The Detroit Red Wings are looking for a new head of hockey operations.That’s not a sentence you’d expect to read in mid-July — long after the typical hiring cycle for the NHL. But with Wednesday’s news that Steve Yzerman will no longer be the Red Wings’ general manager, transitioning to an advisory role to owner Chris Ilitch, a new era is set to begin for the Red Wings. Just as soon as they find Yzerman’s replacement.So, who will that be? The timing complicates that question.If the Red Wings had made their leadership change in April, they might have been able to get in the mix for some of the cycle’s top general manager candidates, such as former Florida Panthers assistant general manager Sunny Mehta (now general manager of the New Jersey Devils) or former Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland, now president of hockey operations of the Nashville Predators. Instead, the Red Wings will conduct their search after rival organizations already went through this process.Of course, they may still land a very good candidate. The team announced it would conduct a search of internal and external candidates, and there remain many capable people — in the organization and around the sport.There are all types of candidates worth considering. Mehta was an example of a top executive from a winning organization — always a popular profile to target. He also represented another intriguing archetype, as a data-driven decision-maker. That certainly helped the Panthers in capturing their back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025, and the Carolina Hurricanes just won the Cup with an even more analytics-heavy philosophy, led by Eric Tulsky. And on that note, the Ilitch family’s other professional sports team, the Detroit Tigers, has certainly taken that direction. Perhaps that’s a hint at what could be in store.Former agents — such as Mehta’s boss in Florida, Bill Zito, and Kent Hughes in Montreal — are also having a moment in the NHL right now, and executives with experience running a department are also popular, especially if they’ve had success. MacFarland’s move from Colorado to Nashville is also a reminder that even employed executives can move, especially if the change comes with a pay raise and a title bump from general manager to president of hockey operations.Perhaps the Red Wings could take a long shot at offering those kinds of bumps to someone such as Winnipeg’s Kevin Cheveldayoff or even Tulsky himself in Carolina. It’s certainly worth a call to find out.But for now, here’s a look at some of the early names to know, as the Red Wings begin their search process.Ties to the organization / Established NHL GMsShawn HorcoffCurrently an assistant general manager in Detroit, Horcoff managed the Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids to a near-historic campaign this past season. He has NHL GM potential, and now that there’s an opening in Detroit, he becomes the most logical internal candidate because of his experience managing the Griffins. The big question will be whether the Red Wings can go internal with this hire — if they want change, does promoting from within accomplish that?I think it still could, as Horcoff is his own person, and his success in Grand Rapids has been significant. But it’s a question the Red Wings will have to ask in the process, and one that fans will have as well.Ryan MartinMartin is an associate general manager with the New York Rangers and GM of their AHL affiliate in Hartford. But before that, he spent 16 years in the Red Wings’ front office, managing the Griffins and working under Ken Holland and then (briefly) Yzerman. He’s also been a big part of USA Hockey at the junior and senior levels, including serving as GM for the 2022 World Championship team. He has history and familiarity with the organization but is removed from the current management group.