Post by Bob McKenzie on Nov 3, 2020 11:31:34 GMT -5
1. Pavel Datsyuk (C) - Russia - Dinamo-Energija Yekaterinburg (Russia)
Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk is a Russian professional ice hockey player for Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Datsyuk was nicknamed the "Magic Man" honoring his incredible stickhandling and creativity with the puck. From 2001 to 2016, he played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). In 2017, Datsyuk was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history, and was the only active player outside of the NHL at the time of announcement.
Datsyuk won the Stanley Cup in 2002 and 2008 with the Red Wings, and the Gagarin Cup in 2017 with SKA Saint Petersburg. He was part of the Russia men's national ice hockey team at the Olympic Games in 2002, 2006, 2010 and was team captain in 2014 and 2018. With his gold medal win at the 2018 Olympics, Datsyuk joined the Triple Gold Club.
Datsyuk won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward in the 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10 NHL season. He also won four consecutive Lady Byng Memorial Trophies, from 2006 to 2009, awarded for performance and sportsmanship. He was nominated for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player following the 2008–09 season. Datsyuk is well known for his elite defensive play and game-changing offensive skills.
The boy "with the twitchy walk" caught the eye of Krikunov, but not on the ice. Instead, Datsyuk excelled on the soccer field, where his anticipation, vision and intelligence were more apparent. Under Krikunov, Datsyuk evolved into a particularly efficient two-way player, and he began to draw wider attention among Russian hockey fans. Despite his early successes, however, he went undrafted in the 1996 and 1997 NHL drafts.
Datsyuk was first noticed by Detroit Red Wings Director of European Scouting Håkan Andersson in the summer of 1997–98. Andersson was in Moscow to scout defenseman Dmitri Kalinin, but the one who caught his eye was Datsyuk, described as "this little guy on the other team." Andersson made another trip to see Datsyuk and would have gone a third time, though his flight was canceled due to a storm. A scout from the Calgary Flames was scheduled to fly on the plane as well, and as a result of the storm Andersson believes he was the only NHL scout to have seen Datsyuk play prior to the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, when the Red Wings drafted him 171st overall.
Having led the NHL in 2007–08 with a plus-minus of +41 and 144 takeaways (58 more than Mike Modano's second-best total of 86), Datsyuk was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the League' best defensive forward. With just 20 penalty minutes, he also won the Lady Byng Trophy. In voting for the Selke, Datsyuk received 537 points (43 first place votes) while John Madden of the New Jersey Devils received 447 points and Datsyuk's linemate Henrik Zetterberg received 425 points. In voting for the Lady Byng, Datsyuk received 985 points (75 first place votes). In addition, Datsyuk became the first NHL player to win the Lady Byng three consecutive times in over 70 years, since Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won from 1933 to 1935. Datsyuk and Ron Francis are the only players to have been awarded both the Selke and Lady Byng trophies during their careers.
AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
International
Pavel Datsyuk IHWC 2012
Datsyuk warms up during a 2012 World Championship game
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing
Olympic Athletes from Russia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Pyeongchang
Representing Russia
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Salt Lake City
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Finland/Sweden
Silver medal – second place 2010 Germany
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Austria
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Russia
World Championship Gold Medal – 2012
World Championship Best Forward – 2010
World Championship All-Star Team – 2010
Named Captain of the Russia men's national ice hockey team for the 2014 Winter Olympics
Named Captain of the Olympic Athletes from Russia men's ice hockey team for the 2018 Winter Olympics
Olympic All-Star Team – 2018
NHL
2-time Stanley Cup champion – 2002, 2008
NHL Second All-Star Team – 2009
Selected to the NHL All-Star Game – 2004, 2008, 2009*, 2012
Played in the NHL YoungStars Game – 2002
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Frank J. Selke Trophy – 2008, 2009, 2010
NHL Plus-Minus Award – 2008
NHL Offensive Player of the Month – December 2003
Carhartt "Hardest Working" Player of the Month – December 2007
2010–11 NHL Players Poll: Hardest to Take the Puck Off of; Cleanest Player.
2011–12 NHL Players Poll: Smartest Player; Most Difficult to Play Against; Hardest to Take the Puck From; Most Difficult to Stop; Cleanest Player; Toughest Forward to Play Against.
Kharlamov Trophy – 2011, 2013: Voted Best Russian NHL Player by Russian NHL Players
Selected as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players (2017)
KHL
Gagarin Cup champion – 2017
2-time KHL All-Star – 2013, 2017
PRO:
CONS:
It's Pavel Datsyuk guys, come on... there are no cons.
