Rocky Wirtz's NHL legacy forever tarnished by sexual misconduct cover up allegations

Rocky Wirtz, the chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks, died at the age of 70. The news was confirmed by the Hawks on their Twitter account on Tuesday.

Following the death of his father, Bill Wirtz, in 2007, William Rockwell, nicknamed "Rocky," inherited ownership of the Chicago Blackhawks. Rocky's grandfather, Arthur Wirtz, was the first in the family to purchase a minor stake in the franchise in 1950 and later became the club's principal owner in 1966.

Following Arthur's death, his son, Bill Wirtz, inherited full ownership of the Blackhawks in 1983. However, Rocky Wirtz was the most influential of the three and played a significant role in transforming the Chicago Blackhawks into an NHL powerhouse. He reversed some of his father's policies on tickets and televised games.

Rocky also invested through his family businesses in the construction of the Blackhawks' home arena, the United Center. Furthermore, he was known to dip into his pockets to invest in the franchise's advancement.

The changes brought in by Rocky bore fruit only in the third year of his ownership. Under his ownership, the Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup in 2010, ending a drought that had lasted since 1961. Furthermore, the Hawks won two more Stanley Cup championships in five years (2013 and 2015).

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Rocky Wirtz and the Blackhawks were blamed for ignoring a sexual assault allegation

In 2021, Rocky Wirtz and the Blackhawks were marred with controversy after an independent investigation commissioned by the club revealed that the franchise's executive members ignored a 2010 report containing allegations that a minor league player was sexually assaulted by the team's video coach.

The Blackhawks' video coach at the time was Brad Aldrich, who allegedly made a sexual advance toward a team intern. According to reports, the club's executive members did not bring up the allegations to light because they were focused on winning the Cup.

Kyle Beach, a former Blackhawks player, was the other to bring the 2010 allegations to light, and Rocky Wirtz confronted reporters during an event in 2022 when asked about Kyle and what steps his team would take to ensure the player's safety. Rocky later apologized for his actions.

The NHL fined the Chicago Blackhawks $2 million in 2010, while fans continue to criticize Rocky and his team for not imposing harsher punishment.