Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman spoke with a private audience recently in the Ilitch Sports + Entertainment colleague gathering on Monday afternoon. DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills took note of some of Yzerman’s noteworthy remarks:
Injuries certainly hampered the Red Wings in 2022-23, so Detroit often relied on organizational depth to fill voids. And beginning Thursday, that depth will be on full display when the Red Wings’ brightest young prospects take the ice for the 2023 NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City.
Yzerman said he views the annual tournament as an opportunity to learn more about the highly touted prospects within and outside the organization.
“We’ve got kids anywhere from 18 to 24 (years old),” Yzerman said. “It’s a huge difference. The 24-year-olds are physically developed. A majority of the 18-year-olds are young and not as strong. So we just watch to see where they’re at. We get a chance to see three other organizations’ prospects as well, so we do a little bit of scouting.”
Describing the Red Wings’ upcoming schedule in Traverse City brought back special memories for Yzerman, who spent his entire 22-year NHL career with Detroit.
“That area is awesome,” Yzerman said about Traverse City. “Players love going up. The first time we went up was the summer of ’97, after we won the Stanley Cup. You’re done at noon or 1 o’clock, then the guys go golf, fishing or whatever they want to do. They have a lot of fun.”
