Wirtzes buying USHL Chicago Steel

[No Fun Shogun]

Wasn't expecting to see the family expanding their assets now, but several Canadian teams own CHL teams currently, so not unprecedented for an NHL and a junior team being under the same ownership umbrella.

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[TLEH]

Seems like a good idea considering they are the premier USHL ORG.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

On a personal note, this is somewhat neat, as going to a Steel @ Ice game while in college is what got me hooked on hockey to begin with, and Bill Wirtz dying and the Hawks being immediately more readily accessible on TV that offseason is what made me decide to stick with an all-Chicago fandom.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Interesting but nice

 

[CallMeShaft]

Nice to see the family continue to prop open their wallets, though I'd imagine this was in the works prior to Rocky's passing.

 

[clydesdale line]

Obviously this is a precursor to the Hawks winning the lottery again and getting (former) Chicago Steel player Macklin Celebrini.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Getting ready for their next network. Hawks,hogs and steel.

 

[Taze em]

Getting ready for their next network. Hawks,hogs and steel.

I hate the splintering of TV but damned if I wouldn’t pay out the Yang for that network.

 

[Mrfenn92]

I hate the splintering of TV but damned if I wouldn’t pay out the Yang for that network.

I agree with you. Not sure they would start their own but maybe with the bulls/Sox. Lots of tv time to fill.

 

[Kevin Musto]

That's neat.

It's a brilliant organization for development. It'd be nice to draft some of their stars.

 

[Backyard Hockey]

Obviously this is a precursor to the Hawks winning the lottery again and getting (former) Chicago Steel player Macklin Celebrini.

Mack won’t be on steel next year

We’ve billeted for the Steel for the last 5 years (we are done now) The team, players and staff become like family.

I hope it doesn’t move the team away from Fox Valley, but could be exciting. Going from billionaire owner to billionaire owners!

 

[clydesdale line]

Mack won’t be on steel next year

That's why I said "former".

I know he's Boston University bound.

 

[Naster Okan]

Mack won’t be on steel next year

We’ve billeted for the Steel for the last 5 years (we are done now) The team, players and staff become like family.

I hope it doesn’t move the team away from Fox Valley, but could be exciting. Going from billionaire owner to billionaire owners!

Or should you say: “Suit & Tie Guys”?

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Official. No news on if they're planning to stay in Geneva or if they will move into the city.

 

[Pez68]

Official. No news on if they're planning to stay in Geneva or if they will move into the city.

Might end up on the new sheet at 5th/3rd once it is done? Not sure what else would make sense. 5th/3rd doesn't have much availability otherwise.

 

[hockeydoug]

Kind of a head scratcher unless they really love hockey, or it's part of a bigger plan in the next few years. A USHL franchise just isn't that valuable unless it was tethered to something bigger.

BMO and AllState both over 40 yrs old now and it might be easier to finance a big project if there are 2 significant built-in tenants and every renter would love control of the schedule if they could get it. Both are publicly owned. Rosemont has been looking beyond the venue, not sure about Rockford.

Too many development rumors to sort through in the region, but I do think AHL hockey in the area is in for a change in the next few years one way or another, and the Steel purpose makes sense if Wirtz is looking for financing for a new facility for hockey/shows.

 

[TheOne]

Might end up on the new sheet at 5th/3rd once it is done? Not sure what else would make sense. 5th/3rd doesn't have much availability otherwise.

I really hope that's not the case. I'd like to see the Fox Valley Ice Arena remodeled or renovated to something more fitting for the organization. It's great hockey and location for hockey fans that live in Chicago's suburbs, where the drive into the city is a huge time sink and extremely inconvenient. Chicago proper has the Hawks. Let the suburbs have the Steel. This is the greater Chicagoland area. We have enough of a population to go around to support multiple hockey leagues and teams. No need to centralize them all under one unified city center.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Kind of a head scratcher unless they really love hockey, or it's part of a bigger plan in the next few years. A USHL franchise just isn't that valuable unless it was tethered to something bigger.

BMO and AllState both over 40 yrs old now and it might be easier to finance a big project if there are 2 significant built-in tenants and every renter would love control of the schedule if they could get it. Both are publicly owned. Rosemont has been looking beyond the venue, not sure about Rockford.

Too many development rumors to sort through in the region, but I do think AHL hockey in the area is in for a change in the next few years one way or another, and the Steel purpose makes sense if Wirtz is looking for financing for a new facility for hockey/shows.

You don't think the Wirtz family really loves hockey?

I really hope that's not the case. I'd like to see the Fox Valley Ice Arena remodeled or renovated to something more fitting for the organization. It's great hockey and location for hockey fans that live in Chicago's suburbs, where the drive into the city is a huge time sink and extremely inconvenient. Chicago proper has the Hawks. Let the suburbs have the Steel. This is the greater Chicagoland area. We have enough of a population to go around to support multiple hockey leagues and teams. No need to centralize them all under one unified city center.

Geneva is in a horrible location for a majority of suburbanites. They'd draw much better somewhere along 294 that's accessible from both north and south.

 

[hockeydoug]

You don't think the Wirtz family really loves hockey?

Not what I said.

WWW loved hockey according to the family and several people quoted in books, but he had limits on spending. Sports are littered with attentive owners that spend for future financial gain more than any sentimentality to the sport.


Agreed on Geneva being a bad fit to draw fans and probably sponsorships.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I've only seen them play in Indianapolis and Bensenville, and I'm not sure which was more convenient for locals.

No clue about Fox Valley.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Outside of that 630 area, like Aurora/Naperville, Fox Valley Arena really isn't convenient for anyone else in the Greater Chicago area. That's basically the very edge of Chicago suburbs. It may be closer to DeKalb than to Chicago. It's not really "cheap Friday entertainment" option for most Chicago area families because it's an 1 hour+ drive from most places.

 

[Pez68]

Outside of that 630 area, like Aurora/Naperville, Fox Valley Arena really isn't convenient for anyone else in the Greater Chicago area. That's basically the very edge of Chicago suburbs. It may be closer to DeKalb than to Chicago. It's not really "cheap Friday entertainment" option for most Chicago area families because it's an 1 hour+ drive from most places.

Any rink 20+ minutes off a major expressway is a terrible location if you actually want people to attend games and spend money.

The rink is, effectively, in the middle of nowhere.