The Slightly Younger Boys' Club

With the NHL taregting younger owners with money such as Ryan Smith, Tom Dundon, and Geoff Hoffman as the next wave of ownership, one had to hold out hope that the NHL Board of Governors might have a younger leader sitting as the Chairman of the Board at some point. Outgoing Chairman Jeremy Jacobs is 86 years-old, so the NHL certainly was wearing its "old boys' club" pin proudly despite it constantly being years behind on trends and not keeping up with technology in the digital age. That's not to say that older folks don't understand technology or aren't tech savvy, but one would think that the NHL might aim for a younger replacement for Jacobs after he served for the last 19 years as the Chairman of the NHL Board of Governors.

Instead of looking at the younger group who recently joined, the NHL Board of Governors elected 70 year-old Ted Leonsis as their new Chairman with 66 year-old Murray Edwards serving as Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors. Both men recently served as their teams' respective Governors so both are familiar with what everything that goes on inside the room at the NHL Board of Governors meetings.

Neither of those two men likely have their finger on the pulse when it comes to the 18-64 year-old demographic upon which their teams rely, but Leonsis' background sees him as a former senior executive with America Online, better known as AOL. Edwards, meanwhile, made his fortune as a Canadian oil sands financier, so his knowledge of emerging digitinal and entertainment trends likely is limited.

If the NHL is going to try and capture more of the North American pro sports market, a former software executive and an oil man are now tasked to lead that charge, and I can't see them being successful.

"Long before I became an owner, I was a fan of this game and of the Washington Capitals. I love hockey and have a profound belief in its potential. We have proven in Washington how investing in a team, its fans and in a community can create a true hockey city," said Leonsis in a statement.

Leonsis isn't wrong when it comes to the Capitals' popularity in its own market as the pie chart to the right shows. That data was captured by Ben Standig, Brittany Ghiroli and Fred Katz of The Athletic, but it comes with an asterisk that winning teams always are more popular in polls and this data was captured on the heels of a 2018 Stanley Cup championship for the Capitals. The Commanders still are easily the top team in the region thanks to the NFL marketing machine, but the Capitals slightly edged the Nationals in Wahsington, DC proper in their 2020 poll.

Of course, that means nothing in places like Anaheim, Columbus, and Ottawa who played below 93% capacity last season despite two of those teams making the playoffs. With prices on merchandise, tickets, and TV options rising faster than people can afford, this is a major problem for the NHL Board of Governors that they're going to have to remedy sooner than later after nine teams played to 95% or less capacity last season. Based on everything that's happened in the TV sports landscape with losses and costs, Leonsis and Edwards may be stepping into one of the most critical times in the NHL's history.

Leonsis may have showed his hand early, telling The Athletic's Chris Johnston, "It's not about TV anymore. It's about global digital and finding the next generation of big important partners. … It's still a huge part of our revenue base and is very, very strategic for us."

That quiet sound you heard was Ed Rogers screaming into a pillow after Leonsis dropped the "not about TV anymore" comment, but this comes back to the current landscape where Bally Sports and Victory+ both went bankrupt as regional carriers of games while both ESPN and TNT have been silently stewing in the background about the national rights costing a pile more when their deals end in 2027-28.

Perhaps the one thing that potentially gives me hope is that Leonsis seems to be aware of the NHL's stature in the public eye. He told NHL.com's Dan Rosen, "The role that we play in our cities, in our communities, we're becoming the most important enterprises in many of our cities. The social responsibility and the role we are playing all comes from growth: more customers, more sponsors. You've got to keep that spiral going up. So having that growth dynamic and mindset, I think, is what our job is at the executive level."

It's this awareness of social responsibility that could win back a large number of fans - me included - if the NHL simply looked at how society is evolving. The LGBTQ+ community is embraced in other leagues, but the NHL has resisted making that community feel welcome after players' outrage over wearing Pride jerseys hit stupidity levels. And yet there are corporations and businesses who are major sponsors of the NHL who embrace the LGBTQ+ community because we live and work together. That's how people feel welcome.

Slice it how you like, but the NHL's "old boys' club" will always be that thanks to no women owning or running clubs and the Board of Governors opting to elect men who have sat in that role for nearly two decades. As some of the younger owners get more involved, however, attitudes may change on a number of things. If Ted Leonsis is serious about molding the NHL into a more socially-responsible and more welcoming and accessible league, this could be a the start of something big for the NHL. All it takes is a little courage.

Congratulations to Ted Leonsis and Murray Edwards on being appointed as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the NHL Board of Governors, but now it's time to show us what the NHL believes in under your leadership. Will we get the old boys' way of thinking or will these two usher in a new way of approaching NHL matters knowing the jury are people attending and watching games? Time, as it always does, will reveal all in the end. And that's why it remains undefeated.

The NHL doesn't need to be perfect, but it needs a few easy wins.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!