Craig Leipold

Last updated

Craig Leipold [1] is the owner of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously owned the Nashville Predators.

Contents

Business career

Leipold is the founder of Ameritel, a business-to-business telemarketing firm in Neenah, Wis. He also was the past owner of the Rainfair Company, which made protective footwear. He has also been a director of Gaylord Entertainment Company, owner of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. [2]

Hockey team ownership

Leipold first was considered a potential owner or investor in the NBA Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings teams. He attributed this interest to the fact that he knew the sport of basketball well. He became interested in ownership of a professional ice hockey franchise because there were more opportunities than in basketball. [3]

Leipold bought an expansion franchise from the NHL in 1997 for $80 million. [2] He sold the Nashville Predators due to rising operating costs and low fan attendance. [2] Leipold claims more than $70 million in losses during his tenure as owner of the Predators. Initially, Leipold had an agreement to sell the team to Jim Balsillie for $220 million, [4] but he withdrew from the agreement after Balsillie started season ticket advertising for a move of the team to Hamilton, Ontario. The Predators were sold instead to an investor group that included William J. "Boots" Del Biaggio. The final sale price of the Predators was reported as $193 million. [2] Leipold has gone on record objecting to Balsillie becoming an NHL owner, stating that he does not trust Balsillie. [5]

Leipold's purchase of the Minnesota Wild from founding owner Bob Naegele, Jr. was announced on January 10, 2008. Leipold had this to say about his newest acquisition, "It is a true privilege to become part of the organization and the hockey community in Minnesota." Fans of the Minnesota Wild had already begun welcoming Leipold as the new owner via the team's message board. Leipold's company Minnesota Sports & Entertainment also owns the Wild's AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild (formerly the Houston Aeros). The company manages the Xcel Energy Center and the Saint Paul RiverCentre. [3]

Personal

Leipold is active in numerous civic and corporate organizations as well as several charities benefiting children. He has been named Nashville Sports Council "Sports Person of the Year," "1999 Father of the Year" by the Nashville Father's Day Council, and "Nashvillian of the Year" by the Easter Seals, following a highly successful 1998–1999 season for the Predators. [6] He and his wife, Helen Johnson-Leipold, maintain residences in Racine, Wisconsin, and Saint Paul, Minnesota, and are the parents of five sons, Christopher, Kyle, Connor, Curtis, and Bradford, and a daughter in-law. Helen is the daughter of Samuel Curtis Johnson, Jr. of the S. C. Johnson family [2] and is chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson Outdoors, Inc. and chairman of Johnson Financial Group [7] Leipold is a prominent Republican and supporter of George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. [2] The Xcel Energy Center hosted the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Wild</span> National Hockey League team in St. Paul, Minnesota

The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Energy Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashville Predators</span> National Hockey League team in Tennessee, United States

The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and have played their home games at Bridgestone Arena since 1998. Their television broadcasting rights are held by Bally Sports South, and the Nashville Predators Radio Network flagship station is WPRT-FM. The Predators are currently affiliated with two minor league teams: the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL), and the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xcel Energy Center</span> Multi-purpose arena in St. Paul, Minnesota

Xcel Energy Center is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000 and often called "The X" by fans, it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three for general seating. The building is home to the NHL's Minnesota Wild and Minnesota of the PWHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Bettman</span> NHL Commissioner

Gary Bruce Bettman is an American sports executive who serves as the commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL), a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bettman is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University School of Law. Bettman was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NHL commissioner</span> NHL highest executive position

The National Hockey League commissioner is the highest-ranking executive officer in the National Hockey League (NHL). The position was created in 1993; Gary Bettman was named the first commissioner and remains the only person to fill the position to date. Among other duties, the commissioner leads collective bargaining negotiations on behalf of the league and appoints officials for all NHL games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Balsillie</span> Canadian businessman

James Laurence Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was the former chair and co-chief executive officer of the Canadian technology company Research In Motion (BlackBerry), which at its 2011 peak made US$19.9 billion in annual sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Brunette</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1973)

Andrew D. Brunette is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). As a player, Brunette played over 1,100 career games in the NHL with the Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche, and Chicago Blackhawks between 1996 and 2012. He previously served as interim head coach for the Florida Panthers, as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils, and as the Wild's assistant general manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marek Židlický</span> Czech ice hockey player (born 1977)

Marek Židlický is a Czech former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the sixth round, 176th overall, by the New York Rangers in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Nystrom</span> American ice hockey player (born 1983)

Eric Thore Nystrom is an American former professional ice hockey player. He was a first round selection of the Calgary Flames, taken 10th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, and made his NHL debut with Calgary in 2005. Nystrom has also played for the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators. He played four seasons of college hockey with the Michigan Wolverines before he turned professional. On four occasions, Nystrom has played with the United States national team, most recently at the 2010 World Championship. He is the son of former NHL player Bob Nystrom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikko Koivu</span> Finnish ice hockey player (born 1983)

Mikko-Sakari Koivu is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. Koivu was drafted sixth overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild. After four seasons with TPS in the SM-liiga, Koivu joined the Wild in 2005. He spent fifteen seasons in Minnesota, including eleven as captain, accumulating several franchise records, including games played, assists and points scored. Koivu retired in 2021, after a short stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Suter</span> American ice hockey player (born 1985)

Ryan Suter is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild. Internationally, Suter has represented the U.S. national team at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The 2006–07 Nashville Predators season was the ninth National Hockey League season in Nashville, Tennessee.

The 2007–08 Nashville Predators season began October 4, 2007. It was their tenth season in the National Hockey League.

The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League (NHL). It ran from October 1, 2009—including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs running to June 9, 2010. A mid-season break from February 15 to February 28 occurred to allow participation of NHL players in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Because of the Winter Olympics break, there was no NHL All-Star Game for 2010. The Stanley Cup Finals saw the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in six games, for their first championship since the 1960–61 season.

The National Hockey League (NHL) has undergone several rounds of expansion and other organizational changes during its history to reach its current thirty-two active teams: twenty-five in the United States, and seven in Canada. The newest additions to the league are the Seattle Kraken in 2021 and the unnamed Utah team in 2024. The league has also relocated several franchises, most recently in 2011 when the former Atlanta Thrashers became the second and current incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy and sale</span> Legal issues of the professional ice hockey team

The Phoenix Coyotes, a professional ice hockey team now known as the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL), filed for bankruptcy in 2009 after incurring several hundred million dollars of losses since their move to Phoenix, Arizona from Winnipeg, Manitoba, where they were known as the Winnipeg Jets. A bankruptcy court rejected a plan to sell the team and move it to Canada, and the team was purchased by the NHL. The NHL operated the team in Phoenix for four seasons while seeking a new owner. After several prospective purchases fell through, the team was finally sold in the summer of 2013.

Predators Holdings LLC is a private company that owns and operates the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League. The company also owns Powers Management, which manages the day-to-day operations of Bridgestone Arena. The company consists of local businessmen in a variety of areas.

Robert O. "Bob" Naegele Jr. (1939–2018) was the founding owner of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League.

References

  1. ↑ Adams, Alan (2011). "100 People of Power and Influence". The Hockey News . 64: 18.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Collins, Bob (January 10, 2008). "Who is Craig Leipold". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  3. 1 2 "Owning a team 'a departure from conventional wisdom'". Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal. November 24, 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  4. ↑ "Canadian Billionaire To Buy Predators". News Channel 5. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  5. ↑ "Craig Leipold unloads on Balsillie and Rodier, alleges attempts to undermine the Nashville Predators" . Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  6. ↑ "Author: Craig Leipold". Thomas Nelson. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  7. ↑ Minnesota Wild Media Guide 2009–10 (PDF). Minnesota Wild. 2009. p. 10.[ permanent dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.