When the group authorized to bring Seattle's dreams of hosting an NHL team to life carries out its redevelopment of the city's KeyArena and assembles what it hopes will be the latest expansion franchise in the league, it will have some guidance from a man whose resume includes executive work in the NFL, NBA and MLS.
As ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported Wednesday, Seattle Hockey has tabbed Tod Leiweke as its president and CEO.
The chief operating officer of the NFL for three years up until March, the 58-year-old Leiweke previously served as CEO and minority owner of Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment, the company behind the NHL's Lightning and the Arena Football League's Storm. He was also at one point the CEO of the Seattle Seahawks, a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders FC, president of the Minnesota Wild and interim president for the Portland Trailblazers.
When Leiweke joined the NFL as COO in 2015, he became the first person to fill the position since league commissioner Roger Goodell held the title.
His brother, Tim, is the CEO of Oak View Group, the company backed by Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer to complete $600 million worth of renovations on Seattle's KeyArena.
