Shanahan, Blues owner who brought in Brett Hull, dead at 78

Mike Shanahan, who owned the St. Louis Blues from 1986-91 and oversaw the acquisition of Hall of Famer Brett Hull, has died. He was 78. (Photo: St. Louis Blues/Facebook)

LOUIS — Mike Shanahan, who owned the St. Louis Blues from 1986-91 and oversaw the acquisition of Hall of Famer Brett Hull, has died. He was 78.

Blues Chairman Tom Stillman confirmed Shanahan’s death Monday night in a statement. Stillman said Shanahan “set a shining example of leadership both on and off the ice” and “captivated Blues fans and made an immeasurable impact on the organization.”

No cause of death was announced.

After selling his ownership stake, Shanahan stayed on as team chairman until 1994 and the Blues aggressively sought out a number of NHL stars during his time with the team. Hull came over in a trade with Calgary in 1988, and forward Adam Oates and goalie Curtis Joseph joined the team in 1989. St. Louis signed defenceman Scott Stevens to a big contract in 1990, then lost him in arbitration a year later as punishment for signing restricted free agent Brendan Shanahan away from New Jersey.

Hull called Mike Shanahan a “very special man” on Twitter, adding that “he made people better and I know I am better having known him.”