W. Rockwell "Rocky" Wirtz oversaw Chicago's best-ever run of three Stanley Cups over six seasons. Son and team CEO Danny Wirtz now in line to take over Original Six team.
The Chicago Blackhawks announced the sudden death of team chairman W. Rockwell "Rocky" Wirtz at age 70 on Tuesday, July 25. No cause of death — other than a "short illness — was provided for Wirtz who lived and grew up in Winnetka, Illinois on Chicago's North Shore.
Wirtz inherited the ownership of the NHL Original Six franchise in 2007 following the death of his father, Bill Wirtz, and presided over the team's renaissance that culminated in Stanley Cup wins in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The run of three championships in six years was the most successful ever for the Blackhawks, who have won the Cup six times since entering the NHL in 1926.
The Blackhawks have been controlled by the Wirtz family since 1954 when Rocky’s grandfather, Arthur Wirtz, purchased the team. Rocky's son, Danny, was named CEO of the team in December 2020, and has become increasingly visible as its day-to-day senior executive. It's expected that Danny, 46, is in line to take full charge of the Blackhawks.
"Our hearts are very heavy today," Danny Wirtz said in a statement on Twitter/X. "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. ... His passing leaves huge hole in the hearts of many and we will miss him terribly."
Rocky Wirtz also was chairman of the Wirtz Corporation, the privately owned holding company that governs the Blackhawks and is a co-owner of the United Center. Founded in 1926 by Arthur Wirtz as a real estate company, the Wirtz Corporation's holdings include Breakthru Beverage Group, one of the largest wholesale beverage-alcohol distributors with operations across the U.S. and Canada. https://www.breakthrubev.com/
Beyond the Stanley Cup wins, Rocky Wirtz may be best remembered by Blackhawks fans for finally televising the team's home games, something his father refused to do. That alone made Rocky Wirtz something of an instant hero with Chicago followers in Fall 2007, and set him apart from his reclusive dad.
In fact, Bill Wirtz was reviled by many of his team's fans. The last time cheapskate "Dollar Bill" stepped on to the United Center ice — during a 1998 ceremony to retire Hall of Famer center Denis Savard's No. 18 — the crowd booed so loudly that Bill Wirtz couldn't be heard on the building's public address system.
The timing of Rocky Wirtz's takeover also was fortuitous. The Blackhawks roster was shaping up. Chicago already had drafted forwards Jonathan Toews (2006) and Patrick Kane (2007), defensemen Duncan Keith (2002) and Brent Seabrook (2003), and goalie Corey Crawford (2003).
Kane and Toews debuted in the NHL with a splash in 2007 to help make the Blackhawks exciting and competitive. Chicago climbed back over .500 in 2007-08, shot to 104 points and the conference finals the following season, then won the Cup in 2009-10 after posting a team-record 112 points.
Rocky soaked it all in with the fans. He would sit just off the aisle in the northwest edge of the United Center's lower bowl and enjoyed chatting with the customers for many years.
But for the past couple of tough Blackhawks seasons, Rocky wasn't seen often among the patrons in dwindling crowds.
Rebuilding Chicago has missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons. Rocky Wirtz also appeared to be shaken by an independent report that found the Blackhawks badly mishandled prospect Kyle Beach’s allegations when he was assaulted by then-video coach Brad Aldrich during the team’s run to the 2010 Cup.
The report, by iconic Chicago law firm Jenner & Block, concluded that Wirtz and his family had no knowledge of the botched internal management of the incident. The team, however, was fined $2 million by the NHL.
At a town hall with fans after the report was published, Wirtz snapped at a reporter during the event that was intended to help the franchise repair its reputation. The reporter asked what the team had done to make sure an incident like the one Beach endured couldn't happen again.
"We’re not looking back at 2010, we’re looking forward," Wirtz said. "And we’re not going to talk about 2010.”
When Danny Wirtz tried bail out his father on the stage, Rocky Wirtz cut off his son and said it was none of the reporter’s business.
In a follow-up question, the reporter asked how it wasn't their business. Rocky Wirtz responded: “You don’t work for the company.
“If somebody 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?"
Rocky Wirtz apologized publicly the next day, but things were never quite the same.
He did, however, make appearances to support the hiring of current general manager Kyle Davidson and coach Luke Richardson. But Danny Wirtz was in team videos about planning for the 2023 NHL Draft and on the stage in Nashville last month with Davidson to greet No. 1 pick Connor Bedard and Oliver Moore, who was taken 19th overall.
In a news release, the Blackhawks said Rocky Wirtz "grew up within the walls of the storied Chicago Stadium."
Wirtz reportedly died at a local hospital with immediate family at his side. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, and children Danny, Hillary, Kendall and Elizabeth Queen. Wirtz also leaves six grandchildren.