BLACKHAWKS - Key Persons

As a proud fourth-generation family business leader, Daniel "Danny" Wirtz (47) plays a pivotal role leading and collaborating across sports and entertainment, beverage distribution, real estate, and banking. As Chairman of Wirtz Corporation, Danny carries on the legacy of his father, the late Rocky Wirtz, providing strategic counsel to its diversified holdings. These include the revered Chicago Blackhawks, Wirtz Realty, Breakthru Beverage and banking interests. As the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for the Blackhawks, Danny leads the organization with an ongoing mission to reimagine the potential of hockey. As a passionate and lifelong hockey player and fan, he's been instrumental in leading the acquisition of the Rockford Ice Hogs (American Hockey League) and Chicago Steel (US Hockey League), as well as the continued expansion of Fifth Third Arena, which serves as a state-of-the-art community space and hub for youth hockey development and practice facility for the Chicago Blackhawks. His commitment extends to the United Center as Co-Chair and partner of the United Center Joint Venture alongside the Reinsdorf family. In the last 30 years, the arena has served as the epicenter of sports and entertainment on the West Side of Chicago hosting over 200 events each year and welcoming more than 70 million guests through its doors since opening in 1994. Danny continues to build on the storied legacy started by his great-grandfather Arthur Wirtz - an early builder in the NHL and NBA - in 1935 when he bought Chicago Stadium. Together with the United Center Joint Venture, Danny continues to seek opportunities to lead with intentionality to create meaningful and positive impact as they work to shape the future of the campus. Following his graduation from Boston College in 1999, Danny followed his passion for music and marketing working in the creative agency world in New York and London where he honed his skills around brand, experiential and cultural marketing, and communications. 2006 brought Danny back to Chicago, starting in the wine & spirits industry with his family business, Wirtz Beverage. It was there that Danny learned and grew in the industry, taking on new roles and responsibilities spanning trade marketing, sales, and corporate strategy. In 2016, Danny helped lead the merger with Sunbelt Beverage to form Breakthru Beverage, the third-largest distributor of wine, spirits and beer in the US and Canada. Today, as Co-Chairman of Breakthru Beverage Group, he brings his strategic expertise to the alcohol beverage industry while also supporting the industry's growth and advocacy as a member of the Board of Directors for Wine & Spirts Wholesalers of America. Balancing his corporate responsibilities, Danny is deeply committed to social impact and civic responsibility in the City of Chicago. He serves as Chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, investing and transforming the West Side of Chicago, honoring the team's namesake by supporting Native American initiatives in partnership with the Sac & Fox Nation, and growing the game of hockey. He also sits on the Board of Embarc, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming education through experiential learning. In 2013, Danny's entrepreneurial spirit led him to launch Banner Studios, an award-winning video production and content studio. He's also a partner in Varyer, an integrated creative studio and brand advisory agency. Danny resides in Chicago with his wife Anne and two daughters Rosemary and Juniper. His multifaceted leadership, dedication to community, and ability to navigate challenges, helps Danny Wirtz live each day with a purpose to leave a lasting mark on Chicago and beyond.

Darrell May

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Head Western Canada Scout

Dave Radke

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Senior Research Scientist, Hockey Analytics

Derek King

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach
COACHING STAFF Member

Derek Plante

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach
COACHING STAFF Member

DJ Kogut

Job Titles:

TRAINING STAFF Member
Equipment Assistant

Don Lever

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team

Dr. AJ Sturges

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Director, Performance Psychology

Dr. Michael Terry

Job Titles:

TRAINING STAFF Member
Head Team Physician, Orthopedics

Dr. Peter Kadushin

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Performance Coach

Emily Qualtier

Job Titles:

Member of the BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Director, People & Culture

Erik Condra

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Development Coach

Gord Donnelly

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team

Greg Tam

Job Titles:

Member of the BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Director, Amateur Hockey / STRATEGY & ANALYTICS

Harrison Myatt

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Massage Therapist, Rockford IceHogs

Hudson Chodos

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Manager, Scouting and Player Development

Jack Brennan

Job Titles:

Member of the BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Director, Membership Operations

Jack Fischer

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Assistant, Hockey Strategy & Analytics

Jaime Faulkner

Job Titles:

Member of the Ownership & Executives Team
President of Business Operations

Jaime Faulkner was named President of Business Operations for the Chicago Blackhawks on December 16, 2020. Her bold leadership, passion for analytics and customer-focused strategy has positioned her to be one of the brightest leaders in the industry. She will direct the consumer facing, revenue generating and brand aspects of the future Blackhawks vision. Faulkner brings a unique blend of professional experience in sports and entertainment with a focus on analytics and emerging technology to the Blackhawks. In her role, she focuses on advancing the fan experience and business model while generating new revenue through her oversight of strategy and operations across corporate partnerships, ticketing and customer relations, and integrated marketing communications. A value creator for the business, Faulkner works with a mindset to drive financial performance and drive big picture projects for the Blackhawks. Along with CEO Danny Wirtz, Faulkner also represents the Blackhawks as an Alternate Governor for National Hockey League matters. Faulkner founded the E15 Group in 2013 and served as CEO from its founding. E15 is an industry-leading consulting strategy and analytics company for Compass Group to support its operations and new business growth by creating data-driven transformative strategies to adapt to evolving consumer and market demands. E15 has practice areas that include business strategy, experience strategy, consumer insights, data science and next generation technology. E15's client portfolio includes Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, resorts, live events and technology and entertainment clients such as Amazon. Today, E15 serves over 200 clients in all major North American markets and the UK. With Jaime's leadership, E15 developed consumer-centric commercial strategies designed to drive consumer engagement, revenue, and brand distinction for all clients. The results of these customized strategies include designing and launching a series of first-ever consumer initiatives: fan-friendly pricing in a stadium, fully cash-free venues, frictionless arena marketplaces, and full-building all-inclusive pricing programs. The E15 team also designed new research and guest insight methods to drive enhanced voice of the consumer findings and insights that drove several "future of" projects around sports betting, 365 day a year stadium activation and GenZ engagement. Jaime has also spearheaded the development a network of thought leaders in technology to solve for the key challenges facing the sports industry. Bringing passion and a diverse business perspective to the table, E15 is known for working alongside its clients and partners to push best-in-class results and next generation thinking. For her impact on the industry and development of her team, in 2015, Jaime was named one of Sports Business Journal's Women Game Changers, and she was also named to their 40 Under 40 list in 2016. In 2019, she was named one of SBJ's Sports Power Players of the year, and the following year, she was recognized by VenuesNow recognized as an industry All-Star. She currently serves on the board of directors for both ASM Global and VenueNext. Prior to her time with E15, Jaime was a director in KPMG's Advisory practice. During her tenure at KPMG, she led many large fraud investigations and business strategy projects, using first of its kind analytics and technology. She also consulted for many professional sports organizations, assisting them with optimizing their business with analytics or building strategies around its hospitality services and business partners. A graduate of Baylor University, Faulkner resides in Wilmette. Her husband, Colin is the Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Chief Commercial Officer for the Chicago Cubs and the couple has five children: Avery, Blake, Drew, Maddie and Nolan. Their family doesn't end there, the Faulkners have served as a Billet family for several young hockey players including housing current Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin from 2011-13 and former defenseman at the University of Wisconsin Jake Bunz from 2013-15.

Jamar Williams

Job Titles:

Member of the BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Director, Development

Jamie Burr

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Advisor, High Performance

Jamie Spencer

Job Titles:

Member of the BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Executive Vice President, Revenue

Jared Nightingale

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Assistant Coach, Rockford IceHogs

Jeff Uyeno

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TRAINING STAFF Member
Equipment Assistant

Jeffrey Allen Thomas

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Assistant
Athletic Trainer
TRAINING STAFF Member

Jennifer Gibson

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Head Performance Dietician

Jeremie Spagnolo

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Data Scientist

Jerry Ferguson - CMO

Job Titles:

Member of the BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Vice President, Marketing

Jim Heintzelman

Job Titles:

Assistant
Equipment Manager
TRAINING STAFF Member

Jim McKellar

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Head Eastern Canada Scout

Jimmy Waite

Job Titles:

Coach
COACHING STAFF Member

Joe Huff

Job Titles:

Athletic Trainer
Head
TRAINING STAFF Member

Joey Verkerke

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Analyst, Hockey Strategy

John Lehmann

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Video Coach, Rockford IceHogs

John Walter

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Head Athletic Trainer, Rockford IceHogs

Julie Lovins

Job Titles:

Member of the BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Director, Membership Service

Karel Pavlik

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Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team

Karilyn Pilch

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Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Director, Player Personnel

Kelcy Hale

Job Titles:

Member of the BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Director, Corporate Partnerships Service & Retention

Kendall Coyne Schofield

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Player Development Coach and Youth Hockey Growth Specialist

Kevin Dean

Job Titles:

Assistant
Coach
COACHING STAFF Member

Kevin Delaney

Job Titles:

Member of the HOCKEY OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team

Kevin Noone

Job Titles:

Member of the BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP Team
Director, Data Services

Kyle Davidson

Job Titles:

General Manager
Member of the Ownership & Executives Team

Kyle Davidson was named the 10th General Manager in Chicago Blackhawks history on March 1, 2022. He is in his 12th season with the organization. Prior to being named Interim General Manager on October 26, 2021, Davidson most recently oversaw all aspects of the Blackhawks salary cap management. In addition, he has spent time throughout his career across all functional departments of Hockey Operations. He assisted with day-to-day hockey operations tasks including player contract negotiations, entry draft, salary arbitration, collective bargaining agreement administration as well as scouting at the professional and amateur levels. Davidson, 33, began his career with the Blackhawks as a Hockey Operations Intern in the summer of 2010 and quickly moved up the ranks within the organization. He was promoted to a full-time position as a Hockey Analytics/Video Analyst the next season. In the summer of 2011, he was named Hockey Administration Coordinator and was elevated to Hockey Operations Manager in 2015 following the Blackhawks run to their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history. In 2017, he was named Senior Manager of Hockey Operations before becoming Assistant to the General Manager in 2018. Prior to this season, Davidson was named Assistant General Manager of Hockey Administration. In the summer of 2021, he helped establish, build and manage an integrated strategy and analytics department within Hockey Operations that included diverse perspectives and views on decision-making as it relates to the team on the ice. Before joining the Blackhawks, Davidson's first National Hockey League front office experience came with the Ottawa Senators. He also spent time in the front office of the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League and Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League. The Sudbury, Ontario, native graduated from the Sports Administration program at Laurentian University in 2010. He and his wife, Angelica, currently reside in suburban Chicago.