The Chicago Blackhawks announced the passing of Chairman Rockwell “Rocky” Wirtz at the age of 70 this week following a brief illness.

   The Wirtz family have been involved in ownership of the Blackhawks franchise since 1954, with Rocky assuming control of the team in 2007 following the passing of his father William. 

   “Our hearts are very heavy today. Our dad was a passionate businessman committed to making Chicago a great place to live, work and visit, but his true love was for his family and close friends. He was a loving father, a devoted husband to Marilyn, a brother, a nephew, an uncle and doting grandfather to his six remarkable grandchildren. His passing leaves a huge hole in the hearts of many and we will miss him terribly,” said Rocky’s son Danny in a prepared statement from the family.

   “The National Hockey League family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of W. Rockwell ‘Rocky’ Wirtz,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a press release. “Devoted to family and the Chicago Blackhawks, Rocky was a native son of Chicago and an accomplished businessman. Rocky took over control of the Blackhawks in 2007 and almost immediately restored the passion and following of this storied, Original Six franchise.”

   The Wirtz family rose to prominence when patriarch Arthur Wirtz purchased the family’s first liquor distributorship in 1945, seeking to diversify the Wirtz Corporation which up until that point was primarily a holding company for the family real estate assets. From there, they began purchasing competing liquor distributors, eventually becoming the Breakthru Beverage Group which offers over 6,000 wines, spirits, and beer brands today.

   In 1966 the Wirtz Corporation became full owners of the Chicago Blackhawks. For a period, they also owned the Chicago Bulls (1972-1985) before selling the franchise to Jerry Reinsdorf.

   Following Arthur’s passing in 1983, Rocky’s father William took control of the corporation and ran it until his passing in the early 2000’s. Under Rocky’s stewardship, the Blackhawks saw an unprecedented run of success, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. The titles put an end to one of North America’s longest championship droughts, as Chicago’s previous championship came all the way back in 1961, when players like Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita graced the ice.

   Initially, it appeared as though the days of “Dollar” Bill Wirtz were in the rearview mirror under Rocky’s guidance. Where his father gained a reputation for pinching pennies whenever possible when it came to roster construction, Rocky’s teams regularly spent to the salary cap ceiling. During Bill’s time as owner, home games weren’t broadcast due to “team policy” as ownership believed it insulted the season ticket holders who paid money to see the team in person.

   However, things changed during Rocky’s tenure as he became heavily involved in supporting the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, and helped to create a community ice rink to the tune of $65M alongside a new practice facility for the team. He also worked hard to restore relationships with sponsors, fans, and members of the press alike.

   All things weren’t sunshine and rainbows under Rocky’s leadership however. The Blackhawks made headlines across the sports world for what many labelled a cover up of a sexual assault scandal from the 2009-10 season. The club ultimately settled with former player Kyle Beach, and was fined $2M by the NHL for “the organization’s inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response,” following an investigation.

   Rocky would later draw the ire of fans and the media alike following some testy exchanges with reporters in the wake of the scandal. Speaking to Mark Lazerus from The Athletic, Rocky told members of the press “I think the report speaks for itself. The people who were involved are no longer here. We’re not looking back on 2010, we’re looking forward. And we’re not going to talk about 2010…We’re moving forward, that is my answer. Now, what’s your next question?”

   Wirtz’s son Danny, attempted to move the press conference along from there but was interrupted by his father, who said, “no, that’s none of your business” while gesturing to the crowd.

   “What we’re going to do today is our business, I don’t think it’s any of your business…You don’t work for the company.”

   “If someone in the company asks that question, we’ll answer it,” Wirtz continued. “And I think you should get on to the next subject. We’re not going to talk about Kyle Beach, we’re not going to talk about anything that happened. Now we’re moving on, what more do I have to say? Do you want to keep asking the same question, and hear the same answer?”

   When another reporter attempted to broach the subject in a different manner, Wirtz retorted “I told you to get off the subject…We’re not going to bring up the report… I told you, we’re moving on. I think you’re out of line to ask that line of questions. Why don’t you ask about something else? Why don’t you ask about the GM search? Why don’t you do something else? Why do you bring up old business?”

   After some more back and forth, Rocky finished with “Come on, come on. Let’s talk about all the negative stuff. Do you want to talk about your paper? And what the sports page looks like. Can I do that?”.

    Wirtz and the Blackhawks would later issue an apology for the outburst, but it was clear from that point on that the “honeymoon” in Chicago from their Stanley Cup era was clearly over.

   With franchise icons Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane moving on, Rocky’s passing officially marks the end of a chapter in Blackhawks history. It’s widely expected that his son Danny will assume control of the franchise moving forward. Danny currently serves as team CEO, though no official announcement has been made in terms of a succession plan as of yet.

   Rocky is survived by his wife Marilyn, and children Danny (Anne) Wirtz, Hillary Wirtz (Erin Quaglia), Kendall (Brendan) Murphy, and Elizabeth Queen (Joe Barley).

-Kyle Skinner

Twitter: @JKyleSkinner

Photo: Pete Souza. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code. 

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