Red Wings legend Henrik Zetterberg is not happy with how the organization treated Steve Yzerman and voiced his frustration. Zetterberg feels that Yzerman should have been treated with more respect given his enormous contributions as a player.
Yzerman stepped down as Red Wings general manager last July and was replaced by Shawn Horcoff.
There has been plenty of speculation about what really transpired as Yzerman’s resignation and move came abruptly. He is still with the organization. However, his new role is that of a senior advisor to CEO Chris Ilitch.
Zetterberg spent 15 seasons in Detroit, four of which he spent as a teammate of Yzerman. He was not pleased with how Yzerman stepped down and feels he was disrespected.
Red Wings Legend Calls Isn’t Happy with How Organization Treated Steve Yzerman
Henrik Zetterberg did not hold back in his criticism for how Steve Yzerman was treated by the Red Wings organization.
Speaking to Swedish outlet Expressen, Zetterberg criticized the decision and felt that the whole situation was handled poorly.
“I thought it was wrong. [The current state of the Red Wings] has been brutal. Things always happen, and there’s a difference between what comes out and what doesn’t, but it’s sad. It was very hard to watch Steve step down,” Zetterberg told Expressen [H/T Detroit Hockey Now].
He continued:
“I’m not going to go into the reasons for it or what happened, but it was obviously very difficult, because it was wrong,” Zetterberg said.
The Red Wings have not had much positivity lately. In addition to Yzerman stepping down, the organization is still involved in an ongoing dispute with former captain Dylan Larkin.
Larkin’s trade request and list of preferred destinations have made a resolution difficult. The Red Wings obviously want to maximize the return for Larkin, while also ensuring that they can still turn things around.
Zetterberg Explains Why Yzerman’s Treatment Reflects Poorly on the Organization
Zetterberg also explained why the Red Wings organization is now viewed in a negative light after its treatment of Yzerman.
Yzerman was beloved as a player and is considered one of the greatest Red Wings players of all time. He spent his entire career with Detroit, leading the team to three Stanley Cup victories.
Yzerman was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.
As a result, Zetterberg believes the Red Wings organization could lose respect around the league.
“[Yzerman’s] the icon I’ve been closest to and played with the most. I’ve really seen how much he has meant to Detroit and to the generation that won the Cups in the late nineties and early 2000s. His whole journey and the way he was as a player, he’s the captains’ captain in my eyes. It’s sad that it ends this way, when he even came home to Detroit and took over as general manager,” Zetterberg told Expressen [H/T Detroit Hockey Now].
Red Wings Legend Isn’t Happy with How Organization Treated Steve Yzerman