Maple Leafs’ Shanahan, Babcock saddened by passing of Red Wings owner Illitch
TORONTO — Brendan Shanahan and Mike Babcock were both visibly saddened Saturday morning by the passing of long-time Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Illitch.
The president and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs both offered glowing reviews of Illitch from their respective tenures in Detroit, which included three Stanley Cups as a player for Shanahan and one as a head coach for Babcock.
“He made you want to be a better man,” Babcock said of Illitch who passed away at age 87 in a Detroit hospital on Friday. “He was committed to doing things right and what he touched in business turned to gold. But he had that presence about him that he made you want to be better.”
“He was such a passionate sportsman, but his family always welcomed us,” added Shanahan. “They knew the players. They knew the wives, the girlfriends, the kids. We all got to made feel like we were part of his family.”