Twenty-two seasons, three Stanley Cups, one team ... Enough of the all-knowing tsifiri, she already said her last word. The statistical kaleidoscope, swirling hot fan heads, was replaced by wide-open souls and eyes full of tears. On Tuesday, the Detroit officially retired not just an unsinkable captain, a tireless reaper of goals, points and victories, but a Man who conquered people's hearts with a fantastic obsession on the ice rink and unparalleled intelligence beyond.
It’s a paradox, but after spending nearly a quarter of a century under the dazzling brilliance of searchlights and often smiling from the title pages of leading sports publications, Steve Aizerman came down from the Enkhael sky, full of secrets and mysteries.
How, for example, having first torn the cruciate ligaments for the first time in 1988 and since then having undergone countless relapses and knee operations, did Steve manage to stay afloat until the summer of 2006? It turns out that all the trophies, including the gold of the Salt Lake City Olympics, Aiserman won through pain, due to colossal willpower.
Before the Games triumphant for the Canadian national team, the Detroit striker underwent an arthroscopic procedure, and the doctors pleaded in chorus to skip the four-year starts. The captain, as usual, judged in his own way. And the villain-fate put another bandwagon. According to all the laws of common sense, the new epic of the fight against the disease was to cross out the rest of the season. However, Steve returned in April and hobbled with the team through the entire playoffs to the treasured silver bowl.
However, “hobbling” is not the right word, given the 23 points in 23 cup matches and the crazy energy charge that the partners received from the leader. Then, in a spray of champagne, only the closest knew that Aizerman was given painkillers before each match and during breaks. But even the actions of the most powerful analgesics were sorely lacking, and Steve often left the ice, leaning on a stick, like a decrepit old man on a staff.
The control medical examination shocked even those who had seen the forms of aesculapius: little was left of the attacked knee’s knee. Verdict: osteotomy is an operation for pensioners who want to live a century without feeling pain when walking. All skates on a nail? There it was! Six months passed - and Steve became the first professional to undergo a monstrously painful procedure with donor bone transplantation and return to the big sport!
His personal life is covered in a thick veil of secrecy. Aizerman does not like to flaunt himself, to draw himself in front of television cameras, preferring to gain respect not in word but in deed. It is known about his parents that the father of the striker Ron worked in the Canadian government, and mother Jean first nursed other people's children for modest donations, and then completely switched to raising her own - four boys and girls.
When Chris, one of Steve’s brothers, joined the hockey reporters, the Detroit captain gave him simple but very useful advice: “Don’t ask stupid questions. Don’t come for an interview with a written sheet of questions. Don’t twitch. If a guy plays badly, then and write. Don't be an elegant ass. "
Well, the Captain himself throughout his life carried his father’s instructions to his heart: “Never, under any circumstances, disgrace a surname. Do not break cars. Do not end your life behind bars. Aizerman's favorite films are Rocky and Braveheart. Film actor - Robert De Niro. A group for all time - U2 from Ireland. An autographed guitar by Bono, the leader of this wonderful band, is central to our hero’s rich home collection.
Like Igor Larionov, with whom Steve was fortunate enough to play in the "red wings", the Captain is seriously fond of winemaking. And so professionally that special literature supplanted fiction from his bookshelves.
Aizerman makes cognitive voyages to France and Italy several times a year, where he meets the best manufacturers of a fragrant drink, and now his knowledge is not limited to the names of brands and their geographical affiliation. According to Darren Pang, the legendary Enkhael goalkeeper and closest friend since the teenage times, wake Steve in the middle of the night and he will tell you exactly what grape varieties should be stored at what temperature and how to process it. "He was always interested in life outside the ice. He saw its joys and did not ignore the dark sides," says Pang.
Indeed, if you want to know the real Isherman, ask Brexton, a simple boy who lives in the name and thanks to Steve. Brexton Davis was not even one year old when the doctors diagnosed him immediately with two chilling diagnoses: neuroblastoma - cancer of the nervous system and lymphoma - cancer of the lymphatic system. Only 78 cases of the simultaneous presence of both misfortunes in the body have been recorded on the entire planet! The eight-hour operation and the ensuing hard labor of chemotherapy turned the child's life into hell, made him a holy fool, whom passers-by shyly avoided. And only beloved hockey did not turn away, did not betray, was the only outlet, alluring and mesmerizing, although completely unattainable.
Even from the cradle, Brexton fell asleep and woke up with a miniature club. From the age of five he became a passionate collector of cards of his idol Aizerman. The posters of the captain of the Detroit taped the whole room. From videotapes with recordings of games of "red wings" cabinets burst at the seams. Once, when the guy was only six years old, a phone rang in his house, and a quiet voice on the other end said: "Hello, this is Steve Aiserman."
Thus began the friendship of the big NHL star and his little fan. Friendship, which omniscient newspapers learned about only five years later. All this time, Steve invited Brexton to trainings and matches, but he never made PR out of charity. He gave souvenirs and patted his fatherly shoulder, making sure that the cameras were looking the other way. He used to do good without attracting attention ...
On Tuesday, the eleven-year-old Brexton Davis sat in the front row of the Joe Louis Arena and, swallowing tears, stared at the idol. It is not known when these two will meet again next time. But one thing is clear: a piece of the soul of the boy who defeated the death, as well as millions of other people around the planet, is forever given to the Captain. Not only the sixth ranking scorer in NHL history, but also Man. With a capital letter.
Vladimir BYCHEK