Steve Yzerman takes another hit as insider shares details on Red Wings GM search.

The Detroit Red Wings surprised many when they announced earlier this summer that they would be relieving now former general manager Steve Yzerman of his GM responsibilities moving forward. The move came as a surprise if only due to the fact that Yzerman was once believed to be untouchable in his role as Red Wings GM, although that was tempered by the fact that the announcement also revealed that Yzerman would remain with the team in an advisory role going forward.

While many suspected at the time that this would allow Yzerman to maintain some level of influence over the Red Wings hockey operations, it now sounds like nothing could be further from the truth.

In a recent segment on the NHL Network, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Red Wings have informed the candidates to be Yzerman's replacement that they will have full autonomy over their own decisions should they take the job.

"The way I understand it is... the Red Wings are very serious about making sure that candidates know that they will have autonomy," revealed Friedman. "Initially the announcement talked about how Steve Yzerman might have a role going forward, that's not gonna be the case in terms of hockey operations."

Friedman even doubled down on the statement, revealing that some people he had spoken to believed that Yzerman would have some influence, making it crystal clear that Yzerman's days of influencing the business of hockey for the Detroit Red Wings have come to an end.

"Some people I spoke to interpreted that to mean that Steve Yzerman will still have a role in hockey operations, that's not going to be the case."

Given the sheer level of animosity some fans were developing towards Yzerman, a legend of the franchise, this may be the best thing for everyone involved.