ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, about 60 miles east of the Maine border, idolizing Boston Bruins star Bobby Orr and dreaming of hockey stardom.
Didn't happen. In fact, in his teens, he became a fan of Montreal general manager Sam Pollock, the calculating and pragmatic architect of nine Stanley Cup-winning Canadiens teams from 1965 to 1978.
"I watched (him) from afar," McKenna said. "He was one of the first folks in the National Hockey League to see the benefit of having a farm system, probably 10 to 15 years before most people got involved in that end of the business."
McKenna, 47, received his first big break when the NHL gave Ottawa an expansion franchise, the Senators, in 1992. He started with that team, as its director of sales, in 1990.
He rose through executive positions with teams in the American Hockey League and ECHL to become the latter league's commissioner in 2002.
The 25-team ECHL, which debuted in 1988, is the double-A level of minor league hockey, feeding the AHL. During a recent stop in Las Vegas, on a trip that included a look at a new arena in Stockton, Calif., McKenna spoke to the Sun about the ECHL and Las Vegas.
Question: The three-year collective-bargaining agreement expires in May. How smooth do you expect that process to be?
Answer: We're in discussions now, with the players' association, about extending the current agreement (with) some cost-of-living increases. So far, the discussions have been productive. We're a ways apart, but that's natural.
After what happened in the NHL, with their labor woes, I think we'd very much like to get a deal done and have long-term labor peace.
Q: What's the state of the ECHL as a money-making venture?
A: It's fair to say you don't get into minor league hockey to get rich. We're a small business. I think about 80 percent of small businesses fail within the first two years. When you compare us to the general business environment, I guess you could say we're fabulously successful.
There are no guarantees. But having a good market, a good facility and a fair lease, and (solid) ownership and management are the three key elements.
Q: New rules have generally made the new NHL more exciting. Has that trickled down to the ECHL?
A: Well, we have not adopted their as-strict officiating standard. We've tightened ours, just not to that extent. We've also noticed an increase in goals, and they know what we've known for a decade; (the shootout) is very popular with the fans. We've had that at least 10 years.
Q: We hear that certain Wranglers promotions have caught on around the league?
A: In monthly conference calls, we share sales and marketing ideas, promotions. Some of the ideas the Wranglers use are probably best suited for Las Vegas. No (other team) has a midnight game. The working population in Las Vegas probably lends itself to that sort of promotion.
Some of the wacky things they've done here, like the Mullet Night, other teams have adopted.
Q: And Chuck-a-Puck?
A: It's in 15 to 20 of our buildings. That's new and different. (Wranglers President and Chief Operating Officer) Billy (Johnson) and his staff do a great job of thinking outside the box, in trying to keep it fresh, new and interesting for the fans.
Q: Where does the Orleans Arena rank among ECHL arenas?
A: It's certainly one of our top three or four buildings. It has all the bells and whistles.
Q: What does Las Vegas mean to the ECHL?
A: It means a lot. Markets like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Salt Lake City have helped raise the profile of the league. The success of buildings and markets like this has encouraged others in the West to look at facilities and take a look at our league.
Q: And what do you think the ECHL means to Las Vegas?
A: We hope we're providing an on-ice product and entertainment product that (are) relevant in Las Vegas. We want our teams involved in the community, in charitable events and with youth hockey programs. If we can introduce it to a new generation, I think that bodes well for the future of ice hockey across the country.
Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at [email protected].
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