Because Marcel Dionne played 4 seasons for Detroit. Yzerman played 21. Because Marcel Dionne played for the Wings when they weren't just bad, but bottom of the league bad... and Yzerman played long enough to build the team to where it was the preeminent franchise in hockey. Because Marcel Dionne's career ended before the Berlin Wall came down and a good chunk of professional hockey was on pay-to-play channels like PASS sports and was WAY more niche than it is now and Steve Yzerman's career coincided with far more national TV coverage, the advent of the internet and highlights of Yzerman's greatest plays and moments are on constant replay around the league.
Gee, I wonder why one guy in 2019 would have a higher profile than the other.
You might want to read an entire conversation if you're going to reply to a post. I compared their profiles in NHL history, the amount of games Dionne played for Detroit specifically is irrelevant. And also are we going to sit here and pretend like some very important figures in the Wings organization weren't seriously considering moving on from Yzerman before they started winning Cups? The guy was basically already a HOFer at that point, yet despite that the lack of Cups had them considering other options.
As far as being remembered, we're not talking about your run of the mill casual sports fan who maybe catches a game here and there. Even amongst experts, Yzerman's profile carries a lot more weight than Dionne's. Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr's careers also ended before the Berlin Wall came down, but they don't seem to lose points because of it... He's not some forgotten player from a bygone era, Dionne is #6 all time in points (1 spot ahead of Yzerman).
And by referencing the success Yzerman enjoyed with the 'preeminent franchise in hockey', you're actually helping prove my point in a roundabout way. Yzerman won Cups, Dionne did not. Why? Well one of them played on terrible
teams, and the other played on great
teams. Yzerman didn't win single-handedly, his team won. He was one of the most important contributors no doubt, but so was Fedorov. Just as important, really. They both played elite two-way games and were captains on the team.
Dionne's legacy has taken a hit by the fact he never won a Cup. Yzerman's legacy has gotten a great boost from winning 3 Cups. They both achieved a similar level of individual success in their careers, what sets them apart are the Cups. Sergei Fedorov was an essential component of winning those Cups, therefore he played an incredibly important role in building Yzerman's legacy, just like Yzerman helped build Fedorov's. Without him, Yzerman's legacy would likely be a bit closer to Dionne than where he is now. Just like people were using lack of a championship as a mark against Ovechkin. It may not be fair, but it is what it is.
Cups raise profiles, that shouldn't be a controversial thing to say. Yzerman's profile was raised by the Cups he won. He probably doesn't win those Cups without Fedorov in the mix. Therefore, having Yzerman in charge makes it more likely that Fedorov will get his due recognition, he deserves it.