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Anthony LeBlanc

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Anthony LeBlanc
Born
Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada
NationalityCanadian[1]
Alma materLakehead University

Anthony LeBlanc is a Canadian sports executive who was the president, CEO, and alternate governor of the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League from 2013 to 2017, the lead spokesman for Schooners Sports and Entertainment from 2017 to 2020, and president of business operations and alternate governor of the NHL's Ottawa Senators from 2020 to 2023.

Early life and career

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LeBlanc was born in Baie-Comeau and moved to Thunder Bay when he was ten years old.[2] After graduating from Lakehead University in 1993, he moved to Fredericton, where he sold wireless products for Trinity Communications and later Cox Electronics.[3][4] In 1997, he moved to Ottawa to work for the Corel Corporation.[5]

In January 2000, LeBlanc joined Research In Motion (now BlackBerry Limited) as head of government solutions. By 2001, the BlackBerry was available on the General Services Administration schedule and within nine months the device was used by the White House Office, United States House of Representatives, and the U.S. departments of Defense and Health and Human Services.[6] LeBlanc then served as the company's vice president of global sales, where he led a team that was responsible for direct interaction with RIM's largest clients. He left the company in 2008.[7]

LeBlanc was the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate in Thunder Bay—Superior North in the 2011 Ontario general election.[8] He finished a distant third behind Liberal incumbent Michael Gravelle and NDP candidate Steve Mantis.[9]

Sports

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Arizona Coyotes

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After leaving Research In Motion, LeBlanc sought to bring an Ontario Hockey League team to his home town of Thunder Bay. In 2009, he and his partners, Keith McCullough and Daryl Jones, decided to bid on the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes instead. In December 2009, the NHL announced that LeBlanc's group, Ice Edge Holdings, had signed a letter of intent with the league to purchase the Coyotes. Ice Edge would still have to negotiate a lease agreement with the city of Glendale, and get its ownership approved by the NHL Board of Governors.[10] Ice Edge was unable to reach an agreement with city of Glendale and the group abandoned its bid for the time in August 2010.[11]

On May 25, 2013, the NHL approved the sale of the Coyotes to Renaissance Sports & Entertainment (RS&E), a group of Canadian investors headed Anthony LeBlanc and George Gosbee.[12] On June 27, with no decision on a new deal with Glendale, the NHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the Coyotes franchise to RS&E and set a July 2 deadline for the City of Glendale to reach an arena deal with the RS&E group, or the team would be moved.[13][14] On July 2, the Glendale City Council voted 4–3 to approve a 15-year lease agreement that would pay RS&E $15 million a year in "management fees" of Jobing.Com Arena.[15] LeBlanc was named president, CEO, and alternate governor of the Coyotes, with Gosbee serving as executive chairman and governor. In 2014, the team changed its name to the Arizona Coyotes to reflect the fact that it was no longer located in Phoenix and to include all hockey fans in the state of Arizona.[16] Later that year, Philadelphia-based hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway, who had recently failed in his attempt to purchase the New York Islanders, purchased controlling interest in the Coyotes.[17] The deal was approved by the NHL Board of Governors on December 31, 2014.[18] At the end of the 2016–17 season, Barroway bought out the rest of the ownership group and LeBlanc left the organization.[19]

Schooners Sports and Entertainment

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In 2017, LeBlanc led an ownership group that sought to bring a Canadian Football League expansion team to the Halifax, Nova Scotia area.[20] In 2018, the group changed its name from Maritime Football Ltd. to Schooners Sports and Entertainment (SSE). By December 21, 2018, SSE had sold over 6,000 season ticket deposits.[21] After LeBlanc was hired by the Senators, it was reported that Gary Drummond would assume the role of lead spokesperson for SSE and LeBlanc would remain involved in smaller capacity.[22] On March 15, 2023, TSN reporter Dave Naylor revealed that SSE "is no longer involved in pursuing a team for Atlantic Canada".[23]

Ottawa Senators

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On April 20, 2020, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk announced LeBlanc's hiring as the team's president of business operations.[24] Eight months later, the team announced that LeBlanc had signed a long-term contract extension and was also named alternate governor.[25] He resigned in after the team was purchased by Michael Andlauer.[26]

References

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  1. ^ "How four investors came to the Phoenix Coyotes' rescue". USA Today.
  2. ^ Comtois, Martin (August 14, 2020). "Sénateurs: LeBlanc veut résoudre l'énigme du marché francophone". Le Droit. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "Ottawa Senators name Anthony LeBlanc President of Business Operations". Lakehead University. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  4. ^ "Working like a dog to see Coyotes succeed". Daily Gleaner. August 27, 2013.
  5. ^ Garroich, Bruce (June 5, 2020). "GARRIOCH: Leblanc is ready for the challenge of getting more fans back at the Canadian Tire Centre". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Browning, Graeme (September 17, 2001). "10 companies to watch". Federal Computer Week.
  7. ^ "Lakehead University Board of Governors Appoints New Members". Lakehead University. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  8. ^ Radwanski, Adam (September 9, 2011). "Shoe is on the other foot for cabinet minister Gravelle". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  9. ^ "Results Overview". Elections Ontario. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  10. ^ "Ice Edge laughing all the way to the bank?". The Globe and Mail. December 18, 2009. Archived from the original on December 20, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  11. ^ Sunnucks, Mike (August 30, 2010). "New ownership group close to Coyotes deal". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  12. ^ Baum, Bob (May 25, 2013). "AP SOURCES: COYOTES SALE APPROVED, HURDLE REMAINS". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  13. ^ Ozanian, Mike (June 28, 2013). "Coyotes Will Likely Move To Seattle If Glendale Votes Down Arena Deal". Forbes.
  14. ^ Rosenblatt, Ryan (June 29, 2013). "NHL reiterates July 2 deadline for Coyotes and Glendale to agree to arena deal". sbnation.com.
  15. ^ Romero, José Miguel (July 2, 2013). "Glendale City Council votes to keep NHL's Coyotes in Arizona". Seattle Times.
  16. ^ "Phoenix Coyotes franchise to become Arizona Coyotes for 2014–15". National Hockey League. January 29, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  17. ^ "Coyotes agree to sell controlling interest to Andrew Barroway". Fox Sports. October 10, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  18. ^ "Board of Governors approves sale of majority stake in Coyotes". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  19. ^ "Coyotes CEO Anthony LeBlanc, hockey ops chief Gary Drummond step down". ESPN. June 16, 2017.
  20. ^ "Group makes 'very credible' pitch for Halifax CFL franchise - Article - TSN". TSN. November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  21. ^ "Schooners have sold 6,000 season tickets". TSN. December 21, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  22. ^ "Anthony LeBlanc leaves Halifax CFL group to take executive role with Senators". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. April 20, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  23. ^ Naylor, Dave (March 15, 2023). "Dave Naylor: CFL set to launch revamped expansion push in Atlantic Canada". TSN. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  24. ^ "Ottawa Senators name Anthony LeBlanc President of Business Operations". NHL.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  25. ^ "Ottawa Senators announce appointment of three key executives". Archived from the original on December 8, 2020.
  26. ^ Garroich, Bruce (July 10, 2023). "GARRIOCH: Ottawa Senators top executive Anthony LeBlanc resigns from front office post". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
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