On Tuesday, the NHL announced the three finalists for the 2025-26 Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, which is presented annually to recognize the league’s top general manager.
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Included in the nominees is a name that fans of the Detroit Red Wings are very familiar with.
Former NHL forward Pat Verbeek, who played 135 games in a Red Wings uniform from 1999 through 2001 and later served as assistant general manager under Steve Yzerman, is up for the award thanks to his work as GM with the Anaheim Ducks.
Also included were Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin, who acquired defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in a bold mid-December trade, along with Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland.
Guerin also served as general manager for Team USA during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, resulting in the first gold medal victory since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
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Verbeek served under Yzerman as assistant GM of the Red Wings from 2019 through 2022, and was also assistant GM and Director of Player Personnel under Yzerman with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2012 through 2019, as well as their Director of Professional Scouting.
Prior to that, he worked as a pro scout with the Red Wings from 2006 to 2010.
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He was named GM of the Ducks in February 2022 and has stockpiled some of the most exciting young talent in the NHL, along with a solid mix of veteran players.
Last season, the Ducks improved by 21 points, along with another 12 point improvement this season.
They won their first Stanley Cup Playoff series since 2017, and are two victories away from a berth in the Western Conference Final.
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