After three Stanley Cup titles in six seasons, 329 straight sellouts and "building a brand of which nearly every corporate entity in Chicago (and many nationally) wants a piece," Blackhawks Chair Rocky Wirtz "has finally reached his financial goal," according to Danny Ecker of CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS. Wirtz "no longer claims the team doesn't make money without the help of his other Wirtz Corp. businesses." In other words, the Blackhawks "now cover their payroll expenses from ticket sales, sponsorships and TV rights fees, no longer relying on internal capital calls midway through the season" to pay their players. Wirtz: "It took a little longer than I thought, but I think we're there." Wirtz' claims of the team's "uphill financial battle laid the foundation for a string of ticket price increases in recent years." Next year's "average price of admission" will be 80% higher than it was in '09. But the market has "proved it can bear the sticker shock during the team's run as the class of the NHL" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 6/16). Wirtz: "We were irrelevant in '07 as far as a sport in my humble opinion, and we've been able to capture the hearts and minds of Chicago sports fans and been able to grow it since then, so it's been exciting" ("Squawk Box," CNBC, 6/17).
NEW STANDARD: A CHICAGO SUN-TIMES editorial states the last several years "have seen a remarkable turnaround for the Hawks, a club that not so long ago lived in the NHL cellar." But "teamwork in the front office, as well as on the ice, turned things around." Blackhawks President & CEO John McDonough "reshaped the front office" and executed "superbly -- three times now -- around the team's 'One Goal' theme" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/17). In Chicago, Rick Telander writes, "Remember when a Hawks player could walk anywhere in this city and not be recognized as anything other than a normal human being?" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/17). Meanwhile, ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd said he considers the Blackhawks a "really, really, really well-run organization," but not a "dynasty." Cowherd: "I'm not lowering my standards because of salary caps and qualifiers" ("The Herd," ESPN Radio, 6/16).
ON ROCKY TOP: A CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS editorial stated Wirtz deserves "at least a little cheer" as he "imagined the path to victory and invested the money to get a championship-starved city there." Wirtz "invested in talent both on and off the ice." He "hired smart people and then was smart enough to step back and let them do their jobs." Wirtz also "reinvigorated marketing, brought the team out from behind the TV paywall, re-established ties with revered Blackhawks veterans, brought back fan-favorite broadcaster Pat Foley, ramped up charitable activities in the community and generally lifted the organization's game in every way." In the process, he "revealed what long-suffering fans of this Original Six team knew all along: Chicago is, at heart, a hockey town" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 6/16). A CHICAGO TRIBUNE editorial stated the Blackhawks have "given Chicago a thrilling winner of a team, but there is something else there: a reassuring knack for getting caught doing and saying the right things about teamwork, preparation and dedication." This is "one of the most likable teams Chicago has produced," and Wirtz "deserves a lot of credit" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/17).
