- Red Wings appoint Shawn Horcoff interim general manager with authority over roster moves, the cap and hockey ops personnel
- Steve Yzerman officially becomes Senior Advisor to Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch
- Read below for where Detroit’s GM search sits with training camp opening Thursday
The Red Wings have a general manager again, at least on paper.
Detroit appointed Shawn Horcoff interim GM on Tuesday and officially moved Steve Yzerman into a senior advisor role, two months after Yzerman stepped out of the job. Horcoff keeps his post as general manager of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins and reports straight to Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch.
What matters is the authority that came with the title. Horcoff now runs day-to-day roster decisions, the salary cap and hockey operations personnel, and the team’s release says he does it with “full authority.” Reporting through the summer had his unofficial interim duties stopping short of trades.
Ilitch explained the timing in the club’s announcement:
“His knowledge of our organization and range of experience allows us to operate with a clear decision-maker in place for the season ahead, while maintaining our commitment to carry out a thorough, methodical search process on our own timeline.”
Yzerman’s line in the release is short and loaded. His new title points at Ilitch rather than at hockey operations. Most clubs that keep a former GM around tie the advisory role to the hockey side.
The search is not over. Ilitch said several candidates remain under consideration for the permanent job, and Horcoff is one of them, which is the part of this that actually leaves a door open:
Camp opens Thursday and the desk is full. Simon Edvinsson is still unsigned as a restricted free agent and plans to report anyway.
Dylan Larkin’s trade request is also outstanding, and the club took the C off his sweater rather than move him. He has five more years at $8.7 million.
How Detroit got here has been its own story. Elliotte Friedman said the Red Wings asked around for permission to interview candidates, then never interviewed them.
Nobody in the NHL is sitting on a longer active playoff drought. Horcoff starts chipping at it Thursday, with no idea how long the job stays his.
