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The OSC Interview: ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna

by Andrew LaMastra
July 19, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)


OurSports Central's Andrew LaMastra recently talked with Brian McKenna, the commissioner of the ECHL. McKenna started his career in hockey with the Ottawa Senators in the early 90's, working in sales and operations. He became involved with the ECHL when he was named President and General Manager of the Trenton Titans during their inaugural 2002-03 season. A graduate of the University of New Brunswick, McKenna has presided over the ECHL as commissioner for the last ten seasons.

Andrew LaMastra - How did you get started working in professional sports? What sparked your desire?

Brian McKenna - I happened to be living and working in Ottawa when the Senators came back in 1990. I was fortunate enough to have the background in hockey and marketing to be hired by the team. I stayed there for four years, and have been lucky enough to stay in the sport ever since. When I started, I was just kind of in the right place at the right time.

A.L. - Now you started your ECHL career as president and GM of the Trenton Titans. How were you and your team able to make the Titans a successful team, both on and off the ice, in its inaugural season?

B.M. - We had about sixteen months to prepare. We had a hard working staff that was trying to build a season ticket base. We also had a new building with a lot of support from politicians, the community and fans. Another thing that helped was our affiliation with the Flyers, who were very popular with the fan base. We were able to put a very competitive team on the ice, getting to the Northern Conference Finals in the first year. It was a combination of all those factors that made our success possible.

A.L. - How does your current position as league commissioner compare and contrast to your position as President and GM of a single franchise?

B.M. - With a single team, day-to-day results with feedback were more immediate. You know the wins and losses as you go, and you know the results of promotions, whether they worked or not. As a commissioner, you have to look at the broader picture. We have to see if we're stronger than last year, and look at the revenue and growth, so it's more of a long-term view. It's much different than the team perspective, which is focused on very different factors.

A.L. - How important would you say promoting a hockey culture in the cities your league expands to is to the overall success of those franchises?

B.M. - I think it's very important, especially for us because, in large part, we are in non-traditional hockey cities, so you have to grow the fan base and the season ticket base. We know that two-thirds of our fans are not hardcore fans, but are families or groups looking at us as a source of entertainment, so we are in direct competition with all other sources of entertainment options for their business. We hope to be able to expose other groups to our product and try to convert casual fans into hardcore fans who will follow our teams, but it takes time and it's a gradual process. We're always trying to get more fans, and overall, minor league hockey has done a great job growing and gaining new fans. You can look at some of our teams such as the Florida Everblades and the South Carolina Stingrays that are building facilities and giving kids the ability to play hockey. We are trying to get kids and fans engrained in a hockey culture in non-traditional hockey settings. We try to stay focused on that.

A.L. - To follow up on that, what kinds of things do the ECHL and its franchises do to promote and develop a hockey culture in their communities?

B.M. - One thing, like in the markets I mentioned before, is building facilities for the kids and community to use. Our teams try to get kids on the ice during the intermissions to get some exposure. Our players and coaches are very involved, with speaking to kids, helping to coach, and assisting coaches with their knowledge and experience. We try to spread our knowledge to the communities and just build from the grass roots level.

A.L. - What are your current and future goals in terms of your career and the ECHL?

B.M. - For the league, on the ice, we want to put the best product out there and give players the opportunity to develop and hopefully move up to the AHL, and then maybe the NHL after that. Due to the level of competition we're able to put on the ice, we're able to give them the opportunity to develop. And we take pride in our administrators, broadcasters, and officials too. There are upwards of 100 NHL professionals who were able to get their start with the ECHL, and many referees as well. One of the continued focuses for us is to be a proving ground for athletes and professionals to develop their skills. From a personal perspective, I take pride in having a stable league. We want to steadily build our league, and make sure we have owners that have the ability to meet the needs of the fan base and players.

A.L. - If you were to offer one piece of advice to someone interested in professional sports administration, what would it be?

B.M. - Pick an area of sports and business that you have a legitimate interest in and get your foot in the door. If you are competent and hardworking you can get in the door with a team and start helping them out. Folks who are competent hard-workers will have the ability to improve their craft, make a difference for a team, and have a long, successful career in this business.

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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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