News Article: Travis Williams Hired to Run Business Operations

[Doshell Propivo]

Sounds like he was in on Karlsson, in on Pacioretty, in on Grubauer, but knew where to draw the line to give the franchise's future the best shot.

Sounds like Snow.

 

[And You Feel Shame]

Sounds like Snow.

I'm ok with that. Not trading Barzal to get Duchene was a smart move to not make.

 

[Sparksrus3]

Travis Williams, Penguins chief operating officer, leaving to join Islanders

This seems like a pretty big get, this guy runs the entire business operations side for the Pens.

“Under Williams’ leadership, the Penguins have built themselves into one of the NHL’s most successful brands and business-oriented teams.

They regularly finish at or near the top of every NHL metric involving merchandise, U.S. television ratings and social media penetration.”

Islanders things to do list
1 - bring back free/double chili
2 - see #1

The way to a fans heart is through his stomach

 

[aronjudge11]

To me, a team should be getting some goalies, with or without JT. It's like not showering unless your girlfriends visiting. The ISLES approach, if true, that they decided to not worry about winning if JT wasn't here, is a bad move.. JT was not a great player. NOT EVEN A TOP 6 forward. Not a top 15 player in this league. They needed a goalie, and should of made it happen if it was possible. In fact the same approach in JTs first three years might have made him more happy with his.career success to this point and maybe he stays.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

JT was not a great player. NOT EVEN A TOP 6 forward.

lol

 

[doublechili]

I'm holding off on making my season ticket decision until they hire a competent Equipment Manager down in Bridgeport.

 

[Mavericknyc1980]

Yeah like acquiring Matt Martin and Leo and Lehner.

Those moves don’t have to do with this.

 

[Costigan77]

To me, a team should be getting some goalies, with or without JT. It's like not showering unless your girlfriends visiting. The ISLES approach, if true, that they decided to not worry about winning if JT wasn't here, is a bad move.. JT was not a great player. NOT EVEN A TOP 6 forward. Not a top 15 player in this league. They needed a goalie, and should of made it happen if it was possible. In fact the same approach in JTs first three years might have made him more happy with his.career success to this point and maybe he stays.

Speechless aAron

Perhaps the most asinine statement I've read on here. You need to have mommy and daddy check on you in the basement more often

 

[Thrasymachus]

To me, a team should be getting some goalies, with or without JT. It's like not showering unless your girlfriends visiting. The ISLES approach, if true, that they decided to not worry about winning if JT wasn't here, is a bad move.. JT was not a great player. NOT EVEN A TOP 6 forward. Not a top 15 player in this league. They needed a goalie, and should of made it happen if it was possible. In fact the same approach in JTs first three years might have made him more happy with his.career success to this point and maybe he stays.

wat

 

[Brunomics]

Business as in marketing as well? There should be billboards and ads featuring Lee and Barzal everywhere this season.

 

[Craig Bowser]

This is a terrible hire. I am from Pittsburgh. There is exactly ZERO development in the 8 years the arena has been there. He was not well respected within the city for these projects and screwed up a lot by not knowing the landscape in deals such as tax costs for those who sign up. A lot of lost deals. Also, the Penguins are hurting for ticket sales - they offer referral fees, discounts, mini plans and anything else despite a huge "waiting list". I bet this does not go beyond 2 years.

 

[Craig Bowser]

What's wrong with this move?

I am not sure why this poster dislikes it. In title, it seems like a good move. But being from Pittsburgh he has left the entire arena area completely empty with zero development and its been 8 years with extension after extension after extension on deadlines and still nothing, raised prices to a point that they are literally begging people to come to games despite 2 recent cups and he was not well liked by business leaders due to arrogance as he completely thought he was more powerful than he was. He will not last with business leaders and development needs in and around New York.

If you do some searching on the Penguins arena development you will see what I mean. Its been nothing short of a mitigated disaster.

 

[Metnut]

So a Pens fan joined HF and his first post is to come to the Islander board to bump a dead thread about a non-hockey business ops guy?

 

[GoIsles1]

So a Pens fan joined HF and his first post is to come to the Islander board to bump a dead thread about a non-hockey business ops guy?

They didn’t invent the word creepy for nothing

 

[Craig Bowser]

I guess it looks weird. Not a pens fan just moved to Pittsburgh about 8 years ago. Huge hockey fan though. Read this board quite often and never posted. Came across this and thought I would add some insight from how a lot of people here feel. The lack of development has been a huge issue for years. Sorry if I annoyed anyone or brought back a pointless thread. Was not my intent. Have a good weekend everyone.

 

[Seph]

Other than the original poster no other posters have explained in any detail their opinion(s) as to why they support the move.
So because I find the move strange in an opposing fashion you ask me to elaborate.
Did you ask any of them to explain themselves?
Because its not a fact that Travis Williams being hired by the Islanders is a good move.
Maybe Mavricknyc1980 and nyisles could help us out here.
So why does "Richie Daggers Crime" like Travis Williams? You have a right to your majority "opinion" but I must of missed the post explaining how you arrived at it.
I doubt you or anyone else even knew who this person was until the NY Islanders hired him.
Are we to assume that this is a great hiring because he was with a successful Penguins organization?
And why are people on this board so head over heels for LL and everything he does?

That's a lot of words to explain that you have no basis for your opinion. I can therefore only take away that you're being contrary for the sake of it.

No one has explained their reasons to support it because it was done in the original post already, and there's no need for everyone that agrees to repeat it in every post.

 

[Metnut]

I guess it looks weird. Not a pens fan just moved to Pittsburgh about 8 years ago. Huge hockey fan though. Read this board quite often and never posted. Came across this and thought I would add some insight from how a lot of people here feel. The lack of development has been a huge issue for years. Sorry if I annoyed anyone or brought back a pointless thread. Was not my intent. Have a good weekend everyone.

You're good man! It was just funny that this was your first post!

 

[Craig Bowser]

You're good man! It was just funny that this was your first post!

Yeah, probably pretty funny! I dont really pay attention just like to scan these boards as people post a lot of good stuff! Have a good one!

 

[Newsworthy]

This is a terrible hire. I am from Pittsburgh. There is exactly ZERO development in the 8 years the arena has been there. He was not well respected within the city for these projects and screwed up a lot by not knowing the landscape in deals such as tax costs for those who sign up. A lot of lost deals. Also, the Penguins are hurting for ticket sales - they offer referral fees, discounts, mini plans and anything else despite a huge "waiting list". I bet this does not go beyond 2 years.

Thank you for the insight.

 

[Chardo]

This is a terrible hire. I am from Pittsburgh. There is exactly ZERO development in the 8 years the arena has been there. He was not well respected within the city for these projects and screwed up a lot by not knowing the landscape in deals such as tax costs for those who sign up. A lot of lost deals. Also, the Penguins are hurting for ticket sales - they offer referral fees, discounts, mini plans and anything else despite a huge "waiting list". I bet this does not go beyond 2 years.

What does the business manager of the hockey team have to do with real estate development around the arena?

 

[The Lighthouse]

What does the business manager of the hockey team have to do with real estate development around the arena?

Probably not much. This is going to be Ledecky and Malkin's baby, and I don't think that this one hire is going to influence what happens one way or the other.

 

[Craig Bowser]

What does the business manager of the hockey team have to do with real estate development around the arena?

The deal with the Penguins was that they are in charge of the development and had a huge financial part of it. And Travis Williams oversaw all of that. They have not done anything and filed for an extension after extension after extension and have reworked the deal several times costing the team and city quite a bit of money. Ill find some articles - there are tons of them over the past 4 or 5 years where the Penguins have failed to meet deadlines. He was dreadful at his role and it is well known throughout the city. He will get eaten alive in New York. There are quite a few other aspects that he failed at as well. The team is not doing as well as advertised, the sellout streak is not real nor is the waitlist. I don't really care one way or another but, per my boss and some others, city leaders and business leaders of Pittsburgh thought very little of him.

Also, quite a few rumors that the team could not even get close to its asking price when it was for sale because of the team revenue and development issues.

 

[MJF]

The deal with the Penguins was that they are in charge of the development and had a huge financial part of it. And Travis Williams oversaw all of that. They have not done anything and filed for an extension after extension after extension and have reworked the deal several times costing the team and city quite a bit of money. Ill find some articles - there are tons of them over the past 4 or 5 years where the Penguins have failed to meet deadlines. He was dreadful at his role and it is well known throughout the city. He will get eaten alive in New York. There are quite a few other aspects that he failed at as well. The team is not doing as well as advertised, the sellout streak is not real nor is the waitlist. I don't really care one way or another but, per my boss and some others, city leaders and business leaders of Pittsburgh thought very little of him.

Also, quite a few rumors that the team could not even get close to its asking price when it was for sale because of the team revenue and development issues.

After watching years of the Islanders own development problems I realize that nothing is ever one sided. It takes 2 to tango. Having done cursory research, how many times was the city of Pittsburgh not willing to go forward or dragged their heels on some of the development projects?

 

[Craig Bowser]

After watching years of the Islanders own development problems I realize that nothing is ever one sided. It takes 2 to tango. Having done cursory research, how many times was the city of Pittsburgh not willing to go forward or dragged their heels on some of the development projects?

Most of it was the Penguins missing deadlines as it is basically their project to run with terms set in the arena agreement. There was definitely some issues with local interest groups as far as I know. But the city has had to make concessions and rework the deal because of it. I am not really an expert on the issue but from what I hear it has been mostly on them just not have the ability to get it done.

 

[MJF]

Most of it was the Penguins missing deadlines as it is basically their project to run with terms set in the arena agreement. There was definitely some issues with local interest groups as far as I know. But the city has had to make concessions and rework the deal because of it. I am not really an expert on the issue but from what I hear it has been mostly on them just not have the ability to get it done.

The trouble is there isn’t a lot available on line (or within the first 10 pages of a Google search) but many of the articles I found indicated issues with the city or a community group and extensions being requested.