Detroit Red Wings: Steve Yzerman is coming Home…… Well Sort of
Has there ever been a more beloved sports figure than Detroit Red Wings 20-year captain and NHL Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman? You would be hard pressed to find one.
Taking the General Manager’s gig in Tampa Bay has not diminished the love of number 19 at all for Detroit Red Wings fans. Yzerman announced yesterday that he was stepping down as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning effective immediately.
First and foremost Steve Yzerman has one year left on his contract and will slide into a senior advisory role with the Lightning until his contract expires. It is being reported Steve told the Tampa Bay players during a meeting prior to the announcement, he was moving back to Detroit to be closer to his family.
Yzerman and his wife own a Detroit area home. It gets interesting due to the fact Detroit signed current general manager Ken Holland to a two-year extension in April. That would be enough time for Yzerman to complete his Lightning obligations and move back into a front office position with the Red Wings. Detroit may decide to allow Ken Holland to finish out his contract before any deal is reached with his hopeful successor Steve Yzerman.
Per Helene St.James of freep.com;
"But what about next summer? During a press conference in April, Holland sounded open to adding to his front office, noting the departures of former trusted advisors.“I’m open to anything,” Holland said. “There was a period of time Jimmy Devellano lived in Detroit, he doesn’t any more. I had Jim Nill here. Steve (Yzerman) retired and we brought him on board. Scotty Bowman was a consultant. I had more voices and we had a lot of success. We won the Cup in ’08 and lost in the final in ’09. You lose people. That’s the reality when you have success, people get opportunities elsewhere."
Yzerman just so happens to be one of the best general managers in the NHL. The Detroit Red Wings franchise is in a rebuild like the one Tampa Bay was in when he accepted that job.
Detroit Red Wings fans should be somewhat happy. It is a considerable development, and Detroit is one step closer to possibly having Steve Yzerman back in Motown where he belongs.
However, Keep in mind Jim Harbaugh’s return to Michigan. It takes time to build a consistent winner. Steve Yzerman knows this from his playing days. He also knows it from his front office days.
“Come home, Stevie!” You remember the chant from the crowd as Joe Louis was closing the doors. It seems Steve Yzerman heard them. Yzerman will always be a Red Wing!!! That has never and will never change. Soon it may be time he takes his rightful place in the Detroit Red Wings general manager’s chair.
Next. Four More For the Rafters in Motown. dark
A new arena, solid prospects and a lot of salary coming off the books after the 2019-20 season. The thought of it all is enough to make every Detroit Red Wings fan smile.