CAUSE OF DEATH: Blackhawks Chairman, Rocky Wirtz, passed away at NorthShore Evanston Hospital after short illness

CAUSE OF DEATH: Blackhawks Chairman, Rocky Wirtz, passed away at NorthShore Evanston Hospital.

Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz has died, sources said Tuesday.

We are told Wirtz died after a short illness. Wirtz was 70.

William Rockwell Wirtz had been chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks and President of the Wirtz Corporation since 2007. As CBS 2’s Jermont Terry reported, Wirtz was at the helm of the team through three Stanley Cup wins – and a tarnishing controversy.

As chairman of the Blackhawks, Wirtz was responsible for all aspects of the team’s operations. His grandfather, Arthur Wirtz, bought the Blackhawks in 1954.

Rocky Wirtz’s father, Bill Wirtz, owned the team until his death in 2007, at which point Rocky Wirtz took over. The 2007 season was Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews’ rookie season.

When Rocky Wirtz stepped into the role, the organization saw a huge change on the ice and off.

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, 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 the Blackhawks had a lengthy sellout streak that ended in 2021.