NHL
Very sad news from the United States. The owner of the Chicago Blackhawks, winner of 3 Stanley Cups, has died
On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, very sad news arrived from the United States of America. The owner and chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks Rockwell Wirtz, who won three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015, died at the age of 70.
On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, very sad news arrived from the United States of America. The owner and chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks Rockwell Wirtz, who won three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015, died at the age of 70.
The man who made Chicago one of the NHL’s best franchises in the earlier years. In short, nobody wanted to play against the Blackhawks from 2010 to 2015. The proof is in the Stanley Cup-winning years of 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Rockwell, nicknamed “Rocky”, was one of the successors, as Chicago has been owned by the Wirtz family since 1954. It should be noted, the Blackhawks called his departure sudden in their official statement, no details have been given yet.
“Our dad was a great businessman who made Chicago a great place to live. I especially appreciated how kind he was to his family and friends, ” said Danny Wirtz, who is currently the club’s executive director.
The Wirtz surname first became associated with the Chicago club in 1954 when Rocky’s grandfather, Arthur Wirtz, became owner. Rocky Wirtz took over the club after the death of his father William in September 2007.
His father, William, was nicknamed “Dollar Bill” overseas because he was always cautious about the financial aspect of acquiring players. The club struggled and only made the playoffs once between 1998 and 2008.
But that all changed when Rocky took over as chairman. He helped reestablish connections with several players from the past and brought Chicago’s games back to television.
He was also instrumental in why the Blackhawks famously had a long streak of sellout games that ended in 2021.
“The NHL family is deeply saddened by the sudden death of Rockwell Wirtz. Rocky was devoted to his family and Chicago, and was a great businessman. The moment Rocky took over Chicago, he immediately brought passion back to the club,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, quoted by ESPN.
Sources: NHL, ESPN, Chicago Blackhawks
