The Detroit Red Wings’ search for a director of hockey operations has turned up a familiar name with a twist: Florida Panthers assistant general manager Brett Peterson, a former Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman, is reportedly in the mix.
Peterson’s time in the Detroit organization was brief and easy to overlook. He played 18 games for the Griffins in 2008-09, which turned out to be the final season of his pro career. He never got past the AHL as a player, but his post-playing path has been the more notable one.
Now 44, the Massachusetts native has built a résumé in hockey management that has clearly put him on the radar. He joined the Panthers in 2020 and became the NHL’s first Black assistant general manager. Since then, he’s been part of a Florida run that produced back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
Peterson also drew a major assignment with USA Hockey. Officials named him general manager of the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2024 IIHF World Championship in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia, and his team went 5-0-1-1 in group play.
Before moving into front-office work, Peterson spent time as a player agent and once represented Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, among others. He played his college hockey at Boston College.
The Red Wings’ interest in Peterson also fits a larger organizational search for answers. Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that Detroit has been trying to understand how to get back to being a place where players want to go. That’s the backdrop for this management hunt.
One issue Detroit has to solve goes well beyond offense. The Red Wings have been stuck in the penalty-killing doldrums for years, and last season they ranked 23rd in the NHL at 77.1%. They started the year strong on the kill, then slipped as the season went on, continuing a long-running problem.
It’s been 16 years since Detroit had a top 10 penalty kill. The last time was 2009-10, when the Red Wings finished 10th at 83.1%.
That group featured Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart as the top PK defense pair, with Jonatan Ericsson and Brian Rafalski next in line. Up front, Darren Helm, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk led the way.
That 2009-10 team also scored eight shorthanded goals and allowed only one. Last season, the Red Wings scored three shorthanded goals and gave up six.
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Genborg will stay in Sweden and play for Timra this season instead of coming to Red Wings training camp, according to his agent. Detroit still holds his rights, so this is not a separation from the organization, but it does push his next step farther from the NHL spotlight for now and leaves his development path tied to health and timing. [Read more 🡒]