William “Rocky” Wirtz, the primary proprietor and chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks, died on Tuesday. He used to be 70
The staff didn’t divulge a reason for demise.
Wirtz used to be the 5th primary proprietor within the Blackhawks‘ storied historical past, inheriting the staff from father Invoice Wirtz upon the elder Wirtz’s demise in 2007
The Blackhawks gained 3 Stanley Cups (2010, 2013, 2015) beneath Rocky Wirtz’s possession, despite the fact that the franchise has since fallen on more difficult instances at the ice and handled controversies off it
Wirtz used to be criticized for feedback made all the way through a “the city corridor” assembly in February 2022 a couple of staff sexual-assault scandal that had come to mild months previous. He had no longer spoken publicly since March 2022, when the Blackhawks offered Kyle Davidson as their basic supervisor
“Our hearts are very heavy these days,” Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz, Rocky Wirtz’s son, mentioned in a observation. “Our dad used to be a passionate businessman dedicated to creating Chicago an excellent spot to reside, paintings and seek advice from, however his real love used to be for his circle of relatives and shut buddies. He used to be a loving father, a faithful husband to Marilyn, a brother, a nephew, an uncle and a doting grandfather to his six exceptional grandchildren. His passing leaves an enormous hollow within the hearts of many and we will be able to leave out him extraordinarily.
Chicago White Sox and Bulls proprietor Jerry Reinsdorf mentioned of Rocky Wirtz’s passing in a observation, “That is simply stunning information, and I’m for my part devastated. Rocky really used to be a super guy. We had been excess of companions on the United Heart. We had been very shut; he used to be a pricey pal and our accept as true with, our bond, used to be unbreakable. We by no means had a war of words or argument all the way through all of our a few years in combination.
“Everybody appreciated Rocky. He used to be good, passionate, beneficiant, personable and pleasant. He cared deeply in regards to the Blackhawks, the individuals who labored for the staff and on the United Heart, Blackhawks fanatics and the town of Chicago. He used to be so very happy with the Stanley Cup Championships and what the ones trophies intended to the group, the town and the fanatics.
–Box Degree Media
