was a great watch

[@tylermorrison946]

And he would help shutting down the top teams units. Truly a legend.

[@pwvincil]

He wasn't a player to win the Hart. Like Yzerman said, he was an all around player. He'd come back and play defense as much as he played offense. A lot of Hart winners don't play a defensive game. He's a legend in Detroit. Great video!

[@szahmad2416]

Yeah, Scotty Bowman demanded that of all of his star players, believing hockey to be a "defense first" sport, no matter how many stats one racked up. Yzerman hated it...but there was no denying it won Detroit three Stanley Cups. And there was absolutely no denying Scotty's knowledge of what wins Stanley Cups vs. what doesn't.

[@zeromega4541]

Datsyuk commitment to his defensive responsibilities held him back from being more highly rated. If he focused on scoring goals he could won multiple Hart trophies but he prided himself on his defense.

[@snc237]

Doesn’t matter how many goals you score. If the other team has 0 you will win.

[@konstantinkazakov2066]

Ну хоть кто-то это заметил. У Павла сумасшедшая работа в защите. Причем, довольно зрелищная.

[@mjk06]

He's regarded as one of the best defensive forwards in the history of the game. Winning multiple awards for that. He's also regarded as one of the best puck handling players in the game. He made many players/goalies look like fools. He wasn't the biggest point producer but his overall game was brilliant. He won 2 Stanley Cups in 2002 and 2008. He isn't in the discussion for the G.O.A.T in the NHL though. His nickname was "The Magic Man"

[@numberzthegreat]

The Bruins are my team, that being said.... Datsyuk is one of my favorite players of all time. The man is just everything good in hockey. You dream to have a guy like this on your team.

[@-EchoesIntoEternity-]

Lady Byng trophy is awarded to the most sportsmanlike gentlemanly player, basically Mr Nice Guy

[@rlfree40]

Finallyyyyyy lol watched him his entire career. They called him the magic man, because not only did he have beautiful hands when he had the puck, but he could steal the puck from anybody. Watching him steal the puck was always so fun. Thanks again you guys

[@DNReacts]

Yeah we really enjoyed watching him! Appreciate the support 🙏🏼

[@rlfree40]

@@DNReacts Pavel Datsyuk was one of those once in a generation players that have it all. Great offense, great defense, and other players couldn’t believe it. It was one of those. Now you have it now you don’t situation’s. He stole the puck more than any person I’ve ever seen in my life and I’ve watch hockey since I was 11 and I’m 64 now.

[@rlfree40]

@@DNReacts in hockey the Selke trophy is given to the best defensive forward in the game

[@n4rttu]

@@rlfree40 yeah, pavel was one of the reasons the nhl started to count takeaways and giveaways. pavel is 2nd in takeaways, only 90 behind thornton who played over 600 more games lol

[@fisknylle]

For me, Kenta Nilsson is the Magic man. However, Datsyuk was equally impressive in the modern era.

[@vitalykravets5230]

I had a chance to see Datsuk playing live, really out of this world, super skills and fluency with the puck. Maestro

[@tristanjorritsma9709]

As a Leafs fan (born in 2001) my buddy introducing me to the Red Wings and Datsyuk was the highlight of my young life, still in my top 5 favourite players of all time and I still cheer on the Wings as a close second to this day because of Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

[@JPelley9]

Truly one of a kind. As a lifetime Red Wings fan we didn’t know how lucky we were to watch this man every night until it was too late. There will never be another one like him. I’d sell my soul to watch him play one more season in his prime.

[@reginaliebert1579]

I knew how lucky we were to have Datsyuk on the Red Wings. Haven't made the playoffs since he left.

[@jordandaniels1381]

He was godlike! As a red wings fan I miss him everyday 😂

[@QuickHenryTheFlit]

Top-5 Two-way forwards in modern NHL history (after league expansion in 1967 to today). Two-way meaning he can dominate all three zones (offensive, neutral, and defensive zones). He never really pursued individual accolades (not selfish), so he didnt often get MVP considerations. 2-time Cup Champ though, and the praise from his teammates says it all.

[@zacharyliles8657]

He won the Stanley Cup his rookie season too in 2002! That 2002 Red Wings team was the greatest hockey team ever in my opinion

[@XaviRonaldo0]

Pre salary cap. Something we'll never see again unfortunately

[@Scottsdaleofficesteve]

Datsyuk always reminds me of Manu Ginobili of the Spurs. Both were an integral part of prolific 2000's dynasties with flashy highlight reel play and important team play but both sacrificed personal counting stats for team success to do them any justice when simply looking at all time statistics. Both also changed the way players played, Datsuyk with his dekes and Manu with the euro step. Both fantastic players that I hope never get forgotten in sports history

[@augustsmith9633]

As a Red Wings fan you kinda took it all for granted because almost ever single game he was magical win or lose. You knew as a fan you were witnessing a legend of the game but just took it all in stride. It's a shame we couldn't win him more championships. You won't find his name with the most goals or most trophies but arguably one of the best all around players of all time in the modern time NHL. Seeing you guys enjoying pieces of his on ice legacy brings back feel good memories for sure. There will never be another Datsyuk.

[@stonerjoe21]

Pavel Datsyuk’s numbers were never at the top because he wasn’t selfish. He had the skill to be a puck hog and score as much as Ovi or Gretsky but he valued team play above all. He is arguably the best 2 way player ever. We had two amazing Russians to play this way! Datsyuk and Fedorov! Wings fan for life

[@mrpeterson17]

I remember watching the play at 19:55 where he reaches back into last week and pulls the puck up between his feet to score against the Bruins. My favorite of his magic moves.

[@hoodrattt6196]

Best two way player of all time. I was blessed in detroit watching him night in and out.

[@jonasw5050]

His defensive skills was also incredible. One of the best 2-way players in the game. He together with Forsberg.

[@lightDaRus]

and with Fedorov

[@jonasw5050]

@@lightDaRus Yes!

[@nathanpitek3177]

He’s probably the best shootout player of all time. Hard to rank that off the top of my head but he undressed goalies like no one ever really has

[@wego5930]

It's important to remember that Datsyuk was the first to display such innovative and creative play in the game. IDK if you can call him the "GOAT" but you certainly can say he single-handedly changed the game of hockey to emphasize skill over pure strength.

[@mike-mz6yz]

Why do you think he changed the game? Gretzky was pretty damn creative and not too big or strong. The Soviets built their system on skill over pure strength. He was great, but the NHl has always had skilled creative players.

[@matturibe5256]

Oh no will still makes moves like him to this day. I mean Mcdavid is sick but Pavel was doing it way before him. With hands and straight skill and hockey iq no one has a better hockey iq just ask chara who the best player he played against and it is Pavel

[@mike-mz6yz]

@@matturibe5256 why would Chara's opinion matter so much? if he actually said that its just one player. You could find so many more that would say Sid or Ovy or even an older guy like Jagr. Pavel wasnt even the best player on those red wings teams, that was Lidstrom.

[@matturibe5256]

@@mike-mz6yz bull shit no he wasn’t! Lidstrom is a legend but he wasn’t better than pavel! Plus, your looking at everything I say under a microscope! Many players have said datsuyk was the best player in the league for years shen he played! I mean it’s easy look it up! Yzerman, Shanny, hull, pecka, but since he left of course players will say who currently is the best player! I’m just having some fun with this comment! You have to take everything I say and turn it around and be like but other players have said that about sid snd ovi! It’s my opinion! Pavel was better skilled overall as s complete player than sid and ovi that’s my opinion! You disagree fine! But a fun comment now turns into u being an ass! Then countering everything I say! Then brings lidstrom in this. I bet idcpavel played d he be better than nick easy! So would Konstantinov that was known as well! Lidstrom was a leader but there two very different positions and u cannot compare s d man to a center! But pavel did both and I believe better than nick! So, disagree but it’s very annoying taking everything I say and putting it under a microscope! Is ovi a better goal scorer? Yes. Is Sid s better points player? Yea! But I would take an all round complete player like pavel over them any day! Now move the fuck on!

[@redfordcollision8524]

Sir, you don't know what you are talking about@@mike-mz6yz

[@kentzepick4169]

Amazing that he was also a great defensive player.

[@rorys3980]

In terms of the “GOAT conversation”, he’s nowhere close, but he holds a special spot for a ton of people for his combination of hands/IQ/defensive prowess, he’s the ultimate highlight reel player. He has a very good argument for having the best hands of all time (both in terms of deking players and being able to strip the puck off of opponents). You can spend hours upon hours watching highlights of him not even scoring or setting up goals, his creativity for how he handles the puck is just different from everyone else and he was someone who would routinely try to do things no one else did. There are players that were maybe more “smooth” in terms of how they look with the puck on their stick (such as McDavid), but his bow-legged stride and really unorthodox manner that he uses leverage and deception really is a one-of-one thing, nobody else looks quite like him.

[@ghost-whitesand9447]

Yup, the dude was a superstar (but not the goat) and it’s not an insult because there’s tiers to players. (Legend, superstar, star, and role players)

[@DaveDFFA]

I'd argue that he is there, but in a specific category. For his career I have him pegged at top 3-5 every season.

[@philipyoung4439]

He also joined a stanly cup winning team as a rookie. Being a defensive master, playing shorthanded to kill off power plays along with a star studed offensive lineup does not leave much power play time to rack up points. And in goat debates, point really make up much of the argument with gretzly racking up so many more than everyone else.

[@matturibe5256]

@@ghost-whitesand9447 As not being a biased fan I would take Pavel over ovi and sid. Pavel was just so damn good on both ends of the ice. Even luc said it the best that he could have gotten 150 points easy if he just wanted to but he wanted to be the best on both sides of the ice and not just points. Its sad we think points means GOAT!!! You have to take into consideration too, Pavel was on the third line with hull and then they never had a great team like 2002. I believe Pavel and Zetteberg and nick got them that cup in 2008 and would have won if Pavel wasn't injured the first four games of the 2009 Stanley cup finals.

[@matturibe5256]

As not being a biased fan I would take Pavel over ovi and sid. Pavel was just so damn good on both ends of the ice. Even luc said it the best that he could have gotten 150 points easy if he just wanted to but he wanted to be the best on both sides of the ice and not just points. Its sad we think points means GOAT!!! You have to take into consideration too, Pavel was on the third line with hull and then they never had a great team like 2002. I believe Pavel and Zetteberg and nick got them that cup in 2008 and would have won if Pavel wasn't injured the first four games of the 2009 Stanley cup finals.

[@MBosel]

The goal at 17:18 helped extend what ended up being an NHL record 23-game home winning streak. I remember watching it live and going nuts when he scored that goal.

[@uTubeNoITube]

As a life long Detroit sports fan, especially the Red Wings growing up, I'm glad you guys got to see what I did with this special player. He is definitely a GOAT. His play style very much reminds me of Barry Sanders of the Lions in the NFL. Neither of them had brute force strength, but they didn't need it because they could out maneuver any other player in their path to get the score. :)

[@JaySharp604]

Everyone would be impressed by Pavel Datsyuk. He's an unbelievable puck handler.

[@DNReacts]

Yeah he was incredible! We loved this!

[@jameshelm2847]

It doesn't take scoring the most goals in a season to be a great player. To win the Lady Byng multiple times showing that he could play at that level without taking penalties, and winning the Selke multiple times as the best defensive-offensive player showed how responsible he was on the full sheet of ice. In my mind, that is what makes a great player.

[@mattcraig163]

Hey guys love the videos. The Lady Bing award goes to the most Gentlemanly Like player who also plays with a high level of skill. its kind of like the best "sportsman" award. The Selke is an award that goes to the best defensive forward in the league. Thanks again for the video guys. It's a lot of fun to rewatch these clips and its great to see new fans reactions as well.

[@DNReacts]

Thank you for the info and the comment! Really appreciate the support 🤝

[@mattcraig163]

@@DNReacts of course 👍🏼 great to see hockey growing in other parts of the world. Cheers 🍻

[@umrules06]

Thanks for watching this. Wings fan here and Datsyuk is beloved here in Detroit. A tremendous talent and player, and he made it fun to watch the team every night. Always special when a player is so gifted not just on offense but defensively as well. Like you mentioned at the end he just didn't have the jaw dropping goal numbers at the end of a season to win the Hart Trophy. In terms of GOAT status he is not in that conversation for all hockey players. Not even among the own Red Wings organization. That nod would go to either Gordie Howe (a.k.a. Mr. Hockey), or "The Captain" Steve Yzerman. Possibly defenseman Nick Lidstrom too. Even among his contemporaries, many would argue Sidney Crosby was the best of that era, or Alexander Ovechkin. Probably a handful of others as well. Both Crosby and Ovechkin are still playing today, and Ovechkin is now #2 all time in career NHL goals scored only behind Gretzky. Might want to check out his highlights too if you find time. Datsyuk retired in 2021 after playing a few seasons in Russia to close out his career.

[@codyg.4767]

You know we're a blessed franchise when you can say Pavel Datsyuk isn't even the GOAT of the organization. This is what's given me so much patience over the last several years haha.

[@33RoyCorpPor]

Avs fan, loved watching Datsyuk, he was definitely special

[@AttemptingPar]

LETS GO RED WINGS

[@Wakaflockabach]

From a nostalgic standpoint, Stevie and Gordie are the GOATs in Hockeytown, but, Idk how you wouldn't say Federov is the most talented to ever Don the winged wheel.

[@umrules06]

@@Wakaflockabach Well because there's a difference between most talented and greatest overall player. Sergei Fedorov is definitely top 10 of all time Red Wings, but the top three are in no particular order Howe, Yzerman, Lidstrom. I don't think many would debate that. I loved Sergei when he played as well; he didn't have as dazzling the moves of Datsyuk, but he was an overall more dominant player slightly. Plus he snagged an MVP award during his career. It's splitting hairs though.

[@downrighttt]

One of my favorite Wings of all time, probably the source of my love of the number 13, and just so damn smooth at all times.

[@conner62299]

I think Datsyuk could of gone down as one of the greatest players ever if he just focused on offense. But he was also the best offensive player on defense. He is the best two-way hockey player of all time in my opinion. I think if he just focused on offense he would be a top 15-20 player of all time.

[@NathanLipetz]

Also probably needed a longer NHL career. He left when he was still really good

[@snc237]

@@NathanLipetzhe payed in the league for 15 years. That’s not a short career

[@dancolonna6590]

He didint have the crazy high stats his whole career, but he definitely had the best hands and hockey IQ for 15 years

[@Xerxsion]

He definitely would have put up more points if he chose to be a bit more “selfish”. Huge team first player especially given all the talent around him on the team

[@nervanderi]

I´m Boston fan and I might say he had better hands than Bergeron. And I´m also Finnish. Any Idea who Finnish winger have won a Selke Trophy Twice...?

[@stevenkunzer9027]

Going back to the Wings Cup teams of 97 on none of their players had other worldly point totals, but so many players played a smart game

[@stopdroolin8418]

​@@nervanderiDatsyuk 100% had better hands than Bergeron.

[@HogSZN]

​@@nervanderi Jere Lehtinen!! Deserves to be in the hall of fame but the league only looks at pts/game

[@mrmalcolmrogers]

The Hart Trophy for Hockey is like the Heisman Trophy for College Football...it's awarded to the Player that most Valuable for his team. Fortunately, the first few years of Datsyuk Career he focused on Defense, Passing and Puck control not to mention he played during a time when Detroit had great players at just about every position, including Goalies.

[@theawayfan6052]

The Magic man was truly an amazing player, he made the most difficult moves look easy. It seemed like whenever he touched the puck, you were in for a treat. The true definition of a 200ft player, he could, (and did) it all.

[@Slanderx]

As a Red Wings fan my entire life, it was a real treat to watch his career. The guy made it look easy, and could thread a needle with a puck. Good video my guys.

[@jimmcdonald4087]

To me one of the most spectacular things about Datsyuk's scoring is his amazing ability to score when very close to the goalie. You don't have many spaces to aim for, but he did it again and again. The Selke Trophy, by the way, is for best defensive forward, and I think these highlight videos really ignore his incredible defensive play.

[@MightyPee]

I don't it completelyignores it, since it really shows his ability to counter the opponent : all his steals, provoked turn aways are magistral. Maybe you can't fully grasp it in a "highlight video" though. I get what you mean, for sure :)

[@calemorgan3982]

When it comes to the Hart Trophy you gotta understand Datsyuk played in an era of hockey where every team had a superstar player if not multiple. It was not easy to be the top in any category. Overall I'd say he was the most well rounded player of his era. Not always top in stats but always in the top few %. A real team player.

[@Muz__27]

Glad to see you watch Datsyuk but you sure didn't choose the best of highlight videos LOL. Detroit has been known for picking amazing players very late in the draft and Datsyuk was one of them being the 171st pick in round 6. His longtime linemate Zetterberg was picked 210th overall in the 7th round. They were called the Euro-twins and you were hard pressed to find a more skilled duo in the league than those two. Datsyuk was more focused on being the best all around player (3 straight Selke trophies) than just pure goal scorer but I feel like if he wanted to he could've won a few heart trophies in his career. There wasn't a better player at stealing the puck off a player than Datsyuk and I would wait for it to happen in every game he played.

[@zombiedinnerparty]

As a Detroiter that follows the Red Wings in my opinion Datsyuk was great, he didn't have the numbers or production but Everytime he was on the ice you were going to be entertained.

[@rorykeenan3069]

Miss seeing Datsyuk play at the Joe, he is a GOAT in Detroit that’s all that matters.

[@user-ho9rh5ct2v]

сам ты КОЗЁЛ!!!

[@ldblanchard5167]

Pavek wasn't a big man, but in addition to his "dangle" he could flat out shoot the puck, and he was tough. He has loads of reverse hits. Also, notice how many of his goals were the result of his defensive play....amazing.

[@JPMadden]

Pavel Datsyuk did not retire when he left the NHL in 2016 at nearly 38 years old. He returned home to Russia and played 5 more years in their top league, the KHL. He was getting goals and assists until the end, although I don't know how many points is considered elite in the KHL. At 20:27, Jaromir Jagr (pronounced "YAHR-oh-meer YAH-guhr") was shown on screen. Are you familiar with him? He is 4th in goals, 5th in assists, 2nd in points, and 4th in games played in NHL history. Drafted in 1990, he is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame. How can that be? Because he won't stop playing! He played in the NHL until 2017, when he was 45. This past season, he played half of the games for the hometown team he OWNS in Kladno, Czechia.

[@BaconNationChannel]

He apparently signed with TML for a year. He's back baby! Doubt he will produce much, he's wayyy to slow for todays game.

[@JPMadden]

@@BaconNationChannel The Toronto Maple Leafs? I don't think so. The Internet doesn't have news of him signing anywhere.

[@grumpycricket]

I've read rumors of a one year deal with Pittsburgh. Probably wants to retire a Penguin.

[@bobster_883]

A new subscriber here and Canadian and life long Wings fan. I just want to say how much I appreciate you both for these video. Absolutely love your perspective especially to the NHL videos. Keep up the great work guys!

[@DNReacts]

Thank you so much! Glad to have you as a subscriber 😀 glad you like the content!

[@PrettyBlandScott]

This guy Pavel, is literally the most underrated NHL player ever

[@DNReacts]

Does definitely seem that way from the comments too. Thanks for this

[@maxsmiley7191]

imagine if he would have not cared to much about his responsibility in the defensive end, he would have had even more highlights to add to the surplus he has, but he did care, thats why he was the best 2 way player in his time

[@dave131]

Dude could make HOF defensemen look as if it's their first week on skates.

[@jessejee9192]

He has 40 goals in 98 shootout attempts 36th best in history the misconceptions of non hockey fans are that shootout goals are in favour of the shooter but the goalie stops more than they let in

[@Kwright304]

Technically speaking, if a goalie does exactly what their positional odds tell them to, they should never let in a shootout goal. It’s incredibly difficult to beat an nhl goalie 1 on 1. Half the players in the league can’t do it at all.

[@frequentsee3815]

Unless you're a female soccer goalie. Then you don't block any Evidently

[@Kwright304]

@@frequentsee3815 that was a huge reach there buddy did it feel good to dunk on women’s soccer out of nowhere?

[@frequentsee3815]

@@Kwright304 dude I mean they never get any of them. Just get it on net and it goes in

[@macedamiachocolate]

​@@Kwright304yea, I bet it did

[@roberthamilton7504]

Datsyuk is one of the most underrated players when it comes to the goat talk. Was he better than Gretzky? Probably not. Datsyuk had a skill set that would be dominant in any era of hockey. I believe he is the most complete player the NHL has ever seen he can do everything with a high degree of talent both on offense and on defense. He's the player a coach dreams of having on their team. Plus he trusted his eyes to Dr. Rahmani and you should too!

[@dannycarlow8204]

The Magic Man had the best hands the league has ever seen before he played or since. Absolutely electrifying player. The best comparison maybe would be he was the Dimitar Berbatov of hockey, as good as they come, just not recognized with the highest awards or trophies.

[@gordieparenteau6555]

He's certainly one of the GOATs of his era.

[@auckalukaum]

The thing about Datsyuk is that he didn't really have a lot of goals and assists over the length of his career. He was primarily a defensive center and playmaker. He just had the ability to stickhandle away from anybody. I'm pretty sure he's the NHL's all time leader in defensive takeaways. He'd just pick a guy's pocket and take off with the puck. But I believe his linemate Zetterburg has more career points.

[@kitfisto1827]

Zetterberg barely has more points despite playing 1 more year in the NHL.

[@coconyt3623]

5:13 The 'Lady Byng' Trophy is awarded after every season to the 'most gentlemanly player', so basically a star player (usually top scorer) who takes very few penalties. From what I've seen, winners usually have attained 55+ points and 8 or fewer (usually 4) penalty minutes... so 4 (usually 2) minor penalties that whole regular season. ...And it's nothing short of incredible that someone who does so much stick-checking would not only win it, but win it 3 years in a row... Dude's probably the best stick-handler, and certainly the best puck thief ever. And he was a very late draft selection (#171, 6th round), so he's one of the top draft steals of all time, as is his long time teammate Henrik Zetterberg. 13:13 The 'Frank J. Selke' Trophy is awarded to the best defensive forward. So if you put up great offensive numbers, but also do a lot to help out the team defensively. And Datsyuk was one of the best in that regard. It's a bit of a wonder that he didn't win it more than 3 times. As for why he didn't win the Hart Trophy... The Red Wings were quite stacked in his time, so they probably would've been better off without him than many other teams would've been without their Hart candidates. Also, for most of his career, Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin etc were putting up 50+ goals and around 100 points on the regular. And the Hart usually goes to a league top scorer / someone who's easily the MVP of a strong team. If Ovechkin didn't score 65 goals in 2008 (still his season high, as well as the most goals a left winger has ever scored in one regular season), he would've had a good chance to win it that year. Datsyuk didn't put up top scorer numbers aside from '06-'09 when he had 87, 87, 97 and 97 points respectively, 23 points (10+13) in 22 games in the '08 playoffs where he won his 2nd Stanley Cup. Other than that, he never had more than 70 points again and his career totals were 918 points (314+604) in 953 games (97 players have cracked 1,000). But he is one of the top 2-way forwards (defensive forwards) the game has ever seen. And he basically won everywhere. He's in the Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup + Olympic Gold + World Championship), he won the KHL (Russia's top league) championship and Russian Super League championship. So all in all, he's right at the top of the list of guys you want on your team. He's also a popular pick for the most entertaining player the game has ever seen, as this vid demonstrates quite well. :D And, if not basing GoAT-ness on career points too heavily, I'd suggest he's one of the best ever.

[@leibmenter2331]

The Lady Byng is a kind of nebulous trophy for “representing the game with gentlemanly conduct.” It used to go to a player who played a lot of minutes without taking a lot of penalties, but now it’s kind of used as the consolation prize for a good defensive forward who didn’t win the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward.

[@Kwright304]

That’s not at all what it is now. It’s always been and still is, the player with the most points to least penalty minutes. Pavel got as close to 100 points while winning the lady bing as anyone generally can, 4 have broken 100, but they all need to put up points. You can win a selke like Draper did without the high point totals. You can’t win a lady bing without being an offensive force.

[@williamdemerchant7295]

Players with a high amount of points and a low number of penalty minutes are the most considered candidates for the Lady Byng trophy. In addition to his points scoring Datsyuk played very well defensively, thus earning his three Frank Selke awards. His +41 +/- rating in 2007-08 was outstanding.

[@MuriKakari]

No one took the puck off the other team like Datsyuk. And you can see how close that's related to his goals in this video- Pavel Datsyuk could be on the goalie before he started a deke because his tight, close up puck handling skills were just that good.

[@bita704]

greatest player i have ever watched from a pure skill perspective

[@NathanLipetz]

Same

[@eventhoiate]

He never got 100% of the recognition he deserved from fans and the media but he was your favorite hockey player’s favorite player.

[@markcrosby6015]

Oh how I miss you Datsyuk thanks for the memories

[@petebrown6356]

I moved to Michigan from the UK in '87 - had the pleasure of watching the careers of both Barry Sanders and Pavel Datsyuk.

[@Kwright304]

The players you watched in this video that called him the best they played with or saw play are, Brett Hull, Nick Lidstrom, Chris Osgood, Brendan Shanahan. Hull played with Oates, Gretzky, Modano. Lidstrom played with prime Fedorov, Yzerman, Hossa, and literally dozens of hall of famers. Shanahan the same.

[@luncho12491]

And remember, this video was only highlights of his Goals, he had soooo many more incredible plays but they didn’t end up in the back of the net.

[@dabbadoo2226]

I used to go to joe Louis and watch him play all the time just watching him play even without the puck was worth the price of admission

[@markpk7455]

To see him live was nuts so fast and the stuff he did was nuts.

[@Sparkball]

Lady Bing Trophy is given to the player who displayed the most sportsmanship and good conduct while also having good playing quality

[@personM4N]

Legend has it Pavel Datsyuk could deke in a thunderstorm and stay completely dry.

[@scorpiothegreat1]

He is the greatest Two-way player ever

[@leslieshand4509]

He is such a pleasure to watch

[@colinryan4737]

I think the GOAT will always be Gretzky. There’s really no chance anyone catches him in total points. Maybe someone catches his goals, but not points. It’s insane how great he really was. That being said Datsyuk is def top 10 all time.

[@andrewdouris6035]

You spelled Bobby Orr wrong

[@hellomotoCoop]

Ovi will catch gretzky in goals. Datsyuk is very good but he isnt even top 20

[@iceman1333]

​@@hellomotoCoop easily top 20

[@PhilaFlyers48]

Probably the best stickhandler / dangler of all time. But could do everything else to go with it as well. What a player.

[@johnnyslokes2712]

He also won the Stanley cup his rookie year, they had a really stacked team that year

[@2020klwiet]

We were so blessed to have him. He made a lot of players look dumb. Absolutely amazing player, Detroit had so much talent for so many years! 🙌Datsyuk🙌

[@Timmycoo]

as a San Jose fan... I hated playing vs the Red Wings and freaking #13 destroyed us lol. But he is fun to watch. He is a takeaway artist too. which this vid didn't show. 18:40 was done on Logan Couture and he messaged Datsyuk on Twitter because it was on his birthday. So he was like "come on man!:" lol

[@dannik9932]

I was laughing my ass off when that happened (live) because they had just recently announced Couture's birthday. Made an immortal part of NHL history by being dangled so hard you fell on your ass. What a present! ROFL

[@Timmycoo]

@@dannik9932 Oh nooo lol

[@JoshuaKoslakiewicz]

Pav should definitely be in the GOAT conversation. People seem to forget that on top of all these highlights he was also one of the best defensive forwards to probably ever play the game. I think he could have been one of the top scorers in the league during his time if he wasnt as defensively focused as he was

[@JoshuaKoslakiewicz]

Also when he first joined the wings the line he played on was nick named "two kids and a goat". Himself and Henrik Zetterberg were in their first few seasons and Brett Hull (one of the top scorers all time) were put together.

[@jean-philippedoyon9904]

Other suggestions : Alexander Ovechkhin, Sidney Crosby for forward. For goalie Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur and Carey Price. Perhaps the Canada vs USA golden goal just to show the feel at that level !!!

[@HonoluluBlue81]

Pavel had the best hands I’ve ever seen

[@duchaneaux]

He's probably top 10 goat for forwards imo. He's a player you'd build your team around. He was a two-way puck-possession player, one of the best defensive forwards and puck protectors of all time. The longer your team has the puck, the better. Incredible hockey IQ. But most people like him because of his flashy dangles, which were a plus. He never led the league in scoring or anything, but it was still high. He got close to breaking 100 points a couple of times, recording 97 points each in 07-08 and 08-09 (I believe both times they went to the Stanley Cup Finals those seasons). Very sturdy on his feet and hard to knock down for a smaller player because he was bowl-legged. One of the best skaters in the league. With all of that said, he was the second-best player on his team after Niklas Lidstrom. Lidstrom is probably top 3 defensemen of all time. Lots of arguments over whether Lidstrom is #1 of all time for defensmen. Datsyuk, Lidstrom, and Zetterberg were the trio that continued to make the Wings a contender every season after the old guard retired.

[@massD35TRUCT10N]

He is considered to have the most "takeaways" as it wasn't tracked for a long time but he's always been ridiculous at it.

[@stevedeslippe8795]

He could make any professional pick pocket look like an amateur.

[@KSS352]

I feel lucky enough to have seen Datsyuk play multiple times. The best thing about Datsyuk was that he wasn't a selfish player. He could have taken all the shots but he always was thinking of who had the best shot on goal and assist instead. One of the best well-rounded players to ever play in the NHL. My Datsyuk jersey is well-kept and treasured. Also, just one of the nicest guys probably in hockey.

[@softshoes]

There wasn't a goalie that didn't get night sweats at the thought of Datsyuk skating in on them one on one.

[@TheDjcorey19]

You guys asked one of the toughest questions in hockey. Datsyuk is a guy who never led the league in scoring but always seemed like the best player in the world. Ask any player. They'd probably have him top 5. Ask a fan to make a top ten list and he probably isn't on it. Depends who you ask

[@thekillers1stfan]

It's even more impressive when you know how legendary the guys he's doing all of this too. He almost exclusively played against the other teams best players (especially later in his career) and he would regularly make elite players on the other team look stupid.

[@thekillers1stfan]

also btw he is 2nd all time in takeaways and he started later in life than most NHLers, he would have been #1 if he was brought in earlier

[@thekillers1stfan]

Also also in the GOAT conversation he doesn't factor in really HOWEVER, he is imo the best defensive forward of all time and many would agree with that. He just doesn't have the point totals to be in the GOAT for a position where offense is generally more lauded