TAMPA, Fla. -- Steve Yzerman is stepping down as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The announcement was formally made during a news conference Tuesday afternoon at Amalie Arena.
Yzerman will remain with the franchise as a senior advisor to the general manager.
Assistant General Manager Julien BriseBois, 41, will take Yzerman's place. The change makes BriseBois the team's seventh general manager.
BriseBois has a history in hockey management that includes time as vice president of hockey operations for the Montreal Canadiens and general manager of the Syracuse Crunch. His minor league teams have reached the Calder Cup Finals five times and won the cup twice.
Helene St. James, a reporter at the Detroit Free Press, reports Yzerman told Lightning players he eventually planned to go home to Detroit.
Yzerman is in the final year of his contract with the Lightning. He was named the Lightning's vice president and general manager in May 2010. After leading the team to the conference finals during his first 2010-11 season, he worked to rebuild the roster thereafter.
The Lightning made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2015 but lost to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Yzerman was named General Manager of the Year during the annual National Hockey League awards in 2015.
Prior to serving in an administrative role, he spent his NHL playing career with the Detroit Red Wings.
The Bolts have made it to the NHL Eastern Conference Final during three of their last four seasons and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2015.
Training camp for the upcoming season begins Friday.
The first regular season game is Oct. 6 against the Florida Panthers.
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