Pavel Datsyuk turns 48 on July 20, and hockey fans everywhere are taking the occasion to celebrate one of the most skilled players to ever lace up skates for the Detroit Red Wings.
Nicknamed the “Magic Man” for his otherworldly puck control, Datsyuk built a career in Detroit defined by jaw-dropping highlights that still circulate among fans today.
Advertisement
Datsyuk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024, capping a legacy that includes two Stanley Cup championships in 2002 and 2008, three straight Selke Trophies as the league’s top defensive forward from 2008 to 2010, and four consecutive Lady Byng Trophies for sportsmanship from 2006 to 2009.
In honor of his birthday, here’s a look back at some of the plays that made him a legend in Hockeytown.
One of the clearest examples of his chemistry with longtime running mate Henrik Zetterberg came in a game against the Arizona Coyotes. After winger Dan Cleary worked the puck down the wall, Datsyuk collected it and, without so much as a glance, threaded a no-look feed into the slot for Zetterberg to bury. It was a perfect microcosm of a partnership that decided countless games for Detroit over the years.
The Ankle Breaker
Datsyuk also had a knack for pulling off things that felt borrowed from another sport entirely. Against the San Jose Sharks, he found himself with Logan Couture bearing down on him near the bottom of the offensive zone.
Datsyuk sold a move to the outside, then cut back at the last possible second, a crossover-style fake that sent Couture sliding to the ice and left him searching for the puck that was no longer there.
Advertisement
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
The Behind-the-Back Steal That Won a Playoff Game
Perhaps the single most remarkable display of his puck skills came during Game 1 of Detroit’s first-round series against Boston in the 2014 playoffs. Still nursing a knee injury, Datsyuk somehow reached behind his own body and through a pair of Bruins defenders to come away with the puck, a sequence that stunned the broadcast crew calling the game.
He turned it into the game’s only goal, sliding the puck through Dougie Hamilton’s legs and past Tuukka Rask for the series-opening win, proof that even at less than full health, Datsyuk was still a cut above nearly everyone else on the ice.
Advertisement
Legendary First NHL Goal
Long before all of that, Datsyuk announced himself with his very first NHL goal, a play that hinted at everything to come. He slipped past a pair of defenders, worked his way around a crowded crease, and slid a quick backhander home, setting the tone for a decade and a half of highlight-reel hockey in Detroit.
Signature Deke on Marty Turco
His signature move, though, may still be the one he used against Dallas Stars netminder Marty Turco, a dizzying reverse forehand-to-backhand toe-drag that left Turco flailing and became one of the most replayed sequences of his career. He pulled off similar wizardry against Tomas Vokoun in a shootout, further cementing his reputation as a goaltender’s worst nightmare.
Nearly a decade removed from his playing days, Datsyuk’s brand of hockey magic remains unmatched in Red Wings history, and his 48th birthday is as good a reason as any to revisit why he’ll always be remembered as one of the game’s most captivating players.
Advertisement
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
Image
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Read the full article here
