Title/Author:
“The
Breakaway: The Inside Story of the Wirtz Family Business and the Chicago
Blackhawks” by Bryan Smith
Tags:
Ice
hockey, professional, Blackhawks, management
Publish
date:
October 1,
2018
Length:
216 pages
Rating:
4 ½ of 5
stars (excellent)
Review:
It seems
hard to believe now, but not long before the Chicago Blackhawks put together an
impressive run of three Stanley Cup championships in six years, the franchise
was dreadful both on and off the ice. In 2007, the team missed the playoffs for
the ninth time in ten seasons and also lost thirty million dollars that season.
It was also the year that second generation owner Bill Wirtz died and when his
son Rocky (short for Rockwell, his middle name) had a ceremony before the
opening game of the 2007-08 season, Bill was booed loudly by the fans in
attendance.
Given
that backdrop, it is easy to see that Rocky turned the franchise around very
quickly and that is the basis of this excellent book by Bryan Smith, a senior
writer for Chicago and Men’s Health magazines. Not only are
Bill and Rocky portrayed in the book, but the man who started the Wirtz
enterprise, Arthur, is covered as well.
The reader will learn much about the Wirtz men, their business acumen
and their management of one of the “Original Six” NHL franchises.
While a
very fair and balanced account, this book does not paint a pretty picture of
the Wirtz family. Their idiosyncrasies
and refusal to change long-held traditions are explored in depth and how some
of them led to the dire straits the Blackhawks found themselves in. One of the
most famous examples of this was the long-standing Wirtz policy of refusing to
televise home Blackhawk games, fearing it would keep fans away from the
arena. When Rocky ended the
long-standing policy in his first year of running the team, the cheers were as
loud as any that came when the team won the Stanley Cup.
This is
not to say everything written and said about Arthur and Bill Wirtz was
negative. Indeed, Arthur oversaw a team
that had superstars such as Bobby Hull, Pierre Pilote and Stan Mikita. Their
Stanley Cup championship in 1961 was thought to be the first of several for the
team, but their misfortunes came soon thereafter. When Bobby Hull left the
Blackhawks to sign with the Winnipeg Jets of the new World Hockey Association
in 1972, it was the low point for Arthur’s tenure. Bill Wirtz took over upon
Arthur’s death in 1983 and because of his fierce loyalty to his father, he
refused to change much. This led to the decline of the franchise and also led
to some very negative press.
Rocky’s
tenure was marked not only by the rapid rise of the franchise, but also some
interesting family dynamics with his siblings. The story of his brother Peter
is very interesting reading as is some of the smaller changes made as well as
the bigger ones. One very interesting
tale is when Rocky moved into Arthur’s old office after Bill refused to use it
or remove anything from it, treating it like a shrine. Rocky decided that it
was time for the office to be changed and utilized, a symbol of his plans for
the Blackhawks.
This is
an excellent book for readers who are Blackhawks fans, who enjoy reading about
sports management or who want to learn more about the Wirtz family.
I wish to
thank Northwestern University Press for providing a copy of the book via
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book
Format Read:
E-book
(Kindle)
Buying Links:
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