With the Detroit Red Wings season just over two weeks away and the team still without a permanent leader, the team has appointed Shawn Horcoff as the interim general manager.
According to the Red Wings, Horcoff, who has served as the Red Wings assistant GM and GM of the Grand Rapids Griffins, will manage the day-to-day roster decisions, salary cap and hockey operations personnel for the Red Wings. He will report to Chris Ilitch during the interim period.
“As our process continues to find the best possible leader for Red Wings hockey operations, I’m appreciative of Shawn for stepping up to serve in this capacity,” Ilitch said in a statement. “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. Shawn has my complete support, and the authority to make decisions in the best interests of our organization.
"Our search has attracted significant interest in the head of hockey operations position from respected leaders across the industry, and several of those candidates, including Shawn, remain under consideration for the permanent role. Identifying and hiring the right leader is essential to our franchise's future, and we remain committed to being deliberate and thorough in this process. We're grateful for our players, staff, and fans for their support as we work toward this pivotal hire," he added.
Former GM and president of hockey operations Steve Yzerman will officially transition to the role of senior advisor to the governor and CEO.
Additionally, Steve Yzerman will officially transition to the role of Senior Advisor to the Governor
The team also released statements on several issues, which you can read below.
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
On Shawn Horcoff
"Shawn Horcoff has been instrumental to our organization, allowing us to maintain our high standards while conducting a thorough search rather than working against a deadline. His deep knowledge of our players, contracts, and organization positioned him to lead us during this period. Moving forward, he will oversee our hockey operations with full authority and our complete confidence, consistent with how we've empowered every leader in this role. He's already deeply engaged in the important work ahead as camp begins, having been part of every conversation over the past months. He continues forward with full knowledge of our direction and the decisions already in motion—and remains a candidate for the permanent role."
