Through the privately held Wirtz Corporation, Chicago's Wirtz Family owns a mammoth liquor distributor, as well as real estate holdings, banks, a junior hockey team and other enterprises. Get the The Hockey News Money & Power special edition for free by subscribing at thn.com/free
Late owner Rocky Wirtz's favorite cocktail: Ketel One martini with bleu chees olives.The Wirtz Family has owned the Chicago Blackhawks for four generations, but the Original Six team might seem like a drop in the bucket compared to one of the family's other enterprises.
Maybe a drop in the glass would be more accurate.
According to Forbes Magazine, the Blackhawks franchise was valued at $1.84 billion in November 2023. That ranks the team fourth in the NHL behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Montréal Canadiens. It's the most visible asset in the portfolio of the Wirtz Corporation, the family's umbrella holding company.
Subscribe at thn.com/free for free special edition, such as "Money & Power."But the Wirtz Corporation and chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz also control Breakthru Beverage Group, one of the largest distributors of alcoholic beverages. In our interview for The Hockey News' upcoming "Money & Power" special edition, Wirtz told us that roughly 60 percent of the distilled spirits and 40 percent of the wines at Chicago area liquor retailers were delivered though Breakthru.
Breakthru Beverage has an expansive portfolio of brands.According to its website, Breakthru provides products in 14 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. That includes California and Nevada, as in Vegas, baby. Booze flows in Vegas.
In Canada, Breakthru is an exclusive broker for Diageo sprits and its 200-some brands, listed here. https://www.diageo.com/en/our-brands. They include Ketel One and Smirnoff vodka, and Johnnie Walker scotch.
The 46-year-old Danny Wirtz took over following the sudden death of his father, W. Rockwell "Rocky" Wirtz last July. He's steering the business equivalent of an oil tanker. Course adjustments will be subtle and gradual, he says.
But there are some visible changes fans might notice:
- The Wirtz Corporation is moving its headquarters to a building it wholly owns at 333 N. Michigan Ave in Chicago. The landmark structure is at the southeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive on the Chicago River and near the site of Fort Dearborn, the original Chicago settlement. The Blackhawks team store is in the building.
- The team's West Side practice facility, the Fifth Third Arena, will be expanded from two to four rinks. That includes one with 1,500 seats.
Adam Fantilli played for the Chicago Steel- The Wirtz Corporation acquired a junior hockey team, the USHL Chicago Steel, last summer, finalizing the purchase just a week after Rocky Wirtz died. The Steel has been a feeder or bridge team for many players who have gone on to play NCAA Division I hockey and reach the NHL.
- Among them are Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli, who was drafted third overall in 2023 following a big season at the University of Michigan. Boston University freshman Macklin Celebrini, rated as the No. 1 prospect for the 2024 NHL draft, played for the Steel last season. After drafting Connor Bedard first overall in June 2023, the rebuilding Blackhawks should have a crack at the top pick again via the NHL's draft lottery.
The late Rocky Wirtz liked to mingle with fans at the United Center.Rocky Wirtz's favorite seat at the United Center, a folding chair on the aisle in section 119, has been bronzed and placed on a giant puck. Tickets to the seats where he mingled with customers are being donated to select fans who have demonstrated "community involvement, positive impact and growing the game of hockey." https://www.nhl.com/blackhawks/news/release-blackhawks-unveil-bronze-seat-to-honor-late-chairman. Here's a video view of the seat.
And fittingly, Rocky's Bar is set to open on the United Center concourse on Dec. 19. Specializing in classic cocktails, the bar will serve Rocky's Wirtz's favorites — Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay and extra dry Ketel One martinis with bleu cheese olives.
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