No, Red Wings Yzerman is not a Michigan man

The term “Michigan Man” is used frequently in certain local sports circles, but for Steve Yzerman, general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, it is not a thing that means much to him.

On paper, the Red Wings are banking on the men from Michigan. With the signing of center Tyler Motte, who is currently free agent, the Red Wings now have four former Michigan Wolverines on the roster. All four – Motte, center JT Compher, center Andrew Copp and team captain Dylan Larkin – were teammates on the 2014-15 Wolverines team.

✍️ SIGNING 🚨

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Tyler Motte to a one-year, $800,000 contract. #LGRW

What do you think about Yzerman bringing in the former Wolverine from Michigan? ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/YDQN9DWc2i

— Winged Wheel Podcast (@WingedWheelPod) July 3, 2024

Coincidence?

Yzerman believes so. In fact, he is quite sure of it.

“We don’t care where the players come from,” said Yzerman. All he cares about is that the players are good.

“It’s nice that they’re local, but most importantly, we’re trying to build a good team on the ice,” Yzerman said.

Michigan – a stronghold of ice hockey

In addition to this quartet of former Wolverines, the Red Wings also signed UFA forward Sheldon Dries, who hails from the Detroit suburb of Macomb. Then there are owners like defenseman Jeff Petry (Ann Arbor) and winger Alex DeBrincat (Farmington).

Yzerman stresses that the reason he brought these players onto the team was purely because of their hockey ability. It has nothing to do with what is written on their birth certificates.

Andrew Copp was a captain at Michigan and played with Dylan Larkin in his only season there in 2014-15 https://t.co/dMrFFbRILv pic.twitter.com/Jm3lk3NPKu

— Barstool Detroit (@BSMotorCity) July 13, 2022

While this was not his primary intention in signing these players, Yzerman is aware that signing so many homegrown players will definitely have a positive impact on the club’s marketing.

“I think it’s good,” Yzerman admitted. “I think it’s good for our market.”

The large number of Michigan players on the Michigan NHL team’s roster also speaks to the state’s performance on the ice at all levels of hockey.

“To have these young players step up and play in the NHL shows the strength of hockey in the state of Michigan and the Detroit area and I think that’s a little added bonus for us,” Yzerman said.