New Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has high regard for coach Jeff Blashill. Filmed April 19, 2019 in Detroit. Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press
One of Steve Yzerman’s first acts as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings was to back head coach Jeff Blashill.
The two had a brief conversation Friday before Yzerman’s official introduction in his new role, and they plan to meet when Yzerman returns from this month’s U18 World Championship in Sweden.
The Wings extended Blashill with a two-year contract April 2, and Yzerman endorsed that decision. He made note of the development of young players such as Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Bertuzzi, and referenced Blashill coaching the Grand Rapids Griffins to the 2017 AHL championship over the Syracuse Crunch, the AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.