Looking back on his rookie season with the Detroit Red Wings, it all seems so surreal – to both Pavel Datsyuk and to fans of the team.

The 2001-02 Red Wings were among the greatest collections of NHL talent ever assembled. Though his legend would grow to a status where he stood alongside these all-time greats, amid them for the first time, the Magic Man was just another wide-eyed rookie.

The 2001-02 Red Wings had NINE players in the NHL’s Top 100 pic.twitter.com/3c9iNPwO3H

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) June 14, 2020

Two of those legends, Datsyuk and Igor Larionov, were recently discussing the experience on Larionov’s podcast.

“The whole time it seemed like I didn’t close my mouth,” Datsyuk explained. “I ended up on some crazy planet, where another world opened up to me, a hockey world. I could attend a training session, where each training session was like a lesson for me. One day I could watch one player, another day another.

“It was such a wonderful time.”

Red Wings Loaded With Hall of Famers

Detroit’s roster that season included 10 future Hall of Fame players – Larionov, Dominik Hasek, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Luc Robitaille, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, and Chris Chelios. And of course, Datsyuk, who would go on to a spectacular career of his own.

In honour of Pavel Datsyuk’s 47th birthday, here’s a minute of him making NHL players look absolutely silly.

(via @DetroitRedWings)pic.twitter.com/aegnEUNgOT

— BarDown (@BarDown) July 20, 2025

“You joined the team and still became an outstanding personality,” Larionov said to Datsyuk. “This is something to strive for, understanding that this is a lot of work that you have to go through. And you did it.

“And I am glad that I was able to play with you on the same team for a couple of years.”

That first season, Datsyuk was another spoke in the wheel of a Stanley Cup championship squad. Every day at practice, he was a sponge. His objective was to absorb all the hockey lessons he could from these legends of the game.

“I ended up with NHL stars on a team where I could learn,” Datysuk said. “I ended up with the guys we were watching.

“Yes, I was a little shy talking to them, but I was there the whole time, watching, listening, getting advice.”

As Datsyuk would go on to show during his own Hall of Fame career, they were lessons well learned.