I was very fortunate. I got to Detroit in his second season. Where could you ever get a player who would miss very few games, who could play at the level he was at? You never had to worry about him day-to-day. He was just one-of-a-kind. Even after they changed the rules after the (2004-05) lockout, his game never suffered. People thought he might not be able to handle the new game, but he did. The great players always adapt.

He was a wonderful person and a terrific player. He was a natural choice as captain after Yzerman left. The thing I was always amazed about with Nick Lidstrom was how he could play with anybody as a partner on defense, and his game never suffered, and he could just play with anybody. It’s going to be strange to watch Detroit without him.