The Hockey News

billions and millions

WITH $1-BILLION minimum franchise valuations and $100-million team salary caps just around the corner, the business of the NHL has never been stronger, and it will only get better for the millionaire players and billionaire owners in the years ahead. The business of hockey is something I know extremely well, and when I acquired The Hockey News two years ago (time does skate by), I decided to dedicate a full, expanded special issue solely to hockey’s bottom line. The 2019 Money and Power issue was the first of these specials and is a collector’s issue; a limited supply remains at TheHockeyNews.com/store. Reviews from NHL team owners, executives, players and our readers was overwhelming and inspired me to make the 2020 version even better. We’re taking our storylines deeper, I’ve added pages and…

inside the great outdoors

SIXTEEN YEARS have passed, and 28 outdoor games have been staged, since the first NHL Heritage Classic game in Edmonton in 2003. The league’s three outdoor-game brands include the Heritage Classic, the Winter Classic, and the Stadium Series which have showcased 27 games. The other two outdoor games, the Centennial Classic and the NHL 100 Classic, were special events staged in 2017 in Toronto and Ottawa to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the NHL. The focus of the outdoor games is to take the fan back to the grassroots of the sport when it was played on frozen ponds. The experience of these events continues to appeal to sponsors, as well as hardcore hockey fans and occasional fans in some non-traditional hockey markets. According to Keith Wachtel, the NHL’s executive vice-president,…

nhl newbies do it their way

SEATTLE’S NEW NHL team doesn’t have a nickname, logo or colors, and its arena is just a huge hole in the ground, but the franchise does have a GM and an executive management team in place, and big aspirations. Although the club won’t hit the ice until 2021-22, a business blueprint is being prepared. Two of the architects of the plan – CEO Tod Leiweke and COO Victor de Bonis – predict Seattle will be a successful, inventive and stylish operation featuring a cutting-edge arena and a rabid fan base. The pair have experience to back their claims. Leiweke has held executive positions with the Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, and Tampa Bay Lightning, the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, while de Bonis served as the Vancouver Canucks’…

recycling the puck

MANY NHL players learned to skate and play hockey on frozen lakes and ponds. Their outdoor enjoyment of the game was possible because freshwater bodies were plentiful and a cold winter climate was virtually guaranteed. That is not the case in today’s world, and the NHL is concerned. So much so that it is taking steps to combat climate change to protect the future of the game. In July 2014, the NHL submitted its first-ever sustainability report. The brief was the league’s attempt to formally document the impact of its operations on the environment, society and the financial well-being of their member-team marketplaces. “The 2014 NHL sustainability report is the first of its kind in major professional sports, and its scope and ambition are impressive,” wrote Michael Kourabas, a social-advocacy lawyer,…

hockey’s gear heads

AN EDUCATED GUESS puts the number of hockey players worldwide at roughly five million. That takes into account those who are officially registered with national federations, beer-leaguers and other casual participants who need a stick, skates, gloves and helmet. Canada leads the way at about two million, followed closely by the United States. The player pool has been relatively flat for a few years, despite the growth in the women’s game. That could change, perhaps dramatically, if hockey takes root in China, but that remains a multi-billion-dollar question. For now, the competition for outfitting those who do partake in the game is mostly spread across eight companies with Bauer and CCM still owning the lion’s share of the industry. The following are snapshots of the elite eight, including ownership and…

bettman never loses focus

GARY BETTMAN AGE: 67 | TOP 100: 1 NHL COMMISSIONER THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT I hear from NHL owners about Gary Bettman is that he’s mortal. One day, he’ll no longer be their commissioner. Exaggeration aside, the billionaires who own the 31 franchises have huge respect for the man many of them call ‘The Boss.’ Candidly, several have told me they have the best CEO in professional sports, a contention that’s tough to argue if you put yourself in their shoes. These moguls own businesses that span the globe and have intimate and lengthy histories with CEOs. They are keenly aware of the attributes that make great ones and deficiencies that lead to failures. Bettman, who receives high marks from the owners for being a great communicator and man of action, doesn’t get the credit he…