The Detroit Red Wings have turned to a familiar face while they sort out their front office future, naming former Edmonton Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff as interim general manager.
Detroit has been operating without a full-time GM for most of the offseason after removing Steve Yzerman in July. Yzerman, who had held the role for seven seasons, is now set to move into a senior advisor position with the organization.
With training camp looming and the search still unfinished, the Red Wings decided to put Horcoff in charge for the time being. He has been with the club since the 2016-17 season, when he arrived as director of player development, and he later moved up to assistant GM in 2021-22.
“As our process continues to find the best possible leader for Red Wings hockey operations, I’m appreciative of Shawn for stepping up to serve in this capacity,” said Red Wings Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch in a release.
“His knowledge of our organization and range of experience allows us to operate with a clear decision-maker in place for the season ahead, while maintaining our commitment to carry out a thorough, methodical search process on our own timeline.”
Horcoff’s name will ring plenty of bells in Edmonton. He spent 12 seasons with the Oilers from 2000-01 through 2012-13, was named captain before the 2010-11 season, and wore the “C” for three years before being dealt to the Dallas Stars in the summer of 2013.
After leaving Edmonton, he played three more NHL seasons with the Stars and Anaheim Ducks, then retired after the 2015-16 season.
Drafted 99th overall by the Oilers in 1999, Horcoff remains one of the longest-serving players in franchise history. His 796 games in Edmonton rank eighth all-time, putting him just ahead of Connor McDavid, who sits at 794 and counting.
He also produced plenty on the ice for the Oilers, finishing with 162 goals and 447 points. His signature run came during Edmonton’s march to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006, when he led all Oilers forwards with 19 points in the playoffs. That stretch included a triple-overtime goal against the San Jose Sharks in Game 3 of the second round.
Ilitch has said Horcoff is still a candidate for the job on a permanent basis, so this interim title may not be the end of the story. For now, though, the Red Wings have their decision-maker in place, and another former Oiler has climbed into an NHL GM role.
Mike Grier, Minnesota’s Bill Guerin, and Ottawa’s Steve Staios.
In Other News...
Zach Hyman Now Has Plenty Riding On Edmonton's Coaching Gamble
Zach Hymans place in Edmonton has never felt particularly fragile, but the next stretch of his contract gives the situation a little more edge. He remains one of the more important forwards on the roster, and the Oilers are still sorting through what their new coaching setup will mean for a player whose game has long been tied to pace, work rate and trust from behind the bench.
Mike Babcocks arrival adds another layer because Hyman has already been tied to the coaching change in a very direct way. He supported the idea from the start based on past experiences with Babcock, and now the real test is still ahead since meaningful competitive play under the new coach has not begun. For Hyman, the season ahead is about more than production - it could help shape how this relationship and his role in Edmonton look going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Former Oilers Playoff Hero Could Soon Face A Familiar Kind Of Pressure
Mike Talbot is getting another chance to step into a pressure-packed crease, this time with the Columbus Blue Jackets after two seasons in Detroit. The veteran goaltender once helped the Oilers end a 10-year playoff drought, and he now lands in a familiar kind of environment: a team trying to climb back into the postseason picture while leaning on experienced hands to stabilize the position.
Columbus' goaltending depth chart is a little more open than usual, with Jet Greaves and Phoenix Copley in the mix while Elvis Merzlikins recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. For Talbot, that creates both an opportunity and an expectation, because this is the sort of situation where a steady stretch in net can matter far beyond the regular season. He has been here before with Edmonton, and the Blue Jackets are hoping he can help them chase the same kind of breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Are Playing A Risky Waiting Game With Matt Savoie
Matt Savoies contract situation has become one of those summer business items the Oilers would probably prefer to resolve quietly, but the longer it lingers, the more it fits into a league-wide pattern of players and teams feeling their way through a changing market. Stan Bowman has been upfront enough to indicate this is not a panic point for Edmonton, even with negotiations delayed and the salary landscape still shifting around the NHL.
For the Oilers, the gamble is in the timing as much as the dollars. A recent flurry of CBA-deadline deals has helped inflate the marketplace, and Edmonton may be willing to wait for some of that noise to fade before settling on the terms that matter most for Savoie. It is a patient approach, but in a cap world where every small edge counts, waiting too long can be just as risky as moving too early. [Read more 🡒]