Catching Up With CHL President Dan MacKenzie
In July of 2019, Dan MacKenzie became the first full-time president of the Canadian Hockey League following a prolific tenure of nearly two decades with NBA Canada. His unique combination of league operations, sports marketing and business experience made him the ideal candidate to bring the CHL brand to new heights.
MacKenzie has come as advertised, bringing ambition and innovative ideas to the table including improving the CHL experience for both players and spectators, promoting the CHL’s scholarship program, as well as bringing national events like the Memorial Cup to smaller communities.
Unfortunately, all his good intentions were put on hold thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic which forced the cancellation of the 2020-21 season for several leagues across the country. With the 60 Canadian junior teams back in action this season, MacKenzie has also returned to the field to check-in on how everyone’s doing.
He spent a few days in Quebec at the beginning of December to attend three QMJHL games in Boisbriand, Gatineau, and Victoriaville. He was charmed by the intimacy of the venues in Boisbriand and Victoriaville while also being impressed by the big-league experience he enjoyed at the new Slush Puppie Centre Centre in Gatineau.
“It was really valuable to get into Quebec and to see some games, get into the arenas and really feel the atmosphere in those buildings,” MacKenzie said. “Overall, I got a pretty good sense of how these games come to life in some of these communities.”
One positive from the pandemic is that MacKenzie was able to revamp the CHL’s broadcasting situation and establish a new television rights partnership with TSN, RDS, and CBC beginning this season. He will also have the chance to award the Memorial Cup for the first time since being named president, in Saint John next June.
MacKenzie holds a Master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Ohio, a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University, a Bachelor of Education degree from Brock University, and is a graduate of the George Brown College Sport and Event Marketing Program.
During his time with NBA Canada, he implemented marketing strategies targeted to younger demographics to grow the game in Canada, and he increased the NBA presence using television, advertising, social media and community involvement. He also oversaw several landmark events for basketball in the country, including the 2016 NBA All-Star Game in Toronto.
Considering his career accomplishments, it’s not surprising that he has big plans for the CHL as well, even though his top priority remains keeping everyone safe amid the ongoing pandemic.
“We’re pretty focused right now on the CHL events that we’ve come out and announced and granted,” MacKenzie said about the upcoming Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and the 2022 Memorial Cup presented by Kia. “Longer term, the priority for me is focused on how we can make the CHL as interesting as possible for our fans going forward. So we’re looking for a variety of ideas that can help us do that.”
While his CHL mandate got off to a rough start, he’s now ready to hit the ground running after a challenging year and a half, just like all CHL teams and staff and, not to mention, the fans.