TD Station new management

[gtsoc]

Telegraph Journal reporting that the City of SJ is in discussions with Oak View Group to oversee the management of the facility.   They are awaiting the final proposal from Oak View Group before presenting to the Harbour Station Commission.

The article has a random quote from everyone's favorite (yeah, right) GM Mike Caddell that their is two years left on the Sea Dogs contract and only the team knows if they will return.

Oakview Group is founded by Tim Leiweke - former President of MLSE and AEG.

[Briwhel]

Sept 28, 2022 14:31:19 GMT -4 gtsoc said:

Telegraph Journal reporting that the City of SJ is in discussions with Oak View Group to oversee the management of the facility.   They are awaiting the final proposal from Oak View Group before presenting to the Harbour Station Commission.

The article has a random quote from everyone's favorite (yeah, right) GM Mike Caddell that their is two years left on the Sea Dogs contract and only the team knows if they will return.

Oakview Group is founded by Tim Leiweke - former President of MLSE and AEG.

I'm still not sure what Caddell's qualifications are to have a job. Harbour Station loses money, he puts no effort into fixing that and he keeps his job. He tries to chase his major tenant out of town due to a personal vendetta and he still keeps his job.

[gtsoc]

Sept 28, 2022 14:38:02 GMT -4 Briwhel said:

Sept 28, 2022 14:31:19 GMT -4 gtsoc said:

Telegraph Journal reporting that the City of SJ is in discussions with Oak View Group to oversee the management of the facility.   They are awaiting the final proposal from Oak View Group before presenting to the Harbour Station Commission.

The article has a random quote from everyone's favorite (yeah, right) GM Mike Caddell that their is two years left on the Sea Dogs contract and only the team knows if they will return.

Oakview Group is founded by Tim Leiweke - former President of MLSE and AEG.

I'm still not sure what Caddell's qualifications are to have a job. Harbour Station loses money, he puts no effort into fixing that and he keeps his job. He tries to chase his major tenant out of town due to a personal vendetta and he still keeps his job.

Should mention that the article states Caddell will be retiring (yay?), so their will be a new GM but part of the agreement is that all full-time staff will keep their positions.

[Briwhel]

Sept 28, 2022 14:43:59 GMT -4 gtsoc said:

Sept 28, 2022 14:38:02 GMT -4 Briwhel said:

I'm still not sure what Caddell's qualifications are to have a job. Harbour Station loses money, he puts no effort into fixing that and he keeps his job. He tries to chase his major tenant out of town due to a personal vendetta and he still keeps his job.

Should mention that the article states Caddell will be retiring (yay?), so their will be a new GM but part of the agreement is that all full-time staff will keep their positions.

Well, that says full-time staff. He doesn't actually do any work, so he wouldn't fit the criteria

[gtsoc]

Updated comments from the Sea Dogs

With a new manager in the works for TD Station, the Saint John Sea Dogs say they plan to stay in Saint John if they can keep their current lease terms moving forward.

But that's a lease current TD Station general manager Mike Caddell warns is financially unsustainable for the venue.

Discussions with Oak View Group are still ongoing right now, but the company who is interested in managing TD Station says mending the rift between the team and arena is its top priority.

With just two years left on the team’s current contract, Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie said the franchise wants to stay in the city.

“That starts with getting a lease extension with current terms,” he said in an email.

“The reality is that junior hockey does not generate sufficient revenue in this market to cover the millions of dollars of operating expenses. That's the price to have one of the most decorated franchises in the CHL in your backyard.”

]

And updated quotes from the city and management group

On Tuesday, Caddell had some choice words to say about the deal.

"Basically, when we host a hockey game, we lose money, every time we play hockey in the building," he said.

"The team does not pay rent, receives a subsidy from the City of Saint John outside of our operating budget. They eliminated the participation payment which paid the building in excess of six figures in different years, and they receive 100 per cent of the naming rights."

Given the ongoing contractual negotiations are between Oak View Group and the Harbour Station Commission, the City of Saint John will not comment on them, said Lisa Caissie, the city's director of external relations, in an email.

"We will also therefore not comment on the personal opinions or views of Mr. Mike Caddell, who does not represent the City or its interest in any official capacity," Caissie continued.

"We consider the Commission and the Sea Dogs as important contributors to the fabric of our community and to our value proposition for aspirational growth."

Management company wants to mend rift

Reached by email Wednesday, Georgie referred a request for comment about Caddell’s comments to Oak View Group's director of business development Matt Lashoff.

While Lashoff said it was too early to conjecture about what will happen when the Sea Dogs' contract is up in 2024, building a strong relationship with the team is a top priority.

"One of the things that we've seen coming in is that the relationship prior between the venue and the team, I think, has been fractured.

"From our perspective, we're a team-first company," Lashoff continued. "With that relationship being fractured, our biggest goal coming in there is to kind of build a bridge in between the two."

Lashoff spoke of supporting the team and its endeavours, like boosting ticket sales and marketing efforts. He said he and Georgie "have a great relationship."

While negotiations are still underway, Lashoff said they’ve been collaborative.

"Our biggest piece here is that the Sea Dogs are a focal point for the community. They're obviously a major driver of content within that building."

Georgie, in his statement, pointed to the Memorial Cup tournament hosted in Saint John this June.

“The building and the region are better off financially, culturally, and socially, with our seventeen seasons contributing to the community,” he said.

“We brought the Memorial Cup to Saint John this past season, injecting millions into the region, and plan to continue to find ways to enhance the profile of the community and TD Station.”

Sounds like Caddell is trying to get some parting shots in before he sails off to retirement. He can’t go soon enough.

[Briwhel]

Sept 28, 2022 17:41:00 GMT -4 gtsoc said:

Updated comments from the Sea Dogs

With a new manager in the works for TD Station, the Saint John Sea Dogs say they plan to stay in Saint John if they can keep their current lease terms moving forward.

But that's a lease current TD Station general manager Mike Caddell warns is financially unsustainable for the venue.

Discussions with Oak View Group are still ongoing right now, but the company who is interested in managing TD Station says mending the rift between the team and arena is its top priority.

With just two years left on the team’s current contract, Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie said the franchise wants to stay in the city.

“That starts with getting a lease extension with current terms,” he said in an email.

“The reality is that junior hockey does not generate sufficient revenue in this market to cover the millions of dollars of operating expenses. That's the price to have one of the most decorated franchises in the CHL in your backyard.”

]

And updated quotes from the city and management group

On Tuesday, Caddell had some choice words to say about the deal.

"Basically, when we host a hockey game, we lose money, every time we play hockey in the building," he said.

"The team does not pay rent, receives a subsidy from the City of Saint John outside of our operating budget. They eliminated the participation payment which paid the building in excess of six figures in different years, and they receive 100 per cent of the naming rights."

Given the ongoing contractual negotiations are between Oak View Group and the Harbour Station Commission, the City of Saint John will not comment on them, said Lisa Caissie, the city's director of external relations, in an email.

"We will also therefore not comment on the personal opinions or views of Mr. Mike Caddell, who does not represent the City or its interest in any official capacity," Caissie continued.

"We consider the Commission and the Sea Dogs as important contributors to the fabric of our community and to our value proposition for aspirational growth."

Management company wants to mend rift

Reached by email Wednesday, Georgie referred a request for comment about Caddell’s comments to Oak View Group's director of business development Matt Lashoff.

While Lashoff said it was too early to conjecture about what will happen when the Sea Dogs' contract is up in 2024, building a strong relationship with the team is a top priority.

"One of the things that we've seen coming in is that the relationship prior between the venue and the team, I think, has been fractured.

"From our perspective, we're a team-first company," Lashoff continued. "With that relationship being fractured, our biggest goal coming in there is to kind of build a bridge in between the two."

Lashoff spoke of supporting the team and its endeavours, like boosting ticket sales and marketing efforts. He said he and Georgie "have a great relationship."

While negotiations are still underway, Lashoff said they’ve been collaborative.

"Our biggest piece here is that the Sea Dogs are a focal point for the community. They're obviously a major driver of content within that building."

Georgie, in his statement, pointed to the Memorial Cup tournament hosted in Saint John this June.

“The building and the region are better off financially, culturally, and socially, with our seventeen seasons contributing to the community,” he said.

“We brought the Memorial Cup to Saint John this past season, injecting millions into the region, and plan to continue to find ways to enhance the profile of the community and TD Station.”

Sounds like Caddell is trying to get some parting shots in before he sails off to retirement. He can’t go soon enough.

He should have been fired for cause long ago and he still should be. Almost every detail of the deal he mentioned is wrong AFAIK, including naming rights which were negotiated as a percentage contingent on Caddell getting off his worthless ass and actually making a deal. From what I heard, the team renegotiated when it became clear that they would have to find the name sponsor themselves.

[Maddog]

It was announced at todays game that this was Mike Caddell's last day, maybe there will be an announcement of new management in the near future.

[gtsoc]

OVG360 has been named as the new operators and managers of TD Station. They are a division of Oak View Group and the agreement started on Feb 15th.

From what I have heard, the new GM Blair McGauchie, has been in the city for the last month and is a previous GM of the WFCU Centre in Windsor.

The Harbour Station Commission, in an effort to increase the quantity and quality of live events and to operate more efficiently, has named OVG360 operators and managers of TD Station. The 6,600-seat arena is home of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the defending Memorial Cup Champions.

OVG360, a division of global sports and entertainment company Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client-partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities.

The new partnership with OVG360 began on February 15, 2023.

James LeMesurier, Chair of the Harbour Station Commission, is excited about this new chapter in the history of the facility and looks forward to seeing the results it will bring for Saint John, the region and province. “TD Station is one of the top sports and entertainment venues in Atlantic Canada and has been managed well by our own staff for the past 30 years. OVG360 is an internationally recognized leader in arena and venue management. Their plans for TD Station align well with the Board’s vision to ensure that the facility continues to be an important cultural and entertainment asset for our region.”

“We’re eager to hit the ground running with the team at TD Station,” said Greg O’Dell, President, Venue Management, OVG360. “We’re going to tap OVG’s collective resources from across Canada, as well as our industry relationships and partnerships with agents, promoters and vendors, to reenergize TD Station and create new opportunities to bring the region together for top-notch quality entertainment. OVG360 is here to be a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality industries.”

OVG360 – which also operates and manages a combination of operations and food and beverage at 24 Canadian properties, including Budweiser Gardens in London, ON; Enercare Centre in Toronto, ON; Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa, ON; WFCU Centre in Windsor, ON; CAA Arena in Belleville, ON; Downsview Park in Toronto, ON; Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, ON; Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw, SK; South Okanagan Events Centre Complex in Penticton, BC; and Ovintiv Events Centre in Dawson Creek, BC – will oversee the day-to-day operations and food and beverage services of the venue, book and schedule events, and handle all marketing and sales.

[Maddog]

About time!