The NHL owner thread

[PASabreFan]

The time has come.

How do other owners do it? How involved are they in hockey operations? How do they view their role?

Let's see what we can dig up.

Islanders are top of mind today. Their co-owner, Jon Ledecky, was featured in a NY Post article last year.

Quote

To his reputation of being a fans’ owner, Ledecky listened as hundreds of people pleaded with him to ensure that the new arena had the same intimacy of the Coliseum. And so Ledecky is putting the largest lower bowl of any NHL venue in the UBS Arena.

“You don’t get that feedback unless you’re there,” he said. “You can sit in the owners’ box and wave and stuff, but if you’re there with the fans, they’re going to tell you what they’re thinking.”

It’s with the fans in mind that Ledecky focused on how to appropriately capture the tradition and culture he hopes to instill in the new arena. To Ledecky, the culture of tradition and winning is what makes the Islanders who they are. It’s what he hopes to convey through the new arena’s architecture, atmosphere and amenities.

https://nypost.com/2020/08/16/islanders-owner-jon-ledecky-pumped-about-playoffs-new-arena/

[Marvin]

38 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

The time has come.

How do other owners do it? How involved are they in hockey operations? How do they view their role?

Let's see what we can dig up.

Islanders are top of mind today. Their co-owner, Jon Ledecky, was featured in a NY Post article last year.

https://nypost.com/2020/08/16/islanders-owner-jon-ledecky-pumped-about-playoffs-new-arena/

Every now and then, Terry, Kim, and the kids will be up front handing out programs and such.  They occasionally still wander the Arena to interact with fans.  By this measure, they might be the best.

When it comes to interference, they seem to be the high end.  They are the perfect explanation of why you don't want passionate fans who think they know more than they actually do as owners.

As with all owners, there are carry-overs from their businesses that affect the hockey operation.  For instance, his predilection for newbies is a leftover from how he became a billionaire.

Overall, if they could recognise their own limitations, they would be ideal owners.

[PASabreFan]

2 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Every now and then, Terry, Kim, and the kids will be up front handing out programs and such.  They occasionally still wander the Arena to interact with fans.  By this measure, they might be the best.

When it comes to interference, they seem to be the high end.  They are the perfect explanation of why you don't want passionate fans who think they know more than they actually do as owners.

As with all owners, there are carry-overs from their businesses that affect the hockey operation.  For instance, his predilection for newbies is a leftover from how he became a billionaire.

Overall, if they could recognise their own limitations, they would be ideal owners.

Do you mean because he sees himself in his hires? He sees himself as a one-time newbie? Or do you mean he actually hired newbies at East Resources? In high positions though?

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Do you mean because he sees himself in his hires? He sees himself as a one-time newbie? Or do you mean he actually hired newbies at East Resources? In high positions though?

Honestly, all of it.  According to the people I know, he likes to find "his people" -- ones he sees himself in, ones he can mould into his kind of executive.  He was known for finding people that he liked and they skyrocketed up the East Resources corporate ladder -- not that it was very high either.  Now, he seemed to have a knack for finding good ones.

You can see all of this in the Sabres.  All of his idiosyncrasies are on full display with the Sabres and the Bills.  He got lucky with the Bills.