from Melissa Isaacson of ESPN Chicago,

While Wirtz said the club still is not turning a profit on its own, "we're closing the gap" and the new salary cap of $64.3 million will not put the Hawks in a similarly precarious position as they were in 2010.

"Since 2010, we've been able to review ticket prices and we're not there yet but after the lockout, we're now 50-50 with the players, so as we grow the sport, we'll grow with the players," he said.

More importantly to fans and to Wirtz, is that this team does not fall off in the postseason as it did in the two seasons following the 2010 championship, when the Hawks lost in consecutive first rounds.

"Take nothing from Carolina, but they were in the Stanley Cup finals [in 2006] and they didn't make it [to the playoffs] for the next [two seasons], so you don't want to have the peaks and valleys," Wirtz said. "That's the one thing Chicago fans will not tolerate is having a very good team and then being lousy the next few years. As long as you're consistently good and put yourself in position to win, the fans will be there for you."

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