The Detroit Red Wings kicked off the All-Star break by sending Joe Veleno down to the minors and saying goodbye to assistant general manager Pat Verbeek.
Veleno sent down
This afternoon, the Red Wings announced that Veleno had been assigned back to Grand Rapids. The young center started the season with the Griffins, netting three goals in seven games. After the short stint in the AHL, Veleno was called up to Detroit’s main roster. In 31 games with the Red Wings, he’s scored four goals and tacked on two assists. Veleno has consistently played among Detroit’s bottom-six.
On the surface, the move seems a bit disappointing. However, in all likelihood, the move was made to keep Veleno playing. Grand Rapids has a two-game home series this weekend, which means there’s a good chance that he’ll play a couple AHL games and head right back to the NHL.
Verbeek takes charge in Anaheim
This morning, the Anaheim Ducks announced that Pat Verbeek has been named as the organization’s new general manager.
Verbeek has been with Detroit’s GM, Steve Yzerman, for quite some time now. When Yzerman went from Detroit to Tampa Bay, Verbeek followed. When Yzerman made his return to Detroit, again, Verbeek followed.
With the Verbeek departure, the Red Wings do not have any assistant GMs on staff. Verbeek was an important part of Detroit’s front office, running the Grand Rapids Griffins and assisting in scouting. With such a tight-lipped organization, it is hard to say exactly what sort of influence Verbeek had in his time with the Wings. However, based on his long-time standing with Yzerman and the organization, it’s not a leap to say that the absence will hurt at least a bit.
Keep an eye on staff announcements in the coming months. With the shuffling occurring in the front office, don’t be surprised if there is a handful of hirings both big and small.