DETROIT --Detroit Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman today announced that Pat Verbeek will assume general manager duties of the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins. Verbeek will also continue in his role as assistant general manager of the Red Wings.
Red Wings Assistant GM Pat Verbeek named General Manager of Griffins
Verbeek, 57, is beginning his third season as assistant general manager with the Red Wings and his ninth season overall with the organization, in addition to spending four years as a professional scout (2006-10) and two years as a player (1999-01). Verbeek has 15 years of front-office experience overall, as he also worked alongside Yzerman with the Tampa Bay Lightning for nine seasons as director of professional scouting (2010-12) and assistant general manager and director of player personnel (2012-19) prior to rejoining the Red Wings before the 2019-20 season. In his expanded role with the Griffins, Verbeek will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the team, including personnel decisions, contract negotiation and player movement.
"The Griffins are a first-class organization, and Grand Rapids is a fantastic market for hockey," said Verbeek. "Both of those factors are critical in the successful development of prospects in the American Hockey League and the ability to help them get to the next level. I look forward to continuing the winning culture in Grand Rapids and providing our prospects every necessary resource to develop as professionals and become impactful players in the NHL."
The Red Wings and Griffins have been affiliated since the 2002-03 season, and Detroit has overseen all hockey operations matters for Grand Rapids since 2011-12. The Griffins rank as one of the most successful AHL franchises on and off the ice, annually ranking among league leaders in attendance in addition to winning Calder Cup championships in 2013 and 2017. Grand Rapids has qualified for the playoffs in seven-consecutive seasons, excluding the last two seasons in which a full AHL postseason was not held due to the COVID pandemic. The franchise has also captured three division championships and one regular-season title since affiliating with Detroit. The Griffins have produced 59 players who made their NHL debuts with Detroit, with a total of 105 players overall who have debuted or returned to the NHL with the Red Wings after playing for Grand Rapids.
"We've been fortunate to win Calder Cups under the leadership of both Ryan Martin and Jim Nill, and we're excited at the opportunity to now work with Pat in pursuit of our mutual goals of developing players for the Red Wings and winning championships in Grand Rapids," said Griffins president Tim Gortsema. "His experience and proven hockey acumen put us in a prime position to continue fielding competitive hockey teams now and into the future."
As a player, Verbeek logged 1,063 points (521-541-1,063) and 2,905 penalty minutes over a 1,424-game NHL career, spent with the New Jersey Devils (1982-89), Hartford Whalers (1989-95), New York Rangers (1994-96), Dallas Stars (1996-99; 01-02) and Red Wings (1999-01). In 135 games with Detroit, Verbeek notched 78 points (37-41-78). His career accomplishments include two appearances at the NHL All-Star Game (1991, 1996), gold (1994) and silver (1989) medals for Canada at the IIHF World Championship and a 1999 Stanley Cup championship with Dallas.
