Chris Ilitch, the Detroit Red Wings' co-owner, CEO and governor, is No. 23 on the 100 People of Power & Influence list in The Hockey News' 2026 Money & Power Issue.
The 100 People of Power & Influence in hockey are featured in The Hockey News' 2026 Money & Power issue, available at THN.com/free.
At No. 23 is Chris Ilitch, the Detroit Red Wings' co-owner, CEO and governor.
Ilitch has done well to transition the family business from one generation to the next. Financial might has allowed the Red Wings to retain their young talent on long-term deals.
The Red Wings' revival feels nearly complete as well. Patience with GM Steve Yzerman has helped Detroit build properly to ice a playoff-contending club for the first time in the past decade. Subscribers can read more on Ilitch here.
Each person on the list this year is ranked in 14 categories of job classification, from owners to players to agents, along with many more powerbrokers identified within various silos of expertise. That's all available to find in The Hockey News' 2026 Money & Power hockey business annual.