Richard A. Peddie (born January 31, 1947 in Windsor, Ontario) is the president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), which is the company that owns and operates the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Marlies, Toronto F.C., Leafs TV, Raptors NBA TV and the Air Canada Centre. MLSE also operates BMO Field and Ricoh Coliseum.
Despite being unpopular with fans, Peddie has been extraordinarily successful financially....
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Richard A. Peddie (born January 31, 1947 in Windsor, Ontario) is the president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), which is the company that owns and operates the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Marlies, Toronto F.C., Leafs TV, Raptors NBA TV and the Air Canada Centre. MLSE also operates BMO Field and Ricoh Coliseum.
Despite being unpopular with fans, Peddie has been extraordinarily successful financially. Since taking over MLSE, he has tripled its value to over $1.5 billion, credited to gullible fans "clever marketing and shrewd dealmaking". As of 2008, the Toronto Maple Leafs, valued at $448 million, are the most valuable franchise in the National Hockey League.
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 GST. Peddie was criticized for his statement about MLSE executives that "[they're] not the money-grubbing characters ...
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