There’s no way to bring up the history of the Chicago Blackhawks without talking about ownership. It was on this day 10 years ago that Bill Wirtz, the team’s longtime owner, passed away at the age of 77. Less than two weeks later, it would be officially announced that his son, Rocky, had taken over as chairman of the franchise.
It was a transformational moment for an organization whose ambitions immediately changed. The older Wirtz had been content to run the Blackhawks in a frugal fashion, and let the product on the ice often reflect that.