MLSE boss looks to give Toronto fans championships and more access to their teams

Six months into his tenure as president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Keith Pelley hasn't stopped moving.

And that's not easy. Everywhere he goes in the MLSE offices and adjacent Scotiabank Arena, people want a piece of him. And Pelley is happy to oblige.

"I love talking to the ushers that have been here for 40, 50 years," he said.

He often watches a game or concert with such old-timers. For a Leafs game, Pelley usually starts watching from up high, then heads down to watch by the glass at event level before taking in the third period from free space in the disability section.

The job, he says, is "really all-consuming."

He reaches into the past to describe his work day, pulling out a slogan from another era — from Christie Bits and Bites snack and cracker mix. "Every handful is different."

He says his days are "never without excitement."

"It's very daunting but very rewarding," he said in an interview.

"You knew what you were getting into — somewhat," he added. "But you didn't realize the magnitude, the size of MLSE. The impact that you can have on the community through the assets that you have as part of the portfolio."

Pelley took charge of MLSE in early April after almost nine years as chief executive of golf's European Tour Group.

The former TSN and Rogers Media boss succeeded Michael Friisdahl, who left to take over a British-based multinational aviation services company.

Pelley's wife Joan and daughter Hope are still in England, because of school commitments. Son Jason is in his last year at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut where he is on the golf team.

That leaves plenty of time to sample the portfolio. And Pelley learned quickly that he has to be able to switch focus.

For example, one morning this week he was chatting with Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, then speaking to Toronto FC staffers about a "complete rebuild." In between he took time to take a reporter on a tour of the latest round of Scotiabank Arena renovations, in the process noting a footstand in a booth at the remodelled Hot Stove Club had to be raised after trying the seat out.

He says the job, in a way, mirrors that of an athlete.

"Because you can't be tired, you can't be exhausted, you can't afford to be not on your A-game for any day," he said.

Flanked by Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and GM Brad Treliving at a news conference in May, Pelley made his intentions clear.

"There's no complacency. We're not here to sell jerseys. We're here to win," he declared.

The two are intertwined, however. Winning is good for business.

But Pelley is also looking for ways to make his teams more accessible.

MLSE plans to launch a "fan access program" that will feature a regular lottery, making some 250 to 300 free tickets available each Leaf and Raptors game. About 100 of those will be allocated to families of four and the lucky winners will get the tickets and a bag of goodies.

Scotiabank Arena will soon start offering tours to allow fans to see behind the scenes. And 10 open practices are planned for the Leafs at the Ford Performance Centre.

They are also bringing back an open Raptors practice at Scotiabank Arena,

"It's really about access," Pelley said. "And allowing more people to touch your brands."

He also looks to add to the MLSE LaunchPad community program, building more facilities where youth can learn and bond through sport.

Pelley is relishing being part of a team again.

"The highs, when you're part of a team, are incredible. And the lows are incredible, in a different way."

He says he really only experienced those highs three times in his golf gig — during the Ryder Cup. At MLSE, with its myriad of teams, almost every day is game day.

Pelley is bullish on the Leafs, citing the cohesion between Shanahan, Treliving, assistant GM Brandon Pridham and coach Craig Berube

"We're excited, optimistic. We feel that the team is improved. We have the right chemistry, the right culture."

While the Raptors are rebuilding, Pelley says the culture under president Masai Ujiri is the same.

"They're just in a different phase," he said of the basketball team.

Toronto FC, however, requires a "complete rebuild" after failing to make the MLS playoffs for the last four years.

"It's very clear the strategy for the Leafs. It's very clear the strategy for the Raptors. We don't have a club identity, a club ethos currently for TFC," he said.

A former Argos president, Pelley believes the CFL team is contending on the field. But he says there will be discussions in the off-season about "how to rebuild the fan experience," at BMO Field.

Pelley clearly has a handle on his charges, throwing out the average age of TFC's roster as he discussed the team's plight.

And he is thinking big.

"I wasn't here in 2019. I wasn't here in 2017," he said, referencing the Raptors' and TFC's championship seasons. "But I'd sure like to be here in the next championship. Because 2019 and 2017, that changes people's lives. That's the power of sport and the power of the MLSE brands … That's pretty powerful. It's tough not to be energized by that.

"If we don't win, it's not going to be for lack of trying."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024