Pavel Datsyuk

Russian professional hockey player Pavel Datsyuk currently plays for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League.

Datsyuk, who won the Lady Byng Trophy, for outstanding sportsmanship, and the Selke Trophy, as the top defensive forward, in 2008 and 2009, becoming the first player in NHL history to win both awards back-to-back.ESPN.com: Datsyuk Looks for Historic Selke Repeat

Datsyuk began playing in his native Russia in the Russian Super League in 1996. He first started with the Dynamo Yekaterinburg, then was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings 171st overall in the 1998 NHL Draft. Datsyuk continued to play in Russia, moving to the Ak Bars Kazan in 1999.

Datsyuk joined the Red Wings for the 2001-02 regular season, playing 21 games in the playoffs as the Wings won the Stanley Cup Championship. He returned to the Russian Super League during the 2004-05 NHL Lockout before re-signing with the Wings on September 19, 2005. He went on to win his first of two Lady Byng Memorial Trophies in 2006, for outstanding sportsmanship. After signing a seven-year contract extension with the Red Wings on April 6, 2007, Datsyuk was selected for his first NHL All-Star Game in 2008. He went on to lead the Red Wings to their second championship in six seasons, winning the Stanley Cup in 2008.

In the 2009-10 season, Datsyuk continued to be a key player in the Red Wings offense, playing in 80 games and scoring 27 goals. He added 43 assists and notched 203 shots on goal for a shot percentage of 13.3. Datsyuk helped the Red Wings rise from a mid-season slump to finish the season as one of the hottest teams in the NHL and place fifth in the Western Conference and qualify for the 2010 NHL Playoffs.