The man primarily responsible for making the Detroit Red Wings one of the most consistent franchises in NHL history will be staying in Detroit for a few more seasons.
The Red Wings announced Thursday that executive vice president and general manager Ken Holland has signed a four-year contract extension. The new contract will keep him in Detroit through the 2017-18 season.
Holland has been the Red Wings’ GM since July of 1997. All they’ve done since then is lead the NHL in regular-season wins and postseason game while winning three Stanley Cups.
One of Holland’s first orders of business after inking the new deal could be to do the same with head coach Mike Babcock. The coach is signed for one more season, and Holland said he’ll try to keep him in Detroit for the long term.
“I talked briefly to Mike (on Wednesday); we exchanged texts,” Holland told the Detroit Free Press. “He’s out west. When he gets back to town, at training camp, we’ll sit down and talk. It’s best that he and I talk about the situation when we’re face to face and both engaged in the conversation. So sometime in September, we’ll talk.”
Babcock has been the Wings’ head coach since 2005 and led the club to a Stanley Cup win in 2008.
