Ilitch family apologizes to Red Wings' fans, thanks for patience during NHL lockout

(WXYZ) - Red Wings owners Mike and Marian Ilitch apologized to fans and thanked them for their patience during the NHL lockout in a letter on the Red Wings’ official Website.

Instead of being directed to their homepage, redwings.nhl.com takes you to a black splash page with the their letter as the focal point.

In the letter, the Ilitches state:

Dear Red Wings Fans,

In our now 30 years of owning the Red Wings franchise, we have experienced many ups and downs. No situation is more frustrating, though, than working through the process of establishing a new collective bargaining agreement. We join the rest of our organization today in thanking fans of Hockeytown for your patience over the last few months.

We are sorry for the delay in starting the season and the unfortunate public nature of the negotiations. Thankfully, with this new deal, we will be assured of a settled labor environment for many years to come.

We recognize that no team excels like this one has without incredible fan support. And we understand the special bond that has been formed over the years: we do not take lightly our responsibility as owners.
Thank you for being a part of our team. We look forward to delivering another memorable season of Red Wings hockey.

Sincerely,

Marian & Mike Ilitch