Supposed Red Wings knowitall
This has been what some may consider the most chaotic offseason in the history of the Detroit Red Wings.
Captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade. Long time general manager Steve Yzerman stepped down from his role. It's now mid-September, and, after an exhaustive search, the Red Wings still don't have his replacement. The team, as a whole, feels directionless.
This, in turn, has caused a slew of hockey fans unfamiliar with the Red Wings to speculate. It's led to everything from assumptions about the front office to crackpot theories involving tax fraud.
The longer this embarrassing saga drags out for the Red Wings, the more people will speculate -- and the more, in turn, will show how little they understand about the organization.
The Red Wings aren't your average organization
With the way people confidently speculate about the club, you would think they're the most historically incompetent organization in sports. The Red Wings are the single most successful NHL franchise in the United States. They're 11-time Stanley Cup champions. They've played host to legends like Nick Lidstrom and Gordie Howe. The Red Wings are one of the first six teams to ever join the NHL.
This isn't your run-of-the-mill sports franchise. This is a prestigious organization built on the backs of legends. Sure, they're a far cry from what they once were right now, but that doesn't suddenly erase the past. It doesn't erase the precedent set from decades of dominance.
The chaos of this offseason is evident, but it's clear that it's more of a bug than a feature. Without a President of Hockey Operations running the show, the organization is, understandably, disorganized. Any club, from the Montreal Canadiens to the Calgary Flames would be in this situation.
This isn't meant to self-aggrandize the Red Wings or attempt to lionize the club (which is rightfully due some criticism). It's more to point out that this chaotic offseason is a temporary setback. In the grand scheme of things, it, like Dylan Larkin, will be a footnote in the overall story of the Red Wings.
One day, hockey fans will look back at this era as the point things turned around for the better. For now, though, they'll keep speculating.
Hockey fans are prisoners of the moment
The same can be said of all sports fans, but it's especially evident in the world of the NHL. Look at the Buffalo Sabres, for example. Once seen as the laughing stock of the NHL, they're now heralded as one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division. Gone are the jokes about the sad state of the organization. Gone are the palm trees and the embarrassing statements. Now, all fans can see is a 100-point juggernaut.
This, of course, is because of the team's success. After all, they had to win enough to earn over 100 points and beat the Boston Bruins in the playoffs. But it goes to show just how quickly hockey fans forget about the failures of the past.
Just because the Red Wings are bad now doesn't mean they've always been bad and will continue to be bad. Will they have a few extra tough seasons? Almost certainly. But that doesn't define an organization. Every team has their shortcomings. The Chicago Blackhawks have been an afterthought since their 2015 Stanley Cup win. Like all things in life, there's ebb and flow.
The Red Wings are no exception.
The bizarre fixation on the Red Wings
I'm going to editorialize a little bit here because this has been driving me crazy all offseason: why are certain media figures so confident in how they talk about the Red Wings? What brings them to these insane conclusions about the state of the organization?
In my opinion, it's two things: one an internal issue, and another they can't control.
On the internal front, the Red Wings are one of the most notoriously tight-lipped organizations in professional sports. Fort Knox might not guard their secrets as well as Hockeytown. This is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, it allows the organization to keep their cards close to their chest. But, on the other, it invites undue speculation -- especially from outside forces.
With no one to offer clarity, media figures are free to construct any theories they like (even particularly ridiculous ones involving golf buddies and tax fraud).
The other issue is a subconscious one: a personal vendetta.
Growing up, the Red Wings were the gold standard of the NHL. They held a 25-year playoff streak and won four Stanley Cups across two decades. I've spent more time on this earth with the Red Wings as a playoff team than on the outside looking in.
That sort of thing can eat away at a fan of another franchise.
For the longest time, it was like the Red Wings were incapable of being bad. They were a dominant, consistent threat for a quarter of a century. Over that time, it can build up some resentment. Jealousy, even. That's why, when the Red Wings finally began the process of a rebuild, media figures seem almost gleeful when the Red Wings encounter a setback or failure.
This isn't to say there's some sort of secret agenda against the Red Wings, either. It's more a case of schadenfreude. It's not that these figures are actively looking to tarnish the Red Wings, but many would certainly pounce when given the opportunity.
It's hard to blame them.
Still, as members of the media, it's our job to be deliver factual information in a professional manner. That's why I hope that, the next time a writer pens an opinion piece on Dylan Larkin or the Red Wings, they do their research. Multiple sources have confirmed that Shawn Horcoff is no longer in the running for the GM role, yet several media figures insist on including him in GM talks. Now, more than ever, it seems that some members of the media want to push a narrative more than reality.
But if you're going to slander them, at least get your information right.Sep 12, 2026 
Detroit Red Wings
