Steve Yzerman is no longer general manager of the Detroit Red Wings after seven disappointing seasons running a franchise for which he was a Hall of Fame player.

The Red Wings announced Wednesday that Yzerman is transitioning from his role as executive vice president and GM but will continue serving the organization as senior adviser to governor and CEO Chris Ilitch. The team is searching for a new head of hockey operations.

“I am sincerely grateful to Chris and the entire Ilitch family,” Yzerman said in a statement. “This organization has given me incredible opportunities, from my time as a player to the privilege of returning as GM. I’ve appreciated every experience throughout the years, and I’m extremely proud to remain part of this great franchise.”

Yzerman had a Hall of Fame career as a center for the Red Wings, retiring in 2006 with 692 goals, 1,755 points and three Stanley Cup wins. A team captain for two decades, Yzerman is one of nine Red Wings to have his number retired.

After joining Detroit’s front office in 2006, Yzerman took over the Tampa Bay Lightning as GM in May 2010. He oversaw the building of a championship team in Tampa Bay through NHL draft success and strong player development, although the Lightning would win their back-to-back Stanley Cups after Yzerman left for Detroit in 2019.

Under Yzerman, the Lightning made the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, the same season in which he won NHL general manager of the year.

Yzerman returned to Detroit to restore the luster to the Red Wings, who had missed the playoffs for three straight seasons and hadn’t won a playoff round since 2013, when they still had legends such as Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on the roster. His stated goal when hired by team president Ken Holland was “getting the team back in contention for Stanley Cups and the championship that is expected in Detroit.”

But the “Yzerplan,” as it was colloquially called, failed to produce a single playoff berth for the Red Wings. The team struggled to develop top prospects into the next generation of star players. Yzerman swung and missed on attempts to acquire star players when they were available, such as former University of Michigan defenseman Quinn Hughes last season.

Things went from bad to worse for Detroit in this offseason, as star captain Dylan Larkin’s trade request went public. The 29-year-old center grew up a Red Wings fan and has a contract that runs through the 2030-31 season.

Armed with a no-trade clause, Larkin had provided Yzerman with a short list of possible trade destinations. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that issues between Larkin and Detroit management have been brewing for a while, dating back at least to testy contract negotiations in 2023.

On June 27, Yzerman said his “job as the manager of the Detroit Red Wings is always to do what is in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings, and I will act accordingly to that.”

“I cannot make any guarantees, or did not make any guarantees, that [Larkin’s trade] request could or would be met,” he said at the time.

Just over two weeks later, Yzerman stepped away from his role as the 11th GM in the Original Six team’s history.

“Clearly, we are not where we and our fans expect to be as an organization,” Ilitch said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to bringing in new leadership to build the championship-caliber organization Hockeytown deserves.”

Ilitch will lead the search for the new leader of hockey operations, considering internal and external candidates. Among the internal candidates are Nicklas Lidstrom, a Hall of Fame defenseman who is VP of hockey operations; Shawn Horcoff, assistant GM; and Kris Draper, a beloved former Red Wings player who is assistant GM and director of amateur scouting.

Yzerman will remain in his current role to facilitate the day-to-day tasks in hockey operations and “ensure a seamless transition until his successor is named,” the team said. Yzerman will serve in an advisory capacity on the search committee, which will also include Ilitch Sports + Entertainment president & CEO Ryan Gustafson.