Even though time has moved on and their playing days are behind them, some things haven't changed for Steve Yzerman and Luc Robitaille.
The two future Hall of Famers got together Thursday to formulate a plan now that each has been named to Canada's management team for the upcoming IIHF World Hockey Championship in Quebec City and Halifax.
Sitting around and talking hockey is nothing new for Yzerman and Robitaille. The former Detroit Red Wings teammates once had locker stalls next to one another in the dressing room at Joe Louis Arena and would spend hours together discussing the game.
"We would talk a lot and share our experiences and talk about players and our vision," Robitaille told The Canadian Press from Detroit. "We always kind of agreed on everything.
"We had the same vision on players and building a team. I think that's one of the reasons he wanted to work with me."
Yzerman is Canada's general manager at the event for a second straight year and asked Robitaille and Doug Armstrong to be his assistants.
He extended the invitation to Robitaille after an NHL Board of Governors meeting during last month's all-star game in Atlanta. Robitaille, now the Los Angeles Kings president of business operations, accepted immediately.
The pair won a Stanley Cup together in 2002 and are eager to build a gold-medal winner in 2008.
"I'm very excited to have him on the staff," Yzerman said earlier this week. "He has a great passion for the game. When I first talked to him about being a part of the program, he was in 100 per cent and showed great enthusiasm.
"He has international experience and experience in all types of hockey."
Lucky Luc looking forward to first management experience with Team Canada (THN) 
