Steve Yzerman out as Red Wings GM in stunning front office shakeup

Steve Yzerman's tenure as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings is over, but his time with the franchise is not.

The Red Wings announced on Wednesday that Yzerman has been relieved of his duties as Executive Vice President and General Manager. Rather than parting ways entirely, however, the organization confirmed that the Hockey Hall of Famer will transition into a senior advisory role, working directly alongside Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch. A formal search for a new head of hockey operations is now underway.

The move comes after another disappointing season in Detroit, with the club once again falling short of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ilitch made no effort to sugarcoat the situation.

"Clearly, we are not where we and our fans expect to be as an organization," Ilitch said in the team's official statement. "I'm looking forward to bringing in new leadership to build the championship-caliber organization Hockeytown deserves."

Yzerman will not disappear immediately. According to the team, he will continue handling the day-to-day operations on an interim basis to ensure a smooth handoff once his successor is in place. He will also serve in an advisory capacity on the search committee, which will be led by Ilitch and include Ilitch Sports + Entertainment President and CEO Ryan Gustafson.

A search for the team’s next President/GM is underway. Both internal and external candidates are expected to be considered for the position.

Yzerman's connection to Detroit runs as deep as anyone's in franchise history. He spent all 22 years of his playing career as a Red Wing, serving as captain for two decades and winning three Stanley Cups before retiring in 2006 with 692 goals and 1,755 points. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and had his number retired by the club. After a stint in Tampa Bay's front office, where the Lightning went on to capture back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021, Yzerman returned to Detroit in 2019 as the franchise's 11th general manager.

Despite that storied resume, the results on the ice during his GM tenure never matched the lofty expectations that accompanied his homecoming.

Detroit will tap to lead the next chapter of its hockey operations, and whether that person can finally deliver the postseason success that has eluded Hockey Town for years.