Richard Peddie is the President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE).
Since taking over MLSE, he has tripled its value to over $1.5 billion.[1] As of 2008, the Toronto Maple Leafs, valued at $448 million, are the most valuable franchise in the National Hockey League.[2]
In July, 2006, Peddie made an announcement that Leafs' ticket prices would be lower for the 2006–2007 season, due to the Conservative government's 1% tax cut to the Goods and Services Tax. Peddie was criticized for his statement about MLSE executives that "[they're] not the money-grubbing characters [they're] often made out to be," especially because this "price-lowering" only cemented the sentiment.[3] The savings on each ticket ranged from $0.35 to $1.73. The lower prices were short lived, as they rose by 6% for the 2007–08 NHL season.[4]
Richard Peddie is married to Colleen McAnoy. He is a graduate of the University of Windsor holding both Degree in Business Administration and an Honorary Doctor of Laws.
Peddie claims to have always dreamed of owning a professional basketball franchise, a dream that came true when the Toronto Raptors debuted in the 1995–96 season.[5]
References[]
- ↑ Vardi, Nathan. "Winning Isn't Everything", Forbes, 2007-11-16. Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
- ↑ NHL Team Valuations. Forbes (2008-10-30). Retrieved on 2008-10-30.
- ↑ "Are you sitting down? Leafs reduce ticket prices", Toronto Star, 2006-07-05, p. D03. Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
- ↑ Starkman, Randy. "Leafs boost ticket prices amid failure", Toronto Star, 2007-05-05. Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
- ↑ Ellis, Leigh. "Steady Peddie Keeps Toronto Ticking", The Good Point, 2008-12-05. Retrieved on 2008-12-24.