Rocky Wirtz, who won three Stanley Cup titles as owner of the Chicago Blackhawks and presided over the team during one of the NHL’s biggest scandals, has died. He was 70.
The Blackhawks said in a statement that Wirtz died Tuesday, calling it a “sudden passing.” No further details were provided.
“Our hearts are very heavy today,” Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz, Rocky’s son, said on social media. “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 a huge hole in the hearts of many and we will miss him terribly.”
Rocky Wirtz was two years old when his grandfather, Arthur Wirtz, bought the Blackhawks in 1954. Rocky Wirtz took over the franchise after his father, William, died in September 2007.
William Wirtz was nicknamed “Dollar Bill” for his lack of spending when it came to acquiring the services of the game’s best players. And the team struggled, making only a single playoff appearance from 1998 to 2008.
Everything changed drastically when Rocky Wirtz became the team chairman. He helped reestablish the franchise’s connection to some of its best players from the past. He put the team’s games back on local television, and the Blackhawks had a lengthy sellout streak that ended in 2021.
“The National Hockey League family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of W. Rockwell ‘Rocky’ Wirtz,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a 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.”
With the dynamic duo of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane leading the charge, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The team also made it to the 2014 Western Conference finals, losing to the Los Angeles Kings in seven games.
Bettman got used to handing off the Stanley Cup to Wirtz’s franchise.
“Rocky was a dear friend whose counsel I consistently sought,” the commissioner added. “He was a highly respected member of the league’s board of governors whose wisdom and camaraderie were valued by his fellow owners.”
With the Blackhawks’ success on and off the ice, Wirtz became a beloved figure in his hometown of Chicago. He also was praised by the NHL for his leadership.
Jerry Reinsdorf, who owns the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and MLB’s Chicago White Sox, called Wirtz a great man and a trusted friend.
“We were far more than partners at the United Center. We were very close; he was a dear friend and our trust, our bond, was unbreakable,” Reinsdorf said in a release. “We never had a disagreement or argument during all of our many years together.
“Everyone liked Rocky. He was smart, passionate, generous, personable, and friendly. He cared deeply about the Blackhawks, the people who worked for the team and at the United Center, Blackhawks fans and the city of Chicago.”
Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey agreed.
“Under his leadership, Rocky set the bar for excellence extremely high in Chicago with three Stanley Cup championships,” McCaskey said in a statement.
However, Wirtz’s tenure as owner did not go without controversy and was forever tarnished by the organization’s response or lack thereof, when a player said he was sexually assaulted by an assistant coach during the team’s run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title.
A review by an outside law firm, commissioned by the team in response to two lawsuits and released in October 2021, found that the franchise badly mishandled Kyle Beach’s allegations that he was assaulted by then-video coach Brad Aldrich.
The investigation by Jenner & Block found no evidence that either Rocky or Danny Wirtz was aware of the allegations before Beach’s lawsuit was brought to their attention ahead of its filing.
The Blackhawks reached a confidential settlement with Beach. Aldrich told investigators for the team’s report that his encounter with the player was consensual.
A second suit filed by a former high school student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting in Michigan was quietly dismissed “by stipulation or agreement.”
The NHL handed the Blackhawks a steep fine of $2 million for “the organization’s inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response,” and longtime general manager Stan Bowman resigned. Rocky Wirtz also successfully petitioned the Hockey Hall of Fame to have Aldrich’s name removed from the Stanley Cup.
At a town hall meeting in February 2022, Wirtz vehemently rejected any conversation connected to the franchise’s response to Beach’s allegations. Wirtz apologized for his remarks that same night.
