Shawn Horcoff wanted to grow in his role with the Detroit Red Wings, just as he has helped the organization’s draft picks grow.
In his new role as assistant general manager, Horcoff will serve as one of general manager Steve Yzerman’s top advisors, and serve as GM of the AHL Griffins.
“It’s an exciting time in general in our organization, both Detroit and Grand Rapids,” Horcoff said Friday. “The last couple years we’ve had a lot of draft picks and some of those draft picks are starting to turn pro and come in here. For me it’s going to be kind of a seamless transition in that regard because I’ve watched and worked with those kids extensively, so it’s going to be nice to continue that in a little bit different role.”
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Horcoff, 43, has been part of the Wings’ hockey operations personnel since 2016, the same year he retired having played 1,008 games. Then-general manager Ken Holland hired Horcoff as director of player development, a role that placed Horcoff in regular contact with the organization’s draft picks.
When Yzerman was named GM in 2019, Horcoff’s role expanded to also include director of player personnel. As such, he dealt regularly with former assistant general managers Ryan Martin (who left last summer to join the New York Rangers) and Pat Verbeek, who this week was named GM of the Anaheim Ducks.
“Right from the outset when Steve and Pat came in, I couldn’t have asked for a better situation,” Horcoff said. “They gave me a little more responsibility right off the bat and it kind of expanded my role from the development side into the more the pro and scouting side, and really just had me be around and be involved in all aspects of the organization. It was a really good learning experience, whether that was free agency, prospects, trade stuff, different things like that. Being involved and being a fly on the wall listening to those guys, they have a lot of experience. I’ve been fortunate to be around them for three seasons.”
This was the last year of Horcoff’s contract, and so he approached Yzerman a few weeks ago about doing something new. As they discussed possibilities, Verbeek was interviewing with the Ducks, and when his job came through, there was a natural fit.
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“Steve approached me with this opportunity and I was excited about it and was happy to take it on,” Horcoff said.
Verbeek had taken on Martin’s duties running Grand Rapids, a responsibility that now falls to Horcoff. It means delving into the nitty gritty of contract negotiations, balancing making room for prospects and surrounding them with good veterans, and looking at the team from a short-term and long-term point of view. Horcoff comes into the job having had the advantage of working closely with his predecessors.
“Ryan was great to me early in my career,” Horcoff said. “I had my role and my job to do, but Ryan, and Kenny, too, they said any time you want to be around the office and you want to learn and come sit around, you’re more than welcome. I tried to do that. I tried to be down there as much as I could and be around those guys. Ryan was very good to me and involved me in different decisions and let me sit in on various meetings, and that continue with Pat. For what the job is, I’ve kind of been around it for a while now. I feel comfortable with it. It shouldn’t be too big of a transition for me.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.