Steve Yzerman

Ice hockey, Detroit Red Wings. Yzerman was named captain at 21 in 1986 and held the role for 19 seasons until 2006, the longest captaincy in NHL history. Under coach Scotty Bowman he accepted a less glamorous defensive role for the good of the team, and that change, visible to every team-mate, is widely credited with turning Detroit into the side that won three Stanley Cups.