Hawks would 'be crazy' not to make this move

Rocky Wirtz is not his dad.

That was evident Monday at the United Center as the new Blackhawks chairman made his first public comments since taking over the team.

The occasion was the announcement by the Hawks that they would televise seven home games this season, with Wirtz pledging to explore showing even more games in the future, perhaps even the rest of this season.

"As far as more games, if this is a success and we're doing well and we bring people out, we'd be crazy not to televise more games this year," he said.

Wirtz's decision to televise home games is big news, since it reverses the decades-old policy started by his grandfather, Arthur Wirtz, and kept in place by his father, Bill Wirtz, from the time he became president of the Hawks in 1966 until his death from cancer in September.

Bill Wirtz believed showing home games kept people away from the arena. Rocky Wirtz sees television as a marketing tool that can only make the product he is trying to sell more appealing.

"I just think it's the right thing to do," Rocky Wirtz said. "I think the players like it. They want to go into a restaurant and be recognized. When (general manager) Dale (Tallon) signs free agents, he certainly wants someone to say they can see me at home.

"Selling advertising to our sponsors is important, too, things like dasher-board advertising. It's pretty hard to sell dasher advertising when the only time you'll see it is on the 10 o'clock news.

"This younger generation might look and view things totally differently," Wirtz said. "That's why we have to keep ourselves young and move ahead and not look back."

Wirtz admitted buying into the theory that a lack of maximum television exposure has helped cripple the franchise.

"The only way to grow our franchise and grow our business (is) by having more people exposed," Wirtz said. "I believe there is a whole generation of fans that don't know who the Blackhawks are, who have never seen a game. We're going to give people a reason to come to the games. We think it's important for our fans to see this team."

There is a definite buzz surrounding the Hawks these days, largely due to the fact that rookies Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have shown the potential to be genuine superstars.

"I think the buzz is a combination of two things: Rocky taking over, and the kids being such dynamic players," Tallon said.

"We're excited about the future of the team and excited about the buzz going on around Chicago about what we have," Wirtz said. "We have truly a very special young team, and the only way for the fans to see this is both on television and coming out to the United Center."

Wirtz now has made two significant moves since becoming chairman. Home television is one. Re-assigning Bob Pulford is the other. And there are other changes in the works.

Wirtz has asked Kevin Ryan from the family's highly successful liquor operation to temporarily move over and assess the hockey operation from a business perspective. Ryan's findings will go a long way in shaping what happens next.

Eventually, Wirtz plans to hire a business manager who will be responsible for bringing more corporate sponsors aboard. The more money that comes in from sponsors can be put back into the team.

"It's a new day, and there are no sacred cows," Wirtz said. "We're looking at everything. There is nothing that can't be done."

That, Wirtz says, includes winning a Stanley Cup, which hasn't been done on the West Side in 46 years.

"We are going to build this franchise, and the more we grow this franchise the bigger the fan base is going to be, and the more players will want to come play for the Blackhawks," Wirtz said.

"Dale and his on-ice staff have pledged to win the Stanley Cup, and that's certainly our goal, too, as far as ownership is concerned. We will not be satisfied until that day happens."

Wirtz sidestepped no issue, including why he and brother Peter, the Hawks' former vice president, never could convince their dad to put home games on television no matter how hard they tried.

"It usually started and stopped right there," Wirtz said. "He had a nice expression in the boardroom: All in favor signify by saying aye; all opposed so resigned.

"We would discuss it. I knew where he stood and that was fine. But I think he'd be the first one looking down upon us, if this is successful and we can build the franchise, have a winning record and have people come to the United Center and have a really good time -- he'd be the first one to pat me on the back. Just how we got there is different."