Steve Yzerman steps down as Red Wings general manager

Steve Yzerman is out as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, the team announced Wednesday. He will continue with the organization as senior advisor to CEO Chris Ilitch.

The Red Wings have started a search for a new head of hockey operations, with both internal and external candidates under consideration. Yzerman will remain in his current role to handle day-to-day operations until his successor is named, and will serve in an advisory capacity on the search committee.

Yzerman took over as the 11th general manager in Red Wings history on April 19, 2019. The team went 224-251-9 under his watch and never made the playoffs, extending Detroit's postseason drought to 10 consecutive seasons. That's the longest active streak in the NHL. The Red Wings had made the playoffs for 25 straight years before the drought began in 2016.

This past season offered hope before falling apart. Detroit started 32-16-5 but won just nine of its final 26 games, finishing 41-31-10 and missing the playoffs by seven points.

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

The next general manager will inherit a significant decision regarding captain Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade after last season. The 29-year-old center has five years remaining on an eight-year, $69.6 million contract and holds a full no-movement clause. TSN.ca reported that Larkin initially listed only Minnesota, Florida, and Vegas as acceptable destinations, but later expanded that list to include Dallas.

Yzerman played all 22 seasons of his Hall of Fame career in Detroit, captaining the team for two decades and winning three Stanley Cups. He served as Tampa Bay's general manager from 2010 to 2019, and the Lightning won back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021 after his departure.