Red Wings Fans Wish Shawn Horcoff Was Named Interim GM Sooner

As the Detroit Red Wings' hunt reaches the two-month point, fans react as Shawn Horcoff is officially announced as the franchise's interim General Manager while the search continues.

Detroit Red Wings Steve Yzerman Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Red Wings have appointed Shawn Horcoff as the franchise's interim General Manager while their hunt for a new General Manager continues.

Horcoff previously served as the Red Wings Assistant General Manager alongside his duties as General Manager of the Grand Rapids Griffins. This development allows Steve Yzerman to officially transition to the role of Senior Advisor to the Governor and CEO, Chris Ilitch.

Horcoff was already handling day-to-day duties — but the Red Wings' press release now notes he will manage day-to-day roster decisions, salary cap, and hockey operations personnel for the Red Wings, while reporting to Red Wings Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch during this interim period.

Ilitch said Horcoff is stepping up while the GM hunt continues forward.

“As our process continues to find the best possible leader for Red Wings hockey operations, I’m appreciative of Shawn for stepping up to serve in this capacity,” said Ilitch per NHL.com. “His knowledge of our organization and range of experience allows us to operate with a clear decision-maker in place for the season ahead, while maintaining our commitment to carry out a thorough, methodical search process on our own timeline. Shawn has my complete support, and the authority to make decisions in the best interests of our organization.”

Horcoff comes prepared for the task; at 47, he previously spent six seasons as the Red Wings' Director of Player Development and three seasons as Assistant Director of Player Personnel following his own NHL career — which exceeded over 1,000 games.

Dallas Stars Shawn Horcoff, Detroit Red Wings Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Detroit also put out a statement noting how monumental Horcoff's contributions have already been to the Red Wings.

"Shawn Horcoff has been instrumental to our organization, allowing us to maintain our high standards while conducting a thorough search rather than working against a deadline. His deep knowledge of our players, contracts, and organization positioned him to lead us during this period," the statement read as noted in the media release.

"Moving forward, he will oversee our hockey operations with full authority and our complete confidence, consistent with how we've empowered every leader in this role. He's already deeply engaged in the important work ahead as camp begins, having been part of every conversation over the past months. He continues forward with full knowledge of our direction and the decisions already in motion—and remains a candidate for the permanent role."

Fans React to Shawn Horcoff Officially Named Interim General Manager

Overall, fans are not complaining that Horcoff was given the role. Many note that his experience with the Red Wings makes him a natural choice.

"He's probably the best replacement in terms of being acceptable to pissed-off fans, and he's a guy who would be most agreeable to having his player decisions being reviewed by Chris Iilitch and his baseball advisors," said one fan online.

However, most Red Wings fans are questioning why Horcoff's official transition took so long to take place — as Yzerman's leadership transition was initially announced back on July 15th.

why not do this 2 months ago lol

— Godo (@GodoBets138) September 15, 2026

"Took this long to announce the interim," another asked.

This took 62 days?

I hope he does well. He has a lot of time to make up for, while the organization wasted an entire offseason.

— Brentwoody (@Brentwoody11) September 15, 2026

Lol two months and you guys still haven’t figured out anything? This is so embarrassing!

— Zach Jerger (@ZachJerger) September 15, 2026

"Took you 2 months to figure out you can do this," asked another fan on social media.

Horcoff is also a 2017 graduate of the University of Michigan. His son, Will, is a current member of the Wolverines and was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins at No. 24 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Michigan Hockey can be found in the replies, congratulating Shawn on this latest milestone.

"Congrats Papa Horcs," exclaimed Michigan Hockey.

Red Wings Provide Update on GM Hunt

With Detroit noting that the Red Wings’ hunt is continuing forward, it's important for fans to remember that external search firm TurnkeyZRG is assisting in the executive search.

The firm previously helped the Vegas Golden Knights in their hiring of then-Team President Kerry Bubolz.

Jeff Greenberg of the Detroit Tigers is also no longer in the hunt — removing his name from contention to focus on his future with the MLB.

Another statement noted in the Red Wings' press release stated that Detroit's focus — and perhaps reason for the long-awaited new GM announcement — is that the Red Wings are firm in only hiring someone who will bring a Stanley Cup for Detroit.

"We're focused on identifying an innovative decision maker who can lead the Red Wings to Stanley Cup success. We've had substantive conversations with talented executives over the past two months, and it's been gratifying to see such strong interest in this organization and the caliber of candidates involved," Detroit's statement read. "This reflects our confidence in where this organization is headed. Our search continues, and we're excited about the path forward. We'll share updates when we have something meaningful to announce."