Post by Romagoth on Jan 3, 2017 11:58:44 GMT -5
Changes In Motown
April 9, 2019
DETROIT, MI - After two decades of stability at GM in the motor city, the Detroit Red Wings organization has announced a new GM for the second time in four seasons after hiring M.W. Smith as the new boss. “Change is inevitable, and we knew this was coming for a while now” said the Wings owner. “We’re excited for this change and the direction the franchise will now be headed” he continued.
Smith, a former player and self-described ‘Armchair GM’, is just the third GM in Detroit since the beginning of the Ken Holland era in 1997. Nearly three decades later of making the playoffs, the Red Wings have found themselves on the outside looking in, and the owner felt it was time for a change. “An opportunity opened up for Wayne in Washington and I gave him my blessings. At the same time, we felt it was time to move in a different direction and the parting was mutual with no hard feelings. We wish him well in the nation’s capital, except when they play the Wings of course” he said, with a wink. Smith expressed excitement for the opportunity as well, and said as much. “As a lifelong Red Wings fan, this is a dream come true” he said. “Growing up in Michigan, watching this team with Yzerman, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg; I’m ready to rebuild this great franchise and grow with a new generation of Wings’ greats.”
It remains to be seen what, if anything, Smith can do with the current roster prior to this year’s draft but he has high hopes of improving the culture in Detroit as quickly as possible. “I’m open to making moves that will improve this team, both now and in the future. In this league, if you remain stagnant you won’t remain competitive. We need to inject more youth to complement our veterans and make a run at the playoffs again” says Smith. “Right now, though, my first job is to assess the current roster and prepare for the draft. Then we can figure out what happens next over the next couple of months and go from there” he added.