Pavel Datsyuk made a lot of things look easy in his splendid career with the Red Wings. He did it again Tuesday, gliding into the Hockey Hall of Fame on his first try.
Over 14 seasons in Detroit, Datsyuk won two Stanley Cups. And three Selke awards as the NHL's best defensive forward. And four Lady Byng trophies for gentlemanly conduct and a high standard of play. The latter honor looks past all the times he undressed his opponents. There are still a few jockstraps in the rafters, where No. 13 should one day hang in Little Caesars Arena.
Datsyuk, who was also recognized as one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players as part of the league’s centennial celebration, ranks eighth in Red Wings history with 314 goals and seventh with 918 points. He's also sixth in franchise history in playoff points. No one will ever match his hands, and the Datsyukian Dekes that dazzled -- and dazed -- the NHL.
Fellow first-ballot Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman, who played with Datsyuk for four seasons in Detroit, called No. 13 "an exceptional player who will rightfully take his place amongst the game’s greats."
“Pavel’s world-class skills made him one of the best one-on-one players of all time, but his high-end compete and work ethic separated him from his peers," Yzerman said in a statement. "He was a dynamic force who excelled at both ends of the ice and in all situations."
Datsyuk is also a member of the exclusive Triple Gold Club, having won a gold medal with Russia at the 2012 World Championships and at the 2018 Winter Olympics with the Olympic Athletes from Russia, in addition to his Stanley Cups.
Red Wings owner Chris Ilitch praised Datsyuk for having "fans around the world on the edge of their seats every time he touched the puck," while noting he was equally "recognized for his stellar defensive play, a testament to how great of an all-around talent he truly was."
“The ‘Magic Man’ created so many incredible memories for our fans and played an integral part in bringing two Stanley Cup championships to the city of Detroit," Ilitch said in a statement. "Congratulations again, Pavel, on this tremendous achievement.”
It wasn't such a celebratory day for three of Datsyuk's former teammates. Henrik Zetteberg, in his third year on the Hall of Fame ballot, and Chris Osgood, in his 10th, were not elected by the 18-member voting committee, which requires at least 14 votes for enshrinement. Niklas Kronwall was also denied entry for the third straight year, but isn't considered a strong candidate to be voted in.
Zetterberg is a fellow Triple Gold Club member with similar career numbers to Datsyuk: 337 goals and 960 points over 15 seasons with the Red Wings. But his only major individual award is the Conn Smythe trophy as the MVP of the playoffs in 2008. He also claimed the King Clancy in 2014-15 for his leadership qualities and contributions to his community.
Osgood is a three-time Cup winner who ranks 13th in NHL history in wins, but lacks the purely individual numbers worthy of the Hall of Fame. He ranks outside the top 30 goaltenders all time in goals against average (2.49) and shutouts (50) and outside the top 100 in save percentage (.905).
Two of Datsyuk's longtime opponents were also elected to the Hall of Fame in this year's class, including another in his first year on the ballot: defenseman Shea Weber. The other, forward Jeremy Roenick, had been on the ballot since 2012.
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