Steve Yzerman is no longer a Detroit Red Wing

This was such a shocking story that I waited a whole day to sort out how I felt about it. Think about it, Steve Yzerman was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1983. I am 33 years old, which means Stevie Y has been a member of the Red Wings for nearly the entire time I have been alive. In 1986 he was named the Captain of the Red Wings, a title he relinquished after his retirement in 2006. I have only recently grown accustomed to seeing the Red C on Nick Lidstrom’s chest and now I have to get use to Yzerman not being a member of my hometown hockey club.

Since his retirement Yzerman has served as a Vice President for the Red Wings. He was also the General Manager of the 2010 Canadian Olympic Hockey team. It seemed clear that the Wings were grooming Yzerman to one day be their GM. However it seems that the day when the team would turn control over to him was still a long way off. It seems Yzerman will now get some on the job training as a NHL GM, and maybe one day return to run the Wings.

Of course there is a lot dot connecting we can do with this deal. Tom Wilson was recently hired by the Illitch organization, who owns the Red Wings. Wilson use to be the President of Palace Sports and Entertainment, that company use to own the Tampa Bay Lightning. The very team that has hired Yzerman to be their GM. Wilson once served as this team’s governor and we can safely assume he played some role in getting Yzerman this job with this team.

Related Links:

•MTR Michigan.com
•The History of Detroit Sports