(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago Blackhawks Chairman and owner Rocky Wirtz died Tuesday at the age of 70.
Wirtz died after a brief illness at NorthShore Evanston Hospital, surrounded by his wife, Marilyn, and his children Danny, Hillary, Kendall, and Elizabeth, family members announced.
"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," Wirtz's son, Danny, said in a statement.
Rocky Wirtz took over the team in 2007 after his father, Bill, passed away. He immediately fostered good will by returning home games to television, reconciling with past Blackhawks stars like Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. An on-ice dynasty followed, with the Blackhawks winning three Stanley Cups, in 2010, 2013 and in 2015.
Two years ago, the reputation of the declining team was tarnished by a sexual assault scandal, stemming from incidents that occurred during the championship runs. An investigation cleared Wirtz of any wrongdoing, but he was widely criticized for lashing out at reporters who inquired about the abuse and later apologized.
Wirtz also served as co-chairman of Breakthru Beverage Group, the state’s oldest alcohol distributor and a family-led business. He had not made a public appearance on behalf of the Blackhawks since June of 2022, when the team hired Luke Richardson as head coach.
Danny Wirtz is CEO of the team.
Among those paying their respects to Rocky Wirtz were Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, co-chairman of the United Center Joint Venture.
“This is just shocking news, and I am personally devastated," Reinsdorf said in a prepared statement. "Rocky truly was a great man. 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. We never had a disagreement or argument during all of our many years together."
Contributing: WBBM Newsradio sports reporter Rick Gregg, 670 The Score
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