It will be interesting to see what they're looking for in the next OHL Commissioner. I have to think a Canadian is going to get the job but I wonder if they would ever consider someone like Craig Goslin from Saginaw for the position. He's a 2-time executive of the year, has Chaired the OHL Board of Directors and was the main person involved in securing the Memorial Cup for Saginaw.
David Branch was in town on Friday for Brandon Saad's jersey retirement (which I thought was a little strange) but maybe he and Craig were talking about a future in the commissioners office? You never know.
Maybe I’m totally wrong here, but in the monkey see, monkey do world of the Canadian Hockey League, I’d be surprised if any of the rumoured candidates get the gig.
Here’s a snapshot of the kind of people now leading the CHL, the WHL, and the QMJHL.
The new(ish) CHL president,
Dan Mackenzie, comes to the job with this background:
“Dan MacKenzie has more than 20 years of experience working at the NBA, including the last eight years as Managing Director of NBA Canada. During his time leading the NBA in Canada, he spearheaded many of the league’s signature achievements in the country and this season was instrumental in the NBA’s record-breaking year in Canada, that included the most-viewed NBA season in history, a record 32 marketing partners activating across the country, and the all-time mark for NBA merchandise sales.
MacKenzie sits on the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) Canada Board of Advisors, was the former Chair of the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada (SMCC) and was the recipient of the George Brown College Alumni Achievement Award. He holds a Masters degree in Sports Management from the University of Ohio, a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University, a Bachelor of Education degree from Brock University, and is a graduate of George Brown College Sport and Event Marketing Program.
The newish WHL commissioner,
Dan Near, comes to the job with this background:
“Near most recently served as the Global Head of Adidas Hockey and was responsible for leading Adidas’ entry into hockey, managing their global hockey business since 2016. Near established and deployed adidas’ hockey strategy to build global credibility. This included partnerships with top athletes, including Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Mathew Barzal, Sarah Nurse and Kendall Coyne Schofield, collaborations with relevant brands including EA Sports and Disney, and investment and engagement with key industry stakeholders, the PWHPA and NHLPA. Under Near’s leadership, Adidas conceptualized and delivered meaningful brand initiatives through hockey, including brand identity and uniform designs for the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights – among the most meaningful brand introductions in North American sport history – as well as the widely popular NHL Reverse Retro jersey initiative in 2020 and 2022. Near’s time with Adidas also saw the introduction of the NHL’s first sustainable jersey – a collaboration with Parley for the Oceans at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game.
Prior to his time with Adidas, Near spent 10 years at the National Hockey League’s head office in New York, specializing in marketing, retail development, and consumer product licensing from 2006 through 2016. During this time, Near played a key role in expanding the League’s consumer relevance and impact through partnership and collaboration with key retail brands including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sport Chek. Near led NHL’s global retail strategy which included the launch of the NHL Powered by Reebok Store in New York City in 2007 as well as oversight of retail programming at the NHL’s international events, the NHL Winter Classic, All-Star Game, Stadium Series, and Stanley Cup.”
Finally, the newish QMJHL commissioner,
Mario Cecchini, comes to the job with this background:
“Cecchini had a 15-year career with Telemedia Radio, where he was of vice president of sales and marketing and executive vice-president in charge of the company's Ontario stations. In 2002, he became the vice president of sales for the TQS Television Network. In 2003, he was appointed president and chief operating officer of Zoom Media. He then served as a vice-president of Corus Quebec. In 2011 he became the senior vice-president, sales and marketing at Astral Radio. In 2013, Cecchini joined Corus Entertainment as president of Corus Media Quebec. In this role, he oversaw the company's radio and television stations in Eastern Ontario as well as French-language cable television assets and Ottawa radio stations acquired from Bell/Astral. In 2018 he started his own consulting firm.
In 2020, Cecchini was named president of the Montreal Alouettes the Canadian Football League. Under Cecchini's leadership, the Alouettes saw increased corporate sponsorship and average attendance rose from 13,063 in 2021 to 17,683 in 2022. In December 2022, the estate of Sid Spiegel, which had controlling interest in the team, informed Cecchini that his contract would not be renewed. On February 14, 2023, the Canadian Football League took control of the Alouettes and Cecchini returned to the team as interim president. The team was sold to Pierre Karl Peladeau on March 10, 2023, and Cecchini stepped down as president on April 6, 2023.”
I can’t offer any specific names, but there’s a clear “type” of person the OHL likely wants, and it’s likely similar to Mackenzie, Near and Cecchini.
