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TAMPA – On the eve of the start of the Stanley Cup Final, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman took the “respect your opponent” idea to a Hall of Fame level.

Yzerman said Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is a better player than he was. The comments came on media day as the Lightning and Blackhawks prepare to meet in the Stanley Cup Final.

“The reality is that Jon is bigger, stronger… better. He just is,” Yzerman said. “Tremendous all-around player, great person.”

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Yzerman and Toews met for the first time in 2007 when Toews played for Yzerman’s Team Canada team after completing his sophomore college season at North Dakota. “Fit in on the team (as) one of our best players,” Yzerman recalled.

According to Yzerman, coach Scotty Bowman made him and other Red Wings more defensive minded and better all-around players. Yzerman’s transformation was remarkable. He went from a dynamic offensive star to a player who was known as the ultimate playoff warrior.

“And Jonathan’s been that since Day One when he came into the league,” Yzerman said. “Just a complete hockey player.”

The respect is mutual. “I want to call him Mr. Yzerman, but I know he’d probably get mad at me if I said that,” Toews said. “But I think Steve is a very complimentary person and I don’t think he’d say anything less than that. I just take that with a grain of salt. I think everyone here knows that’s pretty much untrue, but it obviously means a lot to hear any sort of praise from a guy like that.”

Yzerman admitted to having one similarity with Toews. “Well, we wore No. 19,” he said.