NEWS - Wirtz Beverage
Wirtz enjoying success of Blackhawks, beverage business |
June 12, 2013 5:00 pm • By Randy Kindred | [email protected]
LEXINGTON — Both of Rocky Wirtz’s businesses held prominent positions on his itinerary Wednesday. It is like that many days for the head of Wirtz Corporation and the Chicago Blackhawks.
The dual responsibility was especially good on this day.
While Blackhawks fans nervously awaited Wednesday night’s Stanley Cup Finals opener against the Boston Bruins at the United Center, Wirtz was at a late-morning groundbreaking for Wirtz Beverage Illinois’ new Heartland Headquarters.
“It’s nice because you don’t have to think about tonight,” the team chairman said prior to the ceremony. “It’s a good, positive diversion'.
“I kid about it … the beverage business is my daytime business and the hockey is the evening business. It’s nice not just to have one.”
There is a payoff win or lose, Wirtz said.
Blackhawks’ victories provide a unique excitement. On the flip side, defeats are easier to handle.
“If the Hawks lose a game, you can worry about the beverage business the next day,” Wirtz said. “You don’t have to dwell on a loss.”
There have not been many this year for a team that began the season with a National Hockey League record 24-game point streak.
The Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup title ended a 49-year drought and was secured before sellout crowds. This time, ticket demand is even greater, perhaps by as much as 10 times, Wirtz said.
“I think in 2010 the Hawks surprised a lot of people,” he said. “This year (with the hot start) people have been following the team. It’s kind of built up to a crescendo and put very high expectations on them.
“The team has met those expectations.”
After posting the NHL’s best regular-season record, the Blackhawks had to rally from a 3-1 series deficit to edge Detroit in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals. They dispatched the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in five games in the Western Conference finals.
Wirtz has been impressed.
“I think this team is more cohesive (than the 2010 champions),” he said. “Some of the games we’ve won in overtime and coming back when they were down 3-1 to Detroit … they didn’t want to let each other down.
“That (2010) was a good cohesive team, but this one I think is better. They have a willingness to not let the fans down and they want to win.”
Wirtz took over a struggling franchise in 2007 following the death of his father, Bill. He immediately made games more accessible on television and radio and brought in John McDonough and Jay Blunk from the Chicago Cubs to lead the organization.
Success on the ice and at the box office soon followed.
“You have to think long term as far as ownership goes, but you have to perform short term,” Wirtz said. “Winning is everything. Why is a fan going to come if he doesn’t see that you’re at least in position to win?
“You can’t win every game. You can’t win the Stanley Cup every year. But we can position ourselves to be competitive and be able to win the Stanley Cup. I wouldn’t want to support a team if ownership didn’t look like it was going to reinvest and be serious about winning.”
Wirtz praised general manager Stan Bowman and his staff for managing the NHL’s salary cap, saying, “The nice thing about this team is you don’t have to have wholesale changes like we had the last time (after 2010). He was thinking ahead.”
LEXINGTON — Both of Rocky Wirtz’s businesses held prominent positions on his itinerary Wednesday. It is like that many days for the head of Wirtz Corporation and the Chicago Blackhawks.
The dual responsibility was especially good on this day.
While Blackhawks fans nervously awaited Wednesday night’s Stanley Cup Finals opener against the Boston Bruins at the United Center, Wirtz was at a late-morning groundbreaking for Wirtz Beverage Illinois’ new Heartland Headquarters.
“It’s nice because you don’t have to think about tonight,” the team chairman said prior to the ceremony. “It’s a good, positive diversion'.
“I kid about it … the beverage business is my daytime business and the hockey is the evening business. It’s nice not just to have one.”
There is a payoff win or lose, Wirtz said.
Blackhawks’ victories provide a unique excitement. On the flip side, defeats are easier to handle.
“If the Hawks lose a game, you can worry about the beverage business the next day,” Wirtz said. “You don’t have to dwell on a loss.”
There have not been many this year for a team that began the season with a National Hockey League record 24-game point streak.
The Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup title ended a 49-year drought and was secured before sellout crowds. This time, ticket demand is even greater, perhaps by as much as 10 times, Wirtz said.
“I think in 2010 the Hawks surprised a lot of people,” he said. “This year (with the hot start) people have been following the team. It’s kind of built up to a crescendo and put very high expectations on them.
“The team has met those expectations.”
After posting the NHL’s best regular-season record, the Blackhawks had to rally from a 3-1 series deficit to edge Detroit in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals. They dispatched the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in five games in the Western Conference finals.
Wirtz has been impressed.
“I think this team is more cohesive (than the 2010 champions),” he said. “Some of the games we’ve won in overtime and coming back when they were down 3-1 to Detroit … they didn’t want to let each other down.
“That (2010) was a good cohesive team, but this one I think is better. They have a willingness to not let the fans down and they want to win.”
Wirtz took over a struggling franchise in 2007 following the death of his father, Bill. He immediately made games more accessible on television and radio and brought in John McDonough and Jay Blunk from the Chicago Cubs to lead the organization.
Success on the ice and at the box office soon followed.
“You have to think long term as far as ownership goes, but you have to perform short term,” Wirtz said. “Winning is everything. Why is a fan going to come if he doesn’t see that you’re at least in position to win?
“You can’t win every game. You can’t win the Stanley Cup every year. But we can position ourselves to be competitive and be able to win the Stanley Cup. I wouldn’t want to support a team if ownership didn’t look like it was going to reinvest and be serious about winning.”
Wirtz praised general manager Stan Bowman and his staff for managing the NHL’s salary cap, saying, “The nice thing about this team is you don’t have to have wholesale changes like we had the last time (after 2010). He was thinking ahead.”