Other Thoughts: Summer Break Edition

Rocky Wirtz, Patrice Bergeron and #BooktokDrama

First things first, how are all of you guys? We know, we know. It’s been a while since we’ve been ‘round these parts. There’s a good reason for that, though. Aside from THWL, we’ve been working on other Hockey Things since the beginning of 2022, so we figured it was time for a proper break. Additionally, Perrye, unfortunately, got emergency surgery in May (she’s fine now! We promise!), so a break while she recuperated made sense. 

Here’s what we’ve been talking about lately:

Rocky Wirtz, 1952-2023

On Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks announced the passing of Owner and Chairman Rocky Wirtz after a brief period of illness. As expected, the discussion of his legacy inevitably arose as people struggled to talk about a man who had almost imploded his own organization during that infamous town hall. 

There was Rocky, the savior of Chicago Hockey. In a span of a few years, he undid his father’s decades of incompetent management. He began by allowing games to be televised, mending relationships wit…