Lightning hire Steve Yzerman as new GM

The Tampa Bay Lightning, who have missed the playoffs for three years in a row in a slide since their 2004 Stanley Cup championship, have hired former Red Wings great Steve Yzerman as the new general manager, The Associated Press has learned.

A person familiar with the decision confirmed the hiring Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t made the announcement. The Lightning said its new GM would be introduced at a 3 p.m. ET news conference.

Yzerman has worked as a vice president for Detroit, the only team he played for during his Hall of Fame career. He recently led Canada to men’s hockey gold as Hockey Canada executive director at the Vancouver Games.
Last month, Tampa Bay’s new owner, Jeff Vinik, fired coach Rick Tocchet and general manager Brian Lawton after the struggling franchise missed the playoffs again. The GM’s two-year contract was due to expire in June.

Yzerman was not going to get a chance to be Detroit’s GM any time soon because two executives above him, Ken Holland and Jim Nill, are expected to sign long-term deals.

“I enjoy working and being a part of this organization and helping out where I can,” Yzerman said earlier this month after Detroit was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. “Someday, I’d love to run a team and if the right opportunity came along, I would consider it. I’m in no hurry to leave. If something good came along, great.”

The 45-year-old Yzerman was born in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and he became one of the best two-way players in NHL history. He won three Stanley Cups and remains one of the most familiar faces of the Red Wings, where he was a longtime captain.......read more