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William Wirtz Dies
by Paul on 09/26/07 at 06:12 AM ET
Comments (5)
from the Chicago Blackhawks,
It is with deep sorrow that the Chicago Blackhawks announce that team President, Mr. William W. Wirtz, 77, passed away early Wednesday morning at Evanston Hospital after a recent battle with cancer.
Mr. Wirtz is survived by his wife, Alice, five children, Rocky, Gail, Karey, Peter and Alyson, and seven grandchildren.
added 8:31am, from Chicago Business,
Wirtz often said his goal was for the team to win another Stanley Cup, but he was not known to spend lavishly on the team.
His steadfast refusal to get into bidding wars to acquire the services of the game’s best players earned Wirtz the nickname “Dollar Bill.” That image changed somewhat when the club signed goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to a four-year, $27 million contract in 2005.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: chicago+blackhawks, William+Wirtz,
Comments
My condolences to his family and I acknowledge his philanthropy.
That being said, his legacy as owner of the Blackhawks is not one Chicago hockey fans will look back on with any fondness, and his cozy relationship with former PA director Alan Eagleson and former NHL president John Ziegler in the 70s and 80s laid the groundwork for the labour wars of the past fifteen years.
As Baroque noted, it’ll be interesting to see how this affects the way the ‘Hawks conduct their business.
Posted by Spector from Charlottetown, PEI, Canada on 09/26/07 at 06:25 AM ET
from the RosenBlog at the Chicago Tribune,
I know it sounds insensitive, but if we are going to pass ourselves off as being in the truth business, then the truth is that the greatest impediment to the Hawks success was the Hawks owner, one of the worst in sports history from a fan’s standpoint and the man who almost singlehandedly killed hockey interest in this city. Rich, stubborn and backward, Wirtz’s business practices were rooted in another century, protecting the laughable concept of “season reservation holders.” In fact, you will probably see more of the man’s funeral on home television than you saw of his team. Truth is truth.
Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 09/26/07 at 09:28 AM ET
I knew those cheers I was hearing from Chicago were too loud to be just for Grossman’s benching.
Posted by Blackcloud on 09/26/07 at 10:18 AM ET
As sad a day this may be for the Wirtz family, this is maybe the first step in changing the direction of a club that once had so much respect from the rest of the NHL.
Posted by PuckHound61 from Speckville USA on 09/26/07 at 10:22 AM ET
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Sorry for the family.
Some of the Chicago fans have been waiting for this for a long time. It will be interesting to see what changes (if anything) in how the Blackhawks go about their business in the future.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/26/07 at 06:22 AM ET