Yzerman to Return to Wings

The Detroit Red Wings have come to terms with longtime captain Steve Yzerman. Yzerman agreed to a one-year deal reportedly worth $6 million on Monday. The contract has yet to be signed, but negotiations are done.

A series of performance-based bonuses could lift Yzerman’s salary up to $8 million. One of those bonuses is based on the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup.

Last season, Yzerman did not make his debut until February 24. He spent the first half of the season rehabilitating a surgically-realigned right knee.

Yzerman’s resigning comes only two days after superstar center Sergei Fedorov bolted the Red Wings to sign with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

Yzerman was drafted fourth-overall by the Red Wings in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Last season he claimed the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. In 1989 he won the Lester B. Pearson Trophy for most valuable player as selected by the NHL Players Association. Yzerman was the MVP of the Red Wings’ 1998 Stanley Cup run, claiming the Conn Smythe Trophy. In 2000, he won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. He was named Best Role Model by the NHL Fans Association in 2000, 2001 and 2003.