VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 21: (L-R) Shawn Horcoff and Ralph Krueger attend the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Detroit Red Wings announced today that Shawn Horcoff has been promoted to General Manager of the Grand Rapids Griffins and an assistant manager of the Red Wings.
Horcoff spent the last six years with the Red Wings as the director of player personnel. He’s a former hockey player, playing college hockey with Michigan State and spending a majority of his career with the Edmonton Oilers. Horcoff retired with the Anaheim Ducks after the 2015-16 season. Immediately after, he joined the Red Wings front office.
The move comes just a few days after assistant GM Pat Verbeek departed for the Anaheim Ducks, where he took the reigns as General Manager. With the Verbeek departure, the Red Wings no longer had any assistant GMS on staff.
In all likelihood, there won’t be too much change with Horcoff as the new assistant GM. By promoting from within, the front office “think tank” won’t change much, it’ll just give Horcoff a stronger voice.
The Horcoff promotion isn’t the only mid-season shuffle in the front office. Just a few weeks ago, the Red Wings hired Nicklas Lidstrom as the vice-president of hockey operations.
Again, even with all the shuffling, not much will change. It’s not a surprise that the Red Wings front office is getting some attention around the league – Steve Yzerman has long been hailed for his savvy moves and solid drafting, whether it be with the Tampa Bay Lighting or with the Red Wings. Fans might worry seeing some key players exit the organization, but that is a good problem for an organization. They aren’t being fired – they’re leaving for better positions. As the Red Wings continue to come out of their arduous rebuild, don’t be shocked if departures become more frequent. This is a good sign, not a bad one.