Kris Draper now has new key role with the Red Wings

Kris Draper, a four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Detroit Red Wings who was infamously acquired from the Winnipeg Jets 1.0 for $1, has earned himself a pretty cool promotion.

He's now officially the assistant general manager, but will also continue in his role as director of amateur scouting.

“It’s something pretty special,” Draper said. “To be an assistant general manager of the Detroit Red Wings is obviously a stepping-stone, it’s a goal for me, but to earn that trust from Steve Yzerman means a lot. Obviously, he appreciates the hard work and what I’ve been doing and where we’re at and the direction we’re going."

“Just going to stay the course, keep highly motivated, understanding there’s still so much work to be done, but it’s obviously nice to be rewarded.”

It sounds as though Draper may eventually have his eyes on becoming a general manager himself one day, much in the same way that former Red Wings assistant GM under Yzerman Pat Verbeek is now the main man with the Anaheim Ducks. 

“I want the opportunity to sit on meetings like last week with free agency, the negotiations of contracts, entry-level deals,” Draper said. “I’d love to learn how to do those. But my main role is exactly what it’s been since Steve has come here and that’s running the draft.”

“If an organization feels that I’m ready and I’ve put the time in and they understand that, then we’ll see where that goes,” he said. “The commitment from the Detroit Red Wings is something that means a lot to me.

“For me, it’s about being a Detroit Red Wing and getting back to winning. I want the players in this dressing room to go through what I went through as a player. It’s something I’ve never forgotten. Once the reason ended and we went into the playoffs, it was different around here. Detroit Red Wings fans are absolutely incredible, but it goes next level come playoff time and I want that group in that dressing room to go through what we were able to go through and then they’re going to understand what playoff hockey means in Detroit.”

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