RIP Mr. I!

[Red Stanley]

RIP and thanks for making the RW I grew up watching and loving possible!

 

[ITM]

A better man the NHL has never seen. Best owner in sports bar none. Favourite son of Detroit. A man of integrity and charity.

God bless Mike Illitch and the Illitch family.

 

[Mount Suribachi]

Sad news but not unexpected, he looked terrible as far back as 2008.

His impact on Wings history cannot be overstated.

 

[eightspokedb]

Blessings to the Illitch family...

 

[One Blurred Eye]

Sad not only to lose one of the best owners in pro sports but also one of the sincere dreamers for a revitalized Detroit--I'm sure any number healthy debates could be had as to his methods or the results but it seems difficult to conclude he was anything but genuine in his efforts see the city thrive again. Hopefully he's imparted similar dedication to his successors, that his spirit might live on in the hustle and bustle of his beloved metropolis.

 

[Countdown0]

So sad to hear this. Not a Red Wings fan, but their organization is amazing from top to bottom. I can only imagine that Mike Ilitch at the top had to be a class act and a great person.

RIP

 

[theYman]

This was out of nowhere. Sad. But such a great owner and man to play for. So glad our team had him. This is on par with George Steinbrenner's death.

 

[Old Guy]

CBJ fan stopping by to express condolences and respect for the DRW owner.

Thank you Mr. Ilitch for your contributions to the sport and the league. Much respect for what you and your team built and accomplished in Detroit.

May God grant you entrance to his Kingdom. RIP

 

[Pelle31]

Bill Shea Verified account
‏@Bill_Shea19

Detroit Tigers and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch, co-founder of Little Caesars, has died at age 87, the Ilitch organized has confirmed.

Thank you for everything!

As a Flyer fan, I just want to say to all of the Red Wings fans, Mr. Ilitch was an awesome owner that will be missed. He turned an once storied franchise around in the early 80's to become one of the modelled franchises in the NHL. R.I.P. Mr. Ilitch!

 

[Whitesnake]

My Condoleances to the Wings family and its fans. For the oldest guys like me (not that old, just 45), Mr. Illitch was a permanent fixture in this league and was a reassuring figure to have around. He will be missed.

 

[PuckDynasty]

I think all you really need to know about him is that EVERYONE refers to him as MR. Ilitch. He's earned that respect.

 

[teeder333*]

Never understood how someone so rich could turn out such a bad pizza, but I guess he understood the average person really well. I could never swallow more than a bite of his pizza.

That having been said, I guess he took all his profits and lived out his sports fantasies. And put more quality into those. I read some articles on him and he seems to be very well respected by players and associates. So god speed Mike.

 

[Henkka]

Some old article about his son.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/sports/hockey/01frozen.html

 

[Fugu]

Thanks to all the visiting posters who commented here. It's appreciated.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

RIP. The Wings will never have a better owner than Mr. I. He had a massive impact on hockey in Michigan well beyond the Redwings.

 

[Bondurant]

I'm going to Little Caesar's for lunch today and I'll be wearing my Red Wings t-shirt and wearing my Tigers hat. It's the least I can do.

Thank you, Mr. Ilich, for helping to provide some of the best memories of my childhood.

 

[Lieutenant Bookman]

Hawks fan here. Sad to hear about Mr. Ilitch's passing, great owner and seemed like an even better man. RIP Mr. I

 

[Mount Suribachi]

So, Red Wings Mount Rushmore: Howe, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Ilitch?

 

[HockeyinHD]

I was at the UM/MSU game at the Joe last night when they announced it. It was a sad moment, but not one that was too surprising. Ilitch was the driving force behind the most enjoyable fan experience I'll ever have in my lifetime, and while first the Tigers and then health seemed to take most of his passion away for driving the Wings to success, I'll always be grateful for having the opportunity to cheer for a team whose owner wanted them to win at least as much as I did.

 

[jkutswings]

Before the Leafs/Sabres game on HNIC, they had his image on the Jumbotron, said some nice words, and held an extended moment of silence. Very cool.

 

[jkutswings]

Bill Davidson, 1922-2009
William Clay Ford, Sr., 1925-2014
Mike Ilitch, 1929-2017

It's been a rough era for long-time ownership in this town.

 

[Martinez]

So, Red Wings Mount Rushmore: Howe, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Ilitch?

I like it

 

[SimplySolace]

From FSD:

 

[Konnan511]

Some old article about his son.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/sports/hockey/01frozen.html

That was a fantastic read!

 

[Konnan511]

From FSD:

Video
Video
Video

I'm not crying, you're crying. Shut up.