The Detroit News’s Bob Wojnowski conducted a wide-ranging, must-read Q and A with Red Wings and Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch. Here’s a piece of the paywalled article:
Q: After Dylan Larkin’s trade request was made public and Yzerman wasn’t budging, it was a firestorm. One theory was, you chose Larkin over Yzerman. How much did that discord between current and former captains affect your decision?
A: I would answer that by saying that the Detroit Red Wings are a 101-year-old organization. This franchise is bigger than any one player, any coach, any general manager, any owner. Dylan’s a great player. He’s an important part of our team. Any conversations about his future are gonna stay private between Dylan and our front office.
Q: Were you disappointed that he wanted to be traded, and I assume still wants to be traded?
A: I’m disappointed that our Red Wing team is not where we want them to be yet. So that’s where I understand the frustration, fan frustration. But I want fans to know we’re going to find a great leader.
Q: You have many former Wings in the organization, like Kris Draper, Nicklas Lidstrom, Kirk Maltby and others. Do they have a role going forward, and how long will Yzerman be in his role?
A: Steve will be in the role as long as he wants to be in the role. I’d love for him to stay to see this through. And yes, there are many other former Red Wing players as part of our organization. I would say our next president of hockey operations is going to determine the staff and execute the vision and plan. As I do with every single one of my sports leaders, and have since the day I started in my role, I give them complete autonomy and authority to make the decisions necessary.
Also:
Q: I don’t know how much you pay attention, but there’s a perception among some that you’ve put the Wings on the backburner behind the Tigers. What is your response to that?
A: (Ilitch leans forward and his tone hardens). My response would be plenty. First, I would say I care deeply about our teams. Hockey and the Red Wings have always been a big part of my life. I learned to skate when I was 3, pushing a chair around our backyard rink that my siblings and I made. I played travel hockey, and in high school I played all four years, co-captain, all-state. I played pickup hockey at Michigan, and then after college, I played hockey for 20 straight years in men’s leagues.
My first Red Wings game was with my parents at the Olympia Stadium when I was 10 years old. I spent many amazing years watching Red Wing hockey, Stanley Cup hockey, with my family in Section 118 at Joe Louis Arena. I watch every single game. I’ll occasionally attend our games on the road, and at LCA, I’ll either watch from a suite, or I like to sit in the lower bowl to see the game from different perspectives. I speak with our front office multiple times a week. How would I respond to that? I would say I love Red Wings hockey, always have, always will.
