Chicago Blackhawks Owner Dies
Considered the worst-ever owner of the Chicago Blackhawks, William W. Wirtz passed away at Evanston Hospital on September 26 at the age of 77, after a battle with cancer. He had served as the Blackhawks’ team president for over 40 years.
Wirtz was better known as “Dollar Bill,” a nickname given to him by Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Verdi, referring to Wirtz’s penchant for driving hard bargains in contract negotiations with even the team’s best players. Over the past 12 years, the Blackhawks have made just four playoff appearances and haven’t played in the Stanley Cup finals for even longer. In fact, their Stanley Cup “drought” is the longest in team history and the longest in the NHL. As a result, even though the Blackhawks are one of the six original National Hockey League teams, they’re lucky if they can fill half the stadium at their games.
Many Chicagoans were enraged when Wirtz’s stubbornness drove many of the team’s great players to leave over the years, including Jeremy Roenick, Tony Amonte, Ed Belfour, and Chris Chelios. Wirtz also refused to let home games be aired on television. ESPN ranked “Dollar Bill” as the 3rd greediest owner in all of sports and named the Chicago Blackhawks the worst sports franchise.
Oddly enough, while Wirtz refused to spend a lot of money on his team, he was well known for his philanthropy. He donated millions of dollars to worthy causes, including the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois.
Wirtz is survived by his wife, five children, and seven grandchildren.
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