TAMPA, Fla. _ The Tampa Lightning will announce Tuesday that Steve Yzerman will step down as general manager. He will be replaced by assistant general manager Julien BriseBois. Yzerman is expected to stay in the organization as an advisor to the GM.
The decision to step aside is believed to be Yzerman's. The Lightning was hoping to sign Yzerman to a contract extension until Tuesday's stunning news. There are reports that Yzerman wants to spend more time with his family back in Detroit, where he spent 22 years as a player and nearly four years in the front office of the Red Wings.
Yzerman, elected to the Hall of Fame as a player in 2009, took over as Lightning general manager in May of 2010. Since then, Yzerman, 53, has guided Tampa Bay to five postseason appearances in eight seasons, including three trips to the Eastern Conference final and one trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
His tenure is highlighted by two moments. One was a controversial trade of captain Marty St. Louis to the Rangers in 2014. The other signing Lightning captain Steven Stamkos to an eight-year, $68-million deal in 2016.
The move comes just as the Lightning, one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, sets to begin training camp on Thursday for the 2018-19 season.
BriseBois, 41, has been with the club since 2010 and, besides serving as Yzerman's assistant, has also been general manager of their American Hockey League affiliate Syracuse Crunch. Brisebois, a native of Greenfield Park, Quebec, is well-respected in the hockey world and was considered by many to be a future GM.
That future begins now with the Lightning.
What does Yzerman's future hold? Already there is speculation that he could end up being the eventual general manager of the Red Wings. But that is merely speculation at this point.
