The head of MLSE wants to provide fans with championships and greater access to his teams

TORONTO — Keith Pelley is staying on track after six months as president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

And that’s not easy. Wherever he goes, at the MLSE offices and the adjacent Scotiabank Arena, people want a piece of him. Pelley is happy to join in.

“I love talking to the janitors who have been here for 40, 50 years,” he said.

He often watches a match or a concert with such veterans. For a Leafs game, Pelley usually starts watching from above, then comes downstairs to watch the game with an event-level mirror, and then starts the third quarter from a vacant seat in the disability section.

The job, she says, is “really all-consuming.”

He reaches back into the past to describe his workday, pulling out a slogan from another era – Christie Bits and Bites snack and cracker mix. “Every handful is different.”

He says his days are “never devoid of emotion.”

“It’s very difficult, but very rewarding,” he said in an interview.

“You kind of knew what you were getting into,” he added. “But you didn’t realize the scale and size of MLSE. The impact you can make in the community through the assets you hold in your portfolio.”

Pelley took over leadership of MLSE in early April after nearly nine years as CEO of the golf company’s European Tour Group.

The former TSN and Rogers Media boss replaces Michael Friisdahl, who left to take over the British multinational aviation services company.

Pelley’s wife Joan and daughter Hope are still in England due to school commitments. Son Jason is a senior at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, where he is on the golf team.

This leaves plenty of time to try out the portfolio. Pelley quickly learned that he had to be able to shift his focus.

For example, he spoke to Leafs president Brendan Shanahan one morning this week and then spoke to Toronto FC staff about a “complete rebuild.” Meanwhile, he took time to take a reporter on a tour of the latest round of Scotiabank Arena renovations, noting that the footrest in a booth at the rebuilt Hot Stove Club had to be raised after the seating was tested.

He says that this job is in some ways similar to that of an athlete.

“Because you can’t be tired, you can’t be exhausted, you can’t afford to not play in your league for any day,” he said.

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

“We are not complacent. We’re not here to sell t-shirts. We are here to win,” he said.

However, both are interconnected. 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 include a regular lottery that will make approximately 250-300 free tickets available for each Leaf and Raptors game. About 100 of them will be allocated to families of four, and lucky winners will receive tickets and a goody bag.

Scotiabank Arena will soon begin offering tours that will give fans a behind-the-scenes look. There are also 10 open practices planned for the Leafs at the Ford Performance Center.

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

“It’s really about access,” Pelley said. “And enabling more people to touch your brands.”

He also intends to enhance the MLSE LaunchPad community program by building more facilities where youth can learn and connect through sports.

Pelley is happy to be part of the team again.

“The highs when you are part of a team are amazing. And the falls are amazing, in a different way.”

He says he’s only actually experienced highs like this three times during his golf gigs – during the Ryder Cup. In MLSE, which has countless teams, almost every day is game day.

Pelley is optimistic about the Leafs, citing consistency between Shanahan, Treliving, assistant general manager Brandon Pridham and coach Craig Berube

“We are excited and optimistic. We feel the team has improved. We have the right chemistry and the right culture.”

Pelley says while the Raptors are rebuilding, 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, is in need of a “complete overhaul” after failing to make the MLS playoffs for the past four years.

“There is a very clear strategy for the Leafs. There is a very clear strategy for the Raptors. We do not currently have a club identity or club ethos for TFC,” he said.

Former Argos president Pelley believes the CFL team is struggling on the field. But he says there will be offseason discussions at BMO Field about “how to rebuild the fan experience.”

Pelley clearly has a handle on his players, citing the average age of TFC players when discussing the team’s plight.

And he thinks boldly.

“I wasn’t here in 2019. I wasn’t here in 2017.” he said, referring to the Raptors and TFC championship seasons. “But I would definitely like to be here for the next championship. Because 2019 and 2017 are changing people’s lives. That’s the power of sports and the power of MLSE brands… It’s quite powerful. It’s hard not to be stimulated by this.

If we don’t win, it won’t be for lack of trying.

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