Open Letter to Steve Yzerman: It’s time to come home

Mr. Yzerman, it's time for you to lead the Red Wings back to the top of the mountain.

By
Don Drysdale
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9
32
Steve Yzerman Stanley Cup 1998

Note: This letter was originally published on April 10th, 2017 but still remains open.

Dear Steve Yzerman (Captain),

On Sunday, you came back to Detroit to say one final goodbye to the place you called home for your entire playing career in the NHL, the Joe Louis Arena. Now, on behalf of Detroit Red Wings fans across the nation, I am asking you to come back home for good.

As you are aware, our Red Wings are in a state of emergency. For 25 consecutive seasons, we have watched our team compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That historic streak is officially over. But to be honest, Mr. Yzerman, it’s not about just making the playoffs, it’s about competing for and WINNING Stanley Cups.

It’s time for you to come back home to Detroit to restore greatness in Hockeytown.

Last night, as you were wrapping up your Farewell to the Joe speech, Red Wings fans (your fans) in attendance chanted, “Come Home Stevie” over and over again. In case you forgot, check it out.

After you were drafted by Detroit in 1983, it was obvious that it was just a matter of time before you would lead the Red Wings to the promised land. You made that happen in 1997 by bringing a Stanely Cup home and then outdid yourself by bringing us two more Cups before you decided to hang up your skates.

When you became GM in Tampa Bay, it felt like a piece of us was taken away, almost like the feeling of losing a family member. Not surprisingly, you were named GM of the year in 2015 with the Lightning and we were happy for you. But we could not help to think, “What if?”

Mr. Yzerman, it’s time to answer that question. It is time for you to return to your old stomping grounds and to lead this great Detroit franchise back to the top of the mountain.

It’s time to come home.

Sincerely,

Detroit Red Wings fans

 

9 COMMENTS

  1. If only it was that easy. First we need to get rid of the dead weight that is Ken Holland, and probably Devellano too. They are dragging this club down with them into old age and mediocrity.

    • Devellano… no way. He has been the only one to say its time to rebuild. Holland…. absolutely. Let him finish out next year, have Devellano as our interim GM for the 2018-2019 season, then bring Steve home.

      • Hope you’re right. Devellano has indeed said the word “rebuild”, but he has also said a lot of nonsense too and I wouldn’t trust his judgement of players (not that I trust Holland’s).

        • Devellano built that dynasty, Holland took over in 97 and off the backs of that team and Hakan Anderssons amazing European scouting rode the wave of success until the onus was on him to fix it. We have all seen how thats gone.

  3. Sorry folks . . . hard to pick Detroit over Tampa . . . give you its a great hockey town with lots of history but in case you missed it the Tampa Bay area, Mr. Vinik and the Lightning bring too much to the table to walk away from. Oh and by the way, his work is not done here and we all know he won’t stop until he achieves what he set out to do. GO BOLTS!

  4. is it just me, or did Holland get snubbed at the Farewell? he was sitting in his box, and never got introduced. The writing is on the wall. Yzerman said he never wanted to leave here, but took the Tamp Job to meet the expectations of the Owners, Mr. and Mrs. I, on what they expected from a gm, so what did he do, season himself down in Florida. Everyone knows his wife wants to get out of Florida, she wants to be back up here, close to family. Stevie wants to be home too, it is just going to be a delicate process, that I see coming to a head very soon… summer may get interesting.

Comments are closed.