Almost two months ago, the Detroit Red Wings dropped a bomb: after seven years, former captain Steve Yzerman announced he was stepping down from his role as general manager of the Red Wings. Between captain Dylan Larkin requesting a trade and Patrick Kane returning to the Chicago Blackhawks, Yzerman's departure added more chaos on an already tumultuous offseason.
WIth Labor Day steadily approaching and training camp set to begin soon, the Red Wings have had almost two months to select the new manager of the team. This approach may be a little different than the past, where Yzerman filled roles as both the general manager and President of Hockey Operations.
Here's a brief refresher on where the Red Wings stand in their GM search:
Red Wings hired outside firm to conduct search
The Red Wings, rather than try the same tried and true method, turned to Turnkeyzrg, an outside consulting firm to find their next GM. Turnkeyzrg has experience in the NHL, having hired Vegas Golden Knights president Kerry Bubolz in their inaugural season. Under Bubolz's leadership, the Golden Knights secured a Stanley Cup and made two appearances in the Finals.
According to Detroit Free Press writer Helene St. James, the Red Wings are focusing primarily on analytics-minded GMs, similar to owner Chris Ilitch's approach with the Detroit Tigers.
"[Red Wings Owner and CEO Chris] Ilitch and therefore by extension the firm, is believed to be looking for an analytics-driven person to take charge of the Wings," said St. James, "similar to how his Detroit Tigers plucked Scott Harris from the San Francisco Giants in 2022."
Who the Red Wings are considering
According to Red Wings insider Sean Shapiro, the following candidates have all been looked at or considered by the Red Wings:
- Brett Peterson: Peterson is the assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers and general manager of Team USA's World Junior team. He's responsible for both roster construction and salary cap management with the Panthers and was involved in bringing on Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand and Seth Jones. He seems the most inevitable to earn a promotion within the next few years.
- Jeff Kealty: Kealty spent nearly two decades with the Nashville Predators, working his way up the organization from scout to assistant general manager. His talents have helped the Predators find late round gems like Viktor Arvidsson and Pekka Rinne. Recently, Kealty joined the San Jose Sharks as assistant general manager, though it's likely he'd jump ship if offered the opportunity with the Red Wings.
- Scott White: White is one of the most experienced candidates on the list, having ran the Texas Stars, the Dallas Stars' AHL affiliate, for over 15 years. While GM Jim Nill handles trades, White focuses on player development, helping the Stars to find the depth they've been able to secure for years now. White interviewed for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators roles this last offseason and will likely be an intriguing candidate for years to come (if the Red Wings don't scoop him up, that is).
- Jeff Greenberg: Greenberg is the most out-of-the-box candidate for the Red Wings simply due to the fact that he isn't involved in hockey. To be fair, he was an assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks for a brief period in 2023, but he's been in baseball for nearly his entire career. Greenberg is the current GM of the Detroit Tigers, having worked closely with owner Chris Ilitch for some time.
When to expect a new GM
As of right now, the Red Wings have made progress in their search, but haven't found their guy just yet. According to Frank Seravalli, the Red Wings hope to have their GM decided by Labor Day. This, of course, isn't to say that they'll have a GM by then, no matter what Woodward Sports may incorrectly report. It's more of a hope that things will get done by then.
The Red Wings are the most notoriously tight-lipped organization in professional sports. Until the team officially confirms anything, all we have is speculation and tips from beat writers and insiders.
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