Change is coming in Grand Rapids, and Dan Cleary appears to be the next man up.
According to Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco, league sources indicate that Cleary will take over running the Grand Rapids Griffins now that Shawn Horcoff has moved into the interim general manager job with the Detroit Red Wings. Horcoff had been serving in the same role for Grand Rapids since midway through the 2021-22 season before shifting his attention to Detroit and issues such as the Dylan Larkin trade situation and Simon Edvinsson's contract extension.
“I have a story coming on this later, but with Shawn Horcoff now serving as interim GM in Detroit, several league sources have indicated that Dan Cleary will be taking over running the @griffinshockey.
He was previously the assistant director of player development. @DailyFaceoff”
Cleary has been the Red Wings’ Assistant Director of Player Development since the 2017-18 season, and that background makes him an obvious fit for the job. He has spent years working with Detroit’s prospects, and player development has remained a central part of his post-playing career, both within the organization and in Newfoundland and Labrador, where he runs a summer hockey school for youth.
His path to this point was anything but smooth. After a difficult start to his playing career, Cleary found his way to Detroit after the 2004-05 lockout and went on to spend 11 seasons with the Red Wings. He was part of the club’s Stanley Cup-winning team in 2008.
Now he’s reportedly set to lead the same Griffins team he finished his playing career with during an attempted NHL comeback in 2015-16. For a hockey lifer like Cleary, this looks like the beginning of a new chapter in the game.
Horcoff leaves Grand Rapids in strong shape. The Griffins went 51-16-5 in the regular season and finished second overall in the AHL standings before falling to the Chicago Wolves in a heartbreaking second-round playoff loss. Detroit’s stockpile of young talent was a big reason for the optimism around the organization, and the Griffins’ new GM will inherit a group that includes Trey Augustine, Michal Postava, Carter Bear, Theo Rochette, Jesse Kiiskinen and Shai Buium.
With the Red Wings dealing with uncertainty at the top, Cleary should have a steadier runway in Grand Rapids. If Detroit’s bet on him pays off, he could be the one helping guide those prospects all the way to the NHL.
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The appeal is obvious: a player with top-line upside would immediately address a need that has lingered for Detroit, even if the path to getting him is loaded with risk and complications under the NHLs collective bargaining agreement. Any offer-sheet pursuit would be the sort of cap-and-picks gamble that forces a team to weigh the long-term cost against the chance to land a difference-making center now, which is why this kind of possibility tends to linger until the final moment before the window closes. [Read more 🡒]
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Detroit had one clear bright spot in a frustrating preseason opener, and it came from the newest face in net. Daniil Tarasov was sharp from the start against the Columbus Blue Jackets, stopping all 15 shots he faced in his first preseason game for the Red Wings. Michal Postava took over in the third period and overtime and added 10 more saves, giving Detroit a steady night in goal even as the rest of the game stayed stuck in a grind.
The problem for the Red Wings was that the scoreboard never moved their way. They could not solve Columbus in regulation, then came up empty in the shootout as the game slipped away in a 1-0 finish. For a team looking to set an early tone, the goaltending offered encouragement, but the lack of finishing left plenty of room for concern. [Read more 🡒]