Original write up here: https://www.grossepointenews.com/articles/woods-man-lands-interview-of-a-lifetime/

Full interview with Yzerman here: Yzerman Interview

Copied write up below ⬇️

Frank Sorise’s fiancée truly outdid herself when she presented him his wedding gift.

There’s video proof of the Grosse Pointe Woods man’s reaction when he opened the envelope she handed him.

He was awe-struck, in disbelief, dumbfounded. 

She had been hyping up the gift for months before handing it over and with good reason.

Inside the envelope was a photoshopped ticket that read, “Admit One: Your exclusive interview with Steve Yzerman on The Fizz.”

Sorise has long admired the former captain and current general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. He grew up loving Detroit, hockey and all things Yzerman. He spent his childhood in East English Village, where his parents still live, and attended St. Clare of Montefalco School. While there, he wrote an essay about perseverance, never giving up and giving 100 percent. The subject of his essay — which was sent to the Michigan Reading Association and published in its 2005 Kaleidoscope magazine — was Yzerman.

“He’s an amazing representation of the city of Detroit,” Sorise said. “I love the city of Detroit with all my heart. I’ve always thought the city had so much potential.

“And hockey is my favorite sport,” he continued. “I’ve always felt we were lucky to have someone like Steve Yzerman here, someone so respected and talented at his sport. … He never quit; he loves the game of hockey. No matter the injury or circumstance, he was always there to contribute, no excuses.”

An athlete himself, Sorise played hockey, baseball and basketball in his youth. After St. Clare, he attended De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren, where he played hockey and was part of a state championship-winning baseball team.

He went on to earn a journalism degree with a focus on marketing from Michigan State University, then moved to Chicago, where he worked at a creative agency.

Love eventually brought him back to Michigan. He and Sarah were married in September. He currently works downtown doing marketing for Xenith, a sports equipment manufacturer. His “second job,” or as he puts it, “a passion project of mine,” is with his website, Champagne Athletics, and related podcast, The Fizz.

Operating a website is nothing new for Sorise, who wrote for the MSU student paper, “The Black Sheep” and also created a short-lived website after graduating. This site, however, he’s operating with a little more passion and experience — and help from Jehuu Caulcrick, a former MSU running back who also played professionally with the Buffalo Bills.

Champagne Athletics takes a not-too-in-depth look at the pop culture aspect of Detroit sports, Sorise said. In 2017, he added The Fizz podcast, which pops out new episodes weekly. It was on this podcast Sorise’s hockey hero agreed to be interviewed.

“It was like a flash-bang went off,” he said, recalling his reaction to the wedding gift. “I thought she was messing with me. … Once that faded, I was ecstatic.”

The plan was put into motion when his wife-to-be asked her Instagram buddy, Isabella Yzerman, if her hockey-legend dad would let Sorise interview him. Phone numbers were exchanged, a timeline set and Sorise was told to expect Stevie Y’s call sometime in November.

“So November comes and goes by, no call,” Sorise said. “I’m not going to say I forgot about it, but it definitely wasn’t at the front of my mind. Steve Yzerman is a busy guy. … I didn’t know if it would ever happen. I mean, he doesn’t do interviews, let alone ones with smaller podcasts.”

Then one December morning, when Sorise was battling one phone call after the next with carpet installers, he answered a call from a 248 number with a bit of bite.

“I answered a little short, blunt, ‘Hi, this is Frank,’” he recalled. “‘Hey Frank, this is Steve Yzerman. How are we doing?’

“I started pacing around the house,” he continued. “I was nervous and fumbling all over myself. … But he was extremely nice and he understood how excited I was.”

The pair agreed to chat on The Fizz a few days later. Having a chance to interview his hockey hero was nerve-wracking, but exciting, Sorise said.

“The hardest part was narrowing down the questions I wanted to ask him,” he said. “He asked if I had enough questions to talk for a half hour. I said I have enough questions to talk for 48 hours.”

Though they agreed on 30 minutes, Yzerman extended the chat to nearly 50. The resulting podcast is one Sorise will never forget.

“He’s been my hero and a godlike figure to me my whole life,” he said. “I just turned 30; it was fun to feel that experience like I was a kid.

“Getting a chance to meet my hero is something I’ll never forget,” he added. “It was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done to me. … He’s an extremely nice guy; he was everything I’d hoped he would be. Some people, when they meet their hero, they’re disappointed or let down or they feel blown off. He didn’t rush through his answers. He wasn’t distracted. He took his time and every question was answered intentionally. He’s a thoughtful individual and a great role model.”

While his bride’s wedding gift to him was something he’ll cherish forever — and something that will live on forever on the World Wide Web — Sorise said he has a little extra work to do.

“I got her a purse,” he said, “so I’ll be playing catchup for the rest of my life.”

The Fizz is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud. Sorise’s content is best accessed via Instagram @champagneathletics or his Twitter, Facebook or TikTok accounts.