On this day in 1997, just weeks after ending a 42-year Stanley Cup drought, the Detroit Red Wings made another franchise-defining move, promoting Ken Holland to general manager.
Holland replaced Jimmy Devellano in the role after seven years as the club's director of amateur scouting and three seasons as assistant general manager. The move ensured continuity for a team already sitting atop the hockey world, and it helped turn Detroit into the NHL's model franchise for more than two decades.
Over Holland's 22 seasons as general manager, the Red Wings enjoyed remarkable success. Detroit won three Stanley Cups (1998, 2002 and 2008), reached another Final in 2009, captured four Presidents' Trophies, 10 division titles and multiple regular-season conference championships.
The Red Wings also posted 13 seasons of at least 100 points and made the playoffs every year of Holland's tenure, extending a franchise playoff streak that stretched to 25 consecutive seasons before finally ending in 2016-17.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
From the time Holland took over on July 18, 1997, no NHL franchise won more combined regular-season and playoff games than Detroit did under his leadership. Among Holland's most notable moves were acquiring defenseman Chris Chelios from the Chicago Blackhawks in 1999, trading for Dominik Hašek before the 2001-02 season, and adding veterans Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille to bolster Detroit's 2002 championship roster.
He also retained homegrown stars Nicklas Lidström, Steve Yzerman, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, while keeping Detroit's pipeline for international talent among the best in the league.
One of Holland's greatest strengths was sustaining success through major shifts across the league. After the NHL introduced a salary cap in 2005, he quickly retooled the roster without losing competitiveness, leading Detroit to a Presidents' Trophy in 2005-06 before building the team that won the 2008 Stanley Cup.
Holland had spent 36 years with the organization as a player, scout and executive, capping one of the most accomplished front-office careers in NHL history. Nearly three decades after his promotion, Holland's hiring remains one of the most significant moments in Red Wings history.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.