The Detroit Red Wings have named Shawn Horcoff their interim general manager, and they tipped the beat writers off to this development, as the Athletic’s Max Bultman had a piece ready to go at 10 AM…
The Red Wings begin training camp on Thursday but have yet to settle on a permanent top executive after a search that began July 15, when Steve Yzerman was removed from his position as general manager and moved into a senior adviser role.
The move gives Horcoff the latitude to handle day-to-day operations and complete the team’s most urgent piece of business, signing top-pair defenseman Simon Edvinsson to a new contract. Beyond that, though, the team’s No. 1 center, Dylan Larkin, requested a trade earlier this summer, and having an interim general manager at the helm could make the now-former captain’s request even more difficult to resolve before camp, or even the first games.
“We’re focused on identifying an innovative decision-maker who can lead the Red Wings to Stanley Cup success,” Illitch said in the news release. “We’ve had substantive conversations with talented executives over the past two months, and it’s been gratifying to see such strong interest in this organization and the caliber of candidates involved. This reflects our confidence in where this organization is headed. Our search continues, and we’re excited about the path forward. We’ll share updates when we have something meaningful to announce.”
As did the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:
Horcoff, who’ll turn 48 Thursday, joined the Wings’ organization in 2016 as assistant director of player development and has steadily seen his role increase.
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The odd timing of replacing Yzerman, several weeks after every team had set its front office for the upcoming season and had gone through the NHL Entry Draft and unrestricted free agency, made the Wings’ task increasingly difficult.
The Wings also preferred to have an executive who was astute and favorable to analytics, similar to the way Ilitch’s Tigers baseball team is under the direction of Scott Harris, president of baseball operations, and an Ilitch hire.
Horcoff has some big issues to deal with as training camp begins.
Dylan Larkin requested a trade in June but will report to training camp this week. The Wings have stripped Larkin of his team captaincy.
The Wings also need to re-sign defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who is a restricted free agent. Edvinsson is expected to report to training camp.
Ditto for WXYZ’s Max White…
On the transition from Steve Yzerman and its timing
“A thorough evaluation of our hockey operations following this past season’s disappointing finish led to discussions with Steve Yzerman and a determination that a change was necessary. This decision was driven by our need for a new vision in hockey leadership while preserving organizational continuity through the offseason and stands independent of other matters. We’re grateful for Steve’s invaluable contributions and his transition to senior advisor.”
On our search and where it now stands
“We’re focused on identifying an innovative decision maker who can lead the Red Wings to Stanley Cup success. We’ve had substantive conversations with talented executives over the past two months, and it’s been gratifying to see such strong interest in this organization and the caliber of candidates involved. This reflects our confidence in where this organization is headed. Our search continues, and we’re excited about the path forward. We’ll share updates when we have something meaningful to announce,” the team said in the release.
