Red Wings GM Search Includes Surprising Baseball Connection
Per Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Detroit has interviewed Andrew Thomas, an assistant general manager with the Detroit Tigers, as part of its GM search.
"I think they interviewed internal candidates first," Friedman said. "I think they interviewed Andrew Thomas. Andrew Thomas, who used to work for the Minnesota Wild, he works for the Tigers now, too."
Hockey Background Behind The Baseball Title
Before joining the Tigers, Thomas built a career in sports data science and served as the Minnesota Wild's lead hockey researcher from 2016 through 2019, and he created the hockey analytics site War On Ice back in 2014.
Detroit's own announcement of his Tigers hiring specifically cited his academic background in statistics and data science, the kind of profile the Red Wings have said they're prioritizing after years of criticism over their analytics department.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Red Wings management search: I think they interviewed Andrew Thomas...who used to work for the Wild, he works for the [MLB Detroit] Tigers now - 32 Thoughts (8/25)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) September 1, 2026
Friedman was careful to temper expectations on Thomas specifically. "I don't know that Andrew Thomas is going to be ready for this now, but I've heard that they think very highly of him," Friedman said. "And so, that's a name to remember, although I'm not convinced the opportunity is going to be his now."
One report suggested he may be more of a future consideration, potentially for an assistant GM role down the line, rather than someone ready to run the whole show today.
Search Now Racing A Deadline
Thomas isn't the only external name in the mix.
Friedman has also floated Florida Panthers assistant GM Brett Peterson and San Jose Sharks assistant GM Jeff Kealty, while Detroit Tigers GM Jeff Greenberg, Thomas' own boss, remains the name Friedman keeps circling back to as the most intriguing possibility.
Internally, Detroit has already interviewed assistant GM Shawn Horcoff and fellow assistant GM Kris Draper.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Red Wings management search: I don't know that Andrew Thomas is going to be ready for this now, but I've heard that they think very highly of him - 32 Thoughts (8/25)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) August 28, 2026
Per the most recent reporting, Detroit is targeting a hire around Labor Day, putting pressure on a search that's already pulled in candidates from outside the sport entirely.
With Dylan Larkin's trade request still unresolved and training camp fast approaching, whoever Detroit lands on will be walking into one of the more complicated jobs in the league from day one.
