Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman joins the NHL on TNT crew

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman joins the NHL on TNT crew

LUNDQVIST. WE’RE GOING TO GO RIGHT BACK TO THE ARENA RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST, THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE DETROIT RED WINGS, STEVE YZERMAN. STEVE, THANKS SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I WANT TO ASK YOU JUST A BIG PICTURE QUESTION ABOUT THIS RED WINGS TEAM. YOU LOOK AROUND THE SPORTS LANDSCAPE IN THE CITY OF DETROIT. YOU HAVE THE LIONS AND THE TIGERS. BOTH OF THOSE TEAMS ARE CONSIDERED CONTENDERS. YOU HAVE A PISTONS TEAM THAT MADE A BIG JUMP LAST YEAR, MADE THE PLAYOFFS. IT HAS BEEN A WHILE FOR YOU GUYS. HOW CRUCIAL IS IT THIS YEAR FOR YOUR TEAM TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP? >> WELL, WE’RE TRYING TO IMPROVE EVERY SEASON. I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE CRUCIAL HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PHRASE IT, BUT TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. WE START THE SEASON WITH A FEW MORE YOUNGER FACES IN THE LINEUP, AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO STICK WITH THAT. AND WHEN OUR YOUNG GUYS ARE READY TO STEP IN, NOT ONLY THE GUYS WE GOT THIS YEAR, BUT IN THE FUTURE, WE’LL KEEP ADDING TO THEM. SO BUT OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD WE WOULD LOVE TO. AND IT’S IMPORTANT TO TAKE A STEP EVERY YEAR, ESPECIALLY THIS ONE. >> STEVE, IT’S BUSY HERE. FIRST OF ALL YOUR TAN LOOKS IMPECCABLE RIGHT NOW. NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE. >> IS. >> BUT WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING, IT’S WORKING. MY FIRST QUESTION. >> IS. >> ABOUT TODD MCLELLAN. WHAT IS IT? >> SOAP AND WATER. >> VERY SIMPLE. >> BIZ DOESN’T. >> USE SOAP. >> VERY, VERY SIMPLE. I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT TODD MCLELLAN AFTER GAME ONE AND WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE ABOUT HIS COMMENTS POST-GAME. >> YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T EVEN READ THEM, ACTUALLY. SO I KNOW WE I MEAN, IF YOU WATCHED THE GAME, WE PLAYED VERY POORLY, VERY SLOPPY. AND YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING ABOUT TODD, HE’S DIRECT AND HE SPEAKS HIS MIND. HE DOESN’T HOLD BACK. HE LETS EVERYBODY KNOW WHERE THEY STAND. SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST SAID AFTER THAT WE EXPECT MORE FROM OUR KIDS. >> STEVE HANKE HERE AS A SWEDE, IT WARMS MY HEART TO SEE SO MANY SWEDES ON YOUR TEAM. IS THAT A COINCIDENCE? OR, YOU KNOW, YOU’VE HAD A RICH HISTORY OF GREAT SWEDES IN THE ORGANIZATION? IS THAT A FACTOR HERE? >> YEAH. WELL, HENRIK. WELL, WE WE YES, WE HAD A GREAT HISTORY HERE IN DETROIT WITH THE WITH SWEDISH PLAYERS, RUSSIAN PLAYERS AS WELL. REALLY HASN’T BEEN BY DESIGN I WOULD SAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE GIVE OUR, OUR SCOUTS HAWKE AND ANDERSSON, THOMAS KARLSSON IN SWEDEN A LOT OF SAY BECAUSE THEY’VE FOUND PLAYERS IN THE PAST. SO WHEN THEY LIKE SOMEONE WE TAKE NOTE OF IT. BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT’S FUNNY, WHEN I WAS WORKING IN TAMPA, WE ALWAYS SAY, YOU KNOW, GOD, WE NEVER DRAFT ANY SWEDES. NOW HERE WE ARE. WE DRAFT A LOT OF SWEDES. AND IT JUST SEEMS THAT’S WHERE THEY’VE BEEN ON OUR LIST, WHETHER IT BE FIRST ROUND, SECOND ROUND OR WHATNOT. WE FOUND A LOT OF PLAYERS. WE’VE HAD GOOD SUCCESS AND AS YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW WHAT WHAT IT IS ABOUT SWEDISH PLAYERS. THEY’RE EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL, GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD TEAMMATES. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DRAFT HIM. >> STEVE, YOU’D SAY SO. I’M CURIOUS TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND YOUR HISTORY WITH DYLAN LARKIN. WE UNDERSTAND WE ALL KNOW THE COMMENTS HE MADE LAST YEAR ABOUT WISHING THAT YOU GUYS DID MORE AND GOING BACK TO YOUR TIME AS CAPTAIN OF THE DETROIT RED WINGS. WHAT WAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH KENNY HALL AND VERSUS WHAT HIS RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH DYLAN LARKIN? BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE GAMES HAVE CHANGED OVER THE LAST 10 OR 15 YEARS. YOU TALK MORE. DO YOU TALK LESS TO YOUR CAPTAIN? YOU DID BACK WHEN YOU WERE PLAYING? >> PROBABLY THE SAME. FIRST OF ALL, LIKE KENNY, YOU KNOW, HE AND I ARE DIFFERENT PEOPLE. HE’S DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES. SO HE HAS HIS WAY. I WOULD HAVE MY WAY. I USED TO TALK TO HIM ON A REGULAR BASIS. KENNY WOULD ALWAYS MAKE A POINT OF STOPPING BY THE ROOM AND PICKING EVERYBODY’S BRAIN. YOU KNOW, MY MY RELATIONSHIP WITH KENNY HOLLAND GOES BACK TO MY FIRST YEAR IN DETROIT IN 83, 84. WE WERE BOTH PLAYERS AND THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS WHEN HE RETIRED, WENT INTO SCOUTING, THEN WENT INTO MANAGEMENT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A RELATIONSHIP OVER 30 YEARS. I’D LIKE TO THINK I WANT TO SPEAK FOR DYLAN. I’D LIKE TO THINK WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. I ENJOY TALKING WITH HIM. HE’S VERY OPEN WITH ME. WE COMMUNICATE VERY WELL. SO I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GREAT RELATIONSHIP. YOU KNOW, THE COMMENTS AT THE END OF THE SEASON AREN’T THAT BIG OF A DEAL AND CERTAINLY DIDN’T CREATE ANY DIVIDE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HE AND I. >> STEVE, I HAVE ONE LAST ONE. YOU TOUCHED ON THE RICH HISTORY OF SWEDISH PLAYERS AS WELL AS RUSSIAN PLAYERS. SERGEI FEDOROV IS GOING TO BE GETTING HIS JERSEY RETIRED THIS YEAR. I WAS JUST WONDERING LIKE, WHAT WAS YOUR TIME LIKE WITH HIM AND WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES AND MAYBE A STORY THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH THE PEOPLE AT HOME? >> WELL, ONE OF THE GREATEST ATHLETES I’VE EVER SEEN, YOU KNOW, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY IN HOCKEY BUT ANY SPORT, TENNIS PLAYER, GOLFER, MAYBE THE BEST SKATER I’VE EVER SEEN. GREAT SHOT. ALL THE TOOLS. MY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GREATEST MEMORIES, I THINK, WAS WE BEAT WASHINGTON. HE SCORED ALL FIVE GOALS IN JOE LOUIS ARENA. JUST A PHENOMENAL. THE RUSSIAN FIVE WERE OUT THERE JUST WHIPPING IT AROUND AND JUST SITTING ON THE BENCH WATCHING THIS. IT WAS INCREDIBLY MEMORABLE. >> STEVE. >> REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME. ALWAYS ALEASURE CATCHING UP. GOOD LUCK GOING

Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman joins the panel with Biz, Anson, Hank and Liam.

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