When you’re an NHL executive – a role very few people get to be in – you never know when or how you’re going to be tested. One day, you’re settled into a particular job, and the next day, you have an even rarer opportunity – being the GM of a team. Even if you only have the ‘interim GM’ label, you’re getting a chance to make a direct impact.
That’s the case with current Detroit Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff. The former NHL player has been paying his dues as assistant GM under Steve Yzerman. After Yzerman’s departure in mid-July, Horcoff was given GM duties beginning in mid-September. Since then, Horcoff has been front and center as the Wings’ point man in the Dylan Larkin saga.
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While you may be of the opinion that Red Wings ownership has bungled Larkin’s trade demand and that Wings fans have every right to be angry with ownership, after Horcoff’s press conference on Thursday, you have to think Horcoff’s stock as an executive has risen considerably.
Placed in an almost-impossible predicament – dealing with a disgruntled former captain who controls his destiny thanks to his no-trade clause – Horcoff has done nothing but improve the optics for Detroit’s management.
Whether he stays with the Red Wings as their permanent GM or moves on to a different organization, Horcoff’s measured performance Thursday bolstered his case as Yzerman’s successor. He was firm, but not emotional. He was reasonable, but no pushover. He didn’t try to paint Larkin as a selfish monster, but he held to the notion that a Larkin trade must make sense for Detroit as much as it has to satisfy Larkin’s demands.
That, right there, is a tremendous balancing act. There’s no doubt Horcoff’s 16 seasons as an NHL player helped prepare him for this current challenge. Remember, this is an individual who served as Edmonton Oilers captain for three seasons. Horcoff could’ve been eaten alive by the Edmonton press, but he learned how to be the focal point for the public, and he made the most of that opportunity.
“As Long As Is Necessary”: Shawn Horcoff Not Rushing To Trade Suspended Dylan Larkin
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Let’s be clear – had Horcoff come out Thursday looking irate and irrational, the Detroit media would’ve had a field day tearing into him. From this writer’s perspective, Horcoff has made a strong case for having the interim label removed.
We understand it could look like a problematic process if Wings ownership installs Horcoff as the permanent GM, then hires a president of hockey operations to be Horcoff’s superior. But in this case, Horcoff has done nothing other than justify the Red Wings’ tough-love approach to dealing with Larkin.
So, if Horcoff ultimately doesn’t get the GM job in Detroit, we’d say he’s secured a high-level management opportunity with one team or another. It’s not easy for anyone when the full weight of the spotlight hits them, but Horcoff has turned a delicate situation into a public-relations win for his employer. You have to think the Wings owner, Chris Ilitch, is grateful to Horcoff for that.
Dylan Larkin Erases Goodwill With Red Wings Fans Weeks After Winning Back Some Favor
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Horcoff still has to figure out a trade for Larkin, who is now suspended without pay after pulling the chute on his Red Wings playing career. Make no mistake – if the optics of any Larkin trade don’t stand up to scrutiny, all the goodwill Horcoff has built up will vanish in an instant. But by holding out for a strong deal for the organization, Horcoff has created a principled environment that Wings fans should be satisfied with.
You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and Horcoff has done that with his deft handling of the Larkin predicament. He’s not in the business of making Larkin happy, but there’s no question that plays a factor in the entire situation, and so the challenge for Horcoff is mountainous.
But by taking the bull by the horns on Thursday and asserting himself as the most reasonable person in the room on this issue, Horcoff has served Ilitch well. And from our point of view, Detroit fans should be comforted knowing the team’s interests are in good hands with him.
He may yet stumble if and when he settles into the full-time GM role, but Horcoff has come out of the gate looking smart and determined. And that’s all Red Wings fans should want from Yzerman’s successor.
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