As a Red Wing fan I watched his entire career and it was incredible.

The fact he's a true gentleman of the sport is just like a cherry on top. Just makes him likeable as well as astounding. My favorite Russian player ever, easily.

I can’t say enough about Datsyuk. He’s a legend here in Detroit. I met him at an event at joe Louis arena. I shook his hand and got an autograph and picture lol he was polite as hell. Ive watched countless hours of datsyuk playing and watching highlights. He truly was a one of a kind. A very special player. His jersey will be hanged up in the rafters one day.

Good break down on the feet crossing, I’d never noticed that

I’m 42 and watched the wings since I was 14 years old. I never enjoyed watching another player more than Pav. Not only was he a great player but he’s a great person.

Nice to see Datsyuk get this kind of "respect" video - he sure deserves it.  I think you're spot on that he has inspired a whole generation (or two) of younger players to develop puck handling skill sets that just weren't common in the NHL before he came along.

I have seen Datsyuk play live over 100 times, mostly not in Detroit. I have been to a lot of away wings games, as well as th Olympics twice to see him. I’ve seen everyone from Fedorov to Kucherov. Datsyuk took the best parts of Igor Larionov and the best parts of Sergei Fedorov and then back checked like Kris Draper. He’s the most complete player that ever existed. He’s my 1a on every team I draft.

I think most people who’ve been watching hockey for a very long time hold Datsyuk in very high regard among the very best to have ever played. There was a reason he earned his nick name.

Datsyuk had a canoe paddle for a stick, monster hands, and soft touch, no one will ever compare to him, the way he reverse hit people, could deke through a whole team, controlled the tempo of the game whenever he had the puck, and when he had the puck no one sometimes even two players could get it from him. An artist of the highest kind in hockey. There will never be another magic man, he truly was special.

During Pavel's first year with the Red Wings, he became favorite player. Later in his career, my young son and I got to watch team warmups from the penalty box. This was just before he perfected his one of kind move where he would bounce the puck off the toe of his inside skate while he's turning on the ice. So, during that pregame, we watched him practicing that move hundreds n hundreds of times. Since nobody had seen that move in a game before, I assumed it was just some practice move he used for developing hand/eye or something.
But then he showed it in the 2nd period in the offensive zone where he came out of the left corner, got a pass and did a loop out near the red line and heading towards the right corner. He was bouncing the puck off his left toe the whole time with the defender staying with him.
Finally, near the right circle, the defender committed to reaching for the toe tip and Pavel immediately darted around him and went 15' out from the goal and fired a backhand past a defenseman and a Wing in front and found net. The JLA went nuts and it's something I'll never forget.

He was the most fun player to watch, growing up. I always remember that whenever someone was pulling up hockey highlights when hanging out with friends it was always Datsyuk. He was really on another level

I grew up in Michigan, played hockey my entire childhood, and am a Wings fan. I'm so glad I got to witness Datsyuk's entire career as I grew up and how it influenced not only the Red Wings franchise, but the NHL as a whole. He is truly irreplaceable, and Wings fans miss him to this day.

They don't say: "That was Datsyukian!" for nothing.

He changed how hockey is played in the NHL, that is why there can never be a player like him, because the game isnt the same. Its like in the early 90s where players like Teemu Selänne could literally just outspeed any defenseman. it changed how defenseman played the game.

My absolute favorite player!  It's a shame people penalize him for being a complete hockey player.  Complete meaning he owned all 3 zones of the rink, not just the offensive zone like other players who shall remain nameless.  If Datsyuk was more selfish and only worked hard in the offensive zone (like others...) he would most likely have doubled his numbers or more.

One of the best breakdowns of the Pavel Datsyuk Brain. Pavel was the greatest hockey player because he elevated the game with his mind. He saw the space around the defenders in different dimensions. He knew where their sticks could go, and where they couldn't. He knew where their eyes could see, and where they couldn't. He knew where they could hit him, and where they couldn't. He was a biomechanical chess master and was playing the game of hockey at a different level that created a whole new sense of excitement and awe. You showed McDavid doing a copy of Datsyuk. I don't have proof, but I think McDavid was a huge student of Datsyuk, and likely every offensive player will be students of Datsyuk from now on.

I think Pavel is so good that If i had a choice between McDavid or any other top player today I'd still pick Datsyuk because he added excitement every game. He always blew my mind. I still cant believe he retired. I'm still somewhat depressed by his absence because very few players are like him, even in today's faster game and with more talented players. Lol

Just no other player was more anticipated on the ice than Pasha.  So glad as a Red Wings fan to have seen this man's brilliance throughout his whole career.

The best thing is how defeated he left defenders and goalies. They didn't even look mad, just broken.

Growing up a wings fan he’s always been my favorite player. Didn’t really understand how great he was as a kid, but seeing it more now it’s mind boggling how good he was.