Where do the Detroit Red Wings rank in Sports Illustrated's worst NHL management groups?
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The Detroit Red Wings were the gold standard of sports ownership for decades - but in recent years, things have changed, and it reflects in the fan confidence.
Since purchasing the Detroit Red Wings for $8 million (US) in 1983, Mike Ilitch soon became known as one of the best and most passionate owners not only in the NHL but in all of professional sports.
Under his tutelage, the Red Wings made 6 trips to the Stanley Cup Final from 1995 to 2009, winning 4 championships (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008).
But upon his passing in 2017, the Red Wings have been run by son Chris Ilitch, who has faced accusations from fans of not having the same passion for the team (or Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers) that his father did.
The Red Wings currently have the 2nd longest postseason drought in the NHL, behind only the 14-year drought of the divisional foe Buffalo Sabres.
In a recent poll by the Athletic, Red Wings ownership comes in at 27th out of the 32 NHL clubs; additionally, fan confidence has dwindled by over 60% compared to this time last year.
For decades, the Ilitches were the gold standard in NHL ownership, as the Red Wings built a dynasty in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. But the rebuild years have hit hard, with eight consecutive playoff-less seasons, and the Motown faithful are restless with the next generation of the family (led by Chris Ilitch), which continues to own the club.
The Red Wings were given low scores in every department in our survey, but the fact 66 percent of fans said they had lower confidence in ownership than a year ago stands out as the worst mark in that category in the NHL. There were plenty of complaints about the organization's inability to finish the new arena district, along with its perceived apathy over the team's struggles on the ice.
Detroit has a lot of good young talent coming, but it's clear the Red Wings desperately need to get back in the playoffs to give their fans more hope.
The Red Wings were given low scores in every department in our survey, but the fact 66 percent of fans said they had lower confidence in ownership than a year ago stands out as the worst mark in that category in the NHL. There were plenty of complaints about the organization's inability to finish the new arena district, along with its perceived apathy over the team's struggles on the ice.
Detroit has a lot of good young talent coming, but it's clear the Red Wings desperately need to get back in the playoffs to give their fans more hope.
Fan perspective: Not sure he cares about the fan/entertainment side of things; we've heard about the 'Detroit District' for a decade now and everything is still a parking lot.
His stewardship of both the Red Wings and the Tigers has been driven by squeezing the fan base for every nickel possible. Preaching for patience during a rebuild while charging top dollar is a shame.
His stewardship of both the Red Wings and the Tigers has been driven by squeezing the fan base for every nickel possible. Preaching for patience during a rebuild while charging top dollar is a shame.
Previously on Red Wings Insider
| POLL | ||
MARS 19 | 217 ANSWERS Where do the Detroit Red Wings rank in Sports Illustrated's worst NHL management groups? Has your confidence in Red Wings ownership gone up or down in recent years? | ||
| Gone up | 19 | 8.8 % |
| Gone down | 125 | 57.6 % |
| Stayed about the same | 73 | 33.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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