Pavel Datsyuk

Pavel Datsyuk
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2024
Datsyuk with the Detroit Red Wings in March 2015
Born	(1978-07-20) 20 July 1978 (age 46) Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Spartak Yekaterinburg Ak Bars Kazan Detroit Red Wings Dynamo Moscow CSKA Moscow SKA Saint Petersburg Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
National team	Russia
NHL draft	171st overall, 1998 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1996–2021

Pavel Valeryevich Datsyuk (Russian: Па́вел Вале́рьевич Дацю́к, IPA: [ˈpavʲɪl dɐˈtsuk]; born 20 July 1978) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player. He was nicknamed the "Magic Man", honoring his incredible stickhandling and creativity with the puck. From 2001 to 2016, he played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). In 2017, Datsyuk was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history, and was the only active player outside of the NHL at the time of announcement.^[1]

Datsyuk won the Stanley Cup in 2002 and 2008 with the Red Wings, and the Gagarin Cup in 2017 with SKA Saint Petersburg. He was part of the Russia men's national ice hockey team at the Olympic Games in 2002, 2006, 2010 and was team captain in 2014 and 2018.^[2] With his gold medal win at the 2018 Olympics, Datsyuk joined the Triple Gold Club.^[3]

Datsyuk won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward in the 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10 NHL season. He also won four consecutive Lady Byng Memorial Trophies, from 2006 to 2009, awarded for performance and sportsmanship. He was nominated for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player following the 2008–09 season. Datsyuk is well known for his elite defensive play and game-changing offensive skills. He was also a leading player for the Russian hockey team at multiple Olympics and World Cups. Datsyuk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024.