Current:Home > StocksChicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz dies at age 70-InfoLens
Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz dies at age 70
View Date:2024-12-23 23:54:47
CHICAGO (AP) — 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 release that Wirtz died on Tuesday, calling it a “sudden passing.” But no further details were provided.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a release that the league was “deeply saddened” by Wirtz’s death.
Other news Blackhawks announce 2-year contract for forward Philipp Kurashev after arbitration decision The Chicago Blackhawks and forward Philipp Kurashev have a two-year contract in place after going through salary arbitration. The team announced the decision. Chicago Blackhawks and No. 1 overall draft pick Connor Bedard agree to 3-year contract The Chicago Blackhawks and forward Connor Bedard have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract for the No. 1 overall draft pick. No. 1 overall draft pick Connor Bedard begins development camp with Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard is going to work with the Chicago Blackhawks. Bedard is the centerpiece of the team’s development camp at its practice facility near the United Center. Vegas Golden Knights re-sign goalie Adin Hill to a 2-year deal on the eve of free agency The Vegas Golden Knights have re-signed Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Adin Hill to a two-year deal worth almost $10 million.“Devoted to family and the Chicago Blackhawks, Rocky was a native son of Chicago and an accomplished businessman,” Bettman said. “Rocky took over control of the Blackhawks in 2007 and almost immediately restored the passion and following of this storied, Original Six franchise.”
Rocky Wirtz was 2 years old when his grandfather, Arthur Wirtz, purchased the Blackhawks in 1954. Rocky Wirtz took over the team after his father, William, died in September 2007.
William Wirtz was nicknamed “Dollar Bill” for his frugality when it came to acquiring the services of the game’s best players. And the team struggled while playing in front of small crowds in its early years at the United Center, making only one playoff appearance from 1998-2008.
Everything changed when Rocky Wirtz became the team chairman. He helped re-establish the franchise’s connection to some of its best players from the past. He put the team’s games back on local TV, and fans returned to the United Center during a lengthy sellout streak that ended in 2021.
With Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane leading the way, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The team also made it to the 2014 Western Conference Final, losing to the Los Angeles Kings in an epic seven-game series.
With the Blackhawks’ success on and off the ice, Wirtz became a beloved figure in his native Chicago. He also was lauded by the league for his leadership.
But Wirtz’s tenure as owner was forever tarnished when an outside law firm found that the organization badly mishandled allegations by a player who said he was sexually assaulted by an assistant coach during the team’s run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title.
___
Follow Jay Cohen at https://twitter.com/jcohenap
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
veryGood! (43926)
Related
- Some women are stockpiling Plan B and abortion pills. Here's what experts have to say.
- Judge finds man incompetent to stand trial in fatal shooting of Cleveland police officer
- Banana Republic’s Friends & Family Sale Won’t Last Long—Deals Starting at $26, Plus Coats up to 70% Off
- Let This Be Your Easy Guide to What the Easy A Cast Is Up to Now
- Richard Allen found guilty in the murders of two teens in Delphi, Indiana. What now?
- US Coast Guard says Russian naval vessels crossed into buffer zone off Alaska
- Édgar Barrera, Bad Bunny and Karol G lead the 2024 Latin Grammy nominations
- Ellen Star Sophia Grace Reveals Sex of Baby No. 2
- What is ‘Doge’? Explaining the meme and cryptocurrency after Elon Musk's appointment to D.O.G.E.
- San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel to miss a couple weeks with calf injury
Ranking
- Bohannan requests a recount in Iowa’s close congressional race as GOP wins control of House
- Bill Gates calls for more aid to go to Africa and for debt relief for burdened countries
- Sean Diddy Combs Indictment: Authorities Seized Over 1,000 Bottles of Baby Oil During Home Raid
- The hormonal health 'marketing scheme' medical experts want you to look out for
- Dallas Long, who won 2 Olympic medals while dominating the shot put in the 1960s, has died at 84
- 23andMe agrees to $30 million settlement over data breach that affected 6.9 million users
- Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke to miss rest of season with knee injury, per reports
- Election officials prepare for threats with panic buttons, bulletproof glass
Recommendation
-
Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries
-
Is Demi Moore as Obsessed With J.Crew's Barn Jacket as We Are?
-
Loyal pitbull mix Maya credited with saving disabled owner's life in California house fire
-
Sean Diddy Combs Arrested in New York
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Good Try (Freestyle)
-
Justin Timberlake Shares Tour Update After Reaching Deal in DWI Case
-
Banana Republic’s Friends & Family Sale Won’t Last Long—Deals Starting at $26, Plus Coats up to 70% Off
-
A teen inmate is bound over for trial in a Wisconsin youth prison counselor’s death