April 19, 2019 is a date that Detroit Red Wings fans everywhere will hold close, as it marked the official return of former beloved captain Steve Yzerman back to the franchise that he suited up for and led to three Stanley Cup titles and countless memories.
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The introductory press conference was held at Little Caesars Arena, with team owner Chris Ilitch, the son of the man who brought him to the Motor City 36 years earlier, at his side.
The city’s prodigal son returned after hammering out a reputation as one of the NHL’s top general managers with the Tampa Bay Lighting, turning the franchise into a perennial Stanley Cup contender with bold trades and insightful drafting. Of course, he was also one of the key architect of international success with Team Canada.
With the Red Wings reaching a stalemate under Holland, a new direction was needed. And it’s going to take plenty of time to get the team back into contention, as evidenced by the rough 2019-20 campaign they experienced before the COVID-19 pandemic brought things to a halt.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said during the introduction news conference. “This organization and this fan base, as you all know, is used to winning and being successful. We’ve got a lot of work to do, and depending on your age, you know that this takes time. We’ve been through this before. It’s up and down for an organization. It takes time, and I caution everyone and temper the excitement that this is going to take time.”
Holland soon took the vacant general manager’s job with the Edmonton Oilers.
