There have been many great players that have worn the winged wheel -- Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, Gordie Howe and Nicklas Lidstrom -- to name a few -- but there may never be a player that will attract us with what he did with his stick like Pavel did!
I could go on and post a bunch of highlights, but let's be honest, we aren't ready for the waterworks just yet... plus we are all aware at what the Magic Man was capable of... After all, even Siri knew who the Magic Man was!
This is simply just an open letter saying thank you, Pavel.
Thank you for the memories.
Thank you for the determination.
Thank you for leading us to several victories.
Thank you for being a joy to watch.
Thank you for the goals and plays that left us in awe.
Thank you for the magic.
But most importantly, thank you for representing the Winged Wheel well!
You will truly never be forgotten and we in Hockeytown understand the reasoning behind your decision. However, if you did play your last game as a Red Wing, this is not a goodbye; it is a see you later.... We will see you back in Detroit in the future... Maybe to even see your number 13 raised to the rafters with the other greats!