Detroit Red Wings extend general manager Ken Holland for two seasons

In extending Ken Holland for two years as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, president and CEO Chris Ilitch referenced his favorite way to fly.

“When I fly in an airplane, I always love to fly with a pilot who has done it before,” Ilitch said Saturday evening. “Ken Holland has had the experience of seeing a Detroit Red Wings team in the 1980s build from the ground all the way up to Stanley Cup champion.”

Holland, 62, is in his 35th season with the Wings. After two years in the organization as a goaltender, Holland started scouting for the team in 1985. He segued into five seasons as the team’s director of amateur scouting (1989-94) and three years as assistant general manager (1994-97) before being named general manger in 1997.

The scouting aspect of Holland’s past held special appeal as the Wings are in rebuilding mode.

“He started out as a scout and many of the players he scouted — the Martin Lapointes, the Slava Kozlovs — a lot of these players went on to become very productive players and contributing to the Red Wings’ success,” Ilitch said. “And as he moved through our system and became our director of amateur scouting, he oversaw drafts that produced players like Nick Lidstrom, Vladimir Konstantinov, Chris Osgood, I could go on and on. Incredible players who ultimately were responsible for bringing the Cup back to Detroit four times.”

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Ilitch described drafting and developing as the blue print for the team’s rebuild.

“Our team owner, Marian Ilitch, myself and Ken, we are completely aligned on the strategy to build the Detroit Red Wings into Stanley Cup champions,” Ilitch said. “It’s going to be a process. We are all going to need patience. But he has the skill and the experience to lead us through that process again.”

Ilitch and Holland appeared at a press conference together a little more than an hour before the season finale at Little Caesars Arena. Holland said numerous times over the past couple months he was not concerned that he appeared to be a lame-duck manager, and Ilitch iterated the late announcement reflects the closeness between Holland and the Ilitch family.

“We know each other so well, I wasn’t real concerned and I don’t think Ken was real concerned,” Ilitch said. “We thought, geez, you know, it’s getting up towards the end of the season, we ought to tell everybody what we’re thinking of here and what the plan is. We just didn’t have any concern to bring anything out publicly before this time, but it was nothing more than that.”

Holland’s return would seem to indicate coach Jeff Blashill, who has a year left on his contract, is safe. Holland said he would address that issue Tuesday after team personnel gathers one last time this season for a photo.

This season and last has seen Holland focus on acquiring draft picks in an effort to speed up the rebuilding process.

Philadelphia’s victory Saturday secured the pick the Wings got in return for sending Petr Mrazek to the Flyers mid-season will be at least a third-round pick. The Wings hold 11 picks in June’s draft, including four over the first 40 selections.

Part of the rebuild is visible on the current team, which has seen 21-year-old Dylan Larkin and 23-year-olds Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi take on big roles.

“I’d like to think you can see the makings of where we are going, the importance of some of the young players up front,” Holland said. “Certainly we have to overhaul the defense going forward. We started that a couple years ago — we took a first-round pick in Dennis Cholowski, a second-round pick in (Filip) Hronek. We have to rebuild the team, it is going to take some time and patience.

“I understand there is a big challenge ahead here. I look forward to the challenge of rebuilding the Detroit Red Wings — ultimately the goal is to compete for the Stanley Cup. We have a lot of work to do.”

The Wings already hold 10 picks in the 2019 draft.

“We are going to be as aggressive as possible in building a team that can quality for the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs and ultimately compete for a Stanley Cup championship," Ilitch said. "We are going to be as aggressive as we can and I think you’ve seen Ken be as aggressive as he could be. He’s done a marvelous job at accumulating assets and picks for this upcoming draft and for next year’s draft.

“Scouting is at Ken’s core. He helped shape us for the long-term success through shrewd drafting before, and we are confident he is the right person to do so again.”

Before meeting with media, Ilitch spent time in the locker room.

“I told the players, I think the long-term future of this team is very bright,” he said. “We’ve got some young players who are showing very promising strides forward and have taken steps and developed this year. There are a number of prospects in our system who are doing wonderfully and look like they are potentially ready to make the next step. That’s all positive.

“I focus on the big picture and what the strategy is. And I think Ken Holland, he has the experience, he has a great strategy, he is executing it aggressively. We are seeing steps forward. From an ownership perspective, and I speak for Marian Ilitch as well, we are very pleased with the progress.

"We are used to competing for Stanley Cups and believe me, that is where we want to be. To get back there, it’s a process and we’ve done it before and we are going to do it again, and we think Ken is the right guy to lead that for our organization.”

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.