The NHL Tonight entertained Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman this evening, with Friedman taking part in a 12:01 segment in which he discusses (among other topics) the Red Wings’ managerial search, but it’s not been posted in YouTube format yet, so you’ll have to click on the embedded link to watch the segment.
Friedman believes that “things are going to get ramped up” as the Red Wings identify candidates, and will begin to interview candidates through their search firm next week.
He says that the Red Wings are very serious about letting candidates know that they will have autonomy in the hockey operations department, and that the Red Wings have no shortage of resources in terms of what the GM or President of Hockey Operations feels that they need to do.
Friedman believes that it’s a wanted job, and it may be one person or two, it might not be a “hockey person” as traditionally defined, and they want whoever is interviewed to come in with a specific, concrete plan to get the Wings moving forward, make Detroit and Michigan a destination, hear specific actions, and determine how the team can facilitate the prospective executive’s plan.
Friedman says that there are names out there, but Jeff Greenberg, who is the GM of the Detroit Tigers, and worked for the Chicago Blackhawks, is not necessarily a leading contender, but as someone who’s already in the organization, will be a factor–though he’s not the favorite by any means.
