Red Wings Yzerman Cheering For Holland

To no one’s surprise, as the Edmonton Oilers get set to face the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final series on Monday, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is unabashedly cheering for Holland.

Of course, it makes perfect sense. After all, Oilers GM Ken Holland, the man Yzerman would replace as GM of the Red Wings, was Stevie Y’s boss for years. Holland also would serve as Yzerman’s mentor as he apprenticed for his current role.

Ken Holland brought in Hyman, Ekholm, Janmark, Connor Brown and Adam Henrique. Masterful additions. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/0rZgxJ63HE

— The Cynic (@J_TheCynic) June 22, 2024

No wait, not that Holland. The other one.

You might know them better as The Netherlands.

That’s right, we’re talking soccer here, or football as they say on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The Euro 2024 tournament to be specific. And Yzerman’s team is Holland . . . er, The Netherlands.

“Well, my name is Dutch, and I’m a Virgil van Dijk fan,” Yzerman explained.

Van Dijk is the Dutch captain.  The central defender is also captain of English Premier League powerhouse club Liverpool.

Red Wings Lidstrom Also Liverpool Fan

Rooting for Liverpool would give Yzerman something in common with another Red Wings legend. Nicklas Lidstrom, the seven-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman in Detroit, is also a big time Liverpool supporter.

Yzerman and Lidstrom are the only Detroit captains to lift the Stanley Cup since 1955. Today, Lidstrom is working for Yzerman as the vice-president of hockey operations for the Red Wings.

In between prepping for the NHL entry draft, seeing what’s available on the trade market and negotiating contracts with his restricted and unrestricted free agents, Yzerman is also seeking to keep tabs on the Dutch as they try to master their Euro 2024 group.

This is Virgil van Dijk on 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 disallowed Dutch goal 🗣️#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/7c3BrCWvfX

— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) June 21, 2024

Currently The Netherlands and France are deadlocked atop Group D. Each country has four points from two matches, with one to play.

Yzerman was probably delighted when his pre-game analysis of Friday’s match between these two soccer superpowers would turn out to be incorrect.

“I think the French are too strong,” he said prior to the game against Holland.

That match ended in a scoreless draw. Controversially, a Dutch goal was disallowed.

After the match, van Dijk was harshly critical of the ruling by English referee Anthony Taylor.

“We scored a goal that is a fair goal,” Van Dijk insisted after the game. “But yeah, the English referee decided to disallow it.”

No wonder then that van Dijk is Yzerman’s favorite player.