Shock

This:

Detroit -- Kris Draper put it best.

"It's going to be so weird seeing the name Steve Yzerman attached to anything other than the Detroit Red Wings. You just never thought that would ever happen."

It's happened. After more than a quarter century of service, the Captain is changing ships. Senior vice president Jim Devellano confirmed to The Detroit News on Tuesday that Yzerman had accepted a long-term contract offer to be the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Drapes has it right.  There's been speculation about Stevie Y and that team in Florida for weeks now, but the general consensus was he wouldn't leave Detroit.  I mean... how could he?  He's been with the Wings since he was 18, and he's 45 years old now.  

But I... like everyone else... understand.  Stevie will make an excellent GM and I'm not just sayin' that: look what he did with Team Canada at the Olympics.  It ain't beyond the pale to think the Lightning will be Cup contenders in five or six years... but Stevie REALLY has his work cut out for him.  It remains to be seen if the Lightning's owners are as enlightened as the Ilitch family.

Anyway.  Good Luck, 19.

In other hockey news... we predict Chicago in six.  We're not the only one.

Update, 1755 hrs:  The Ilitches are a class act (from mlive.com):

DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings owners Mike and Marian Ilitch issued the following statement regarding Steve Yzerman's hiring by the Tampa Bay Lightning:

“Today is a difficult day for us, just as we know it is for Red Wings fans everywhere. It’s hard to imagine Steve Yzerman in anything other than the red and white Winged Wheel as he has been synonymous with the Red Wings and Hockeytown for as long as most of us can remember! We want to congratulate Steve on his new position with the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is an exciting and well-deserved opportunity for him and his family, and we know he will do a terrific job in this next chapter of his life.

“Yet, this is not easy -- we’re having a difficult time, frankly, because Stevie’s been with us from the start and we consider him part of our family. We drafted him as a young and shy 18-year-old -- just a year after we bought the team -- and he has been part of it all: the ups and downs, highs and lows, the Cups, the celebrations, really everything Red Wings over the last 27 years. We watched him grow and develop over the years into a Hall-of-Fame player, a wonderful husband and father and now, a very capable executive.

“We appreciate all Stevie has done for us, our organization and this community, and we wish him all the best. Stevie Y will always be a Red Wing and he’ll always be in our hearts.’’

Class.