Richard Peddie facts for kids

Richard A. Peddie, born in January 1947, is a Canadian businessman. He is best known for being the former President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). This company owns famous sports teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors.

Richard Peddie's Career Journey

Richard Peddie has had an exciting career leading big companies. He helped manage major sports and entertainment venues and teams in Canada.

Leading SkyDome

From August 1989 to 1994, Peddie was the President and CEO of SkyDome. This was a huge stadium in Toronto, now known as the Rogers Centre.

In 1993, he took a break to work with a group called Palestra. They wanted to bring a new National Basketball Association (NBA) team to Toronto. Even though another group eventually got the team (which became the Toronto Raptors), Peddie was a key part of the effort. While at SkyDome, he was also offered the top job for the Toronto Argonauts, a Canadian Football League team that played there.

Working with Labatt Communications

In 1994, Peddie became the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Labatt Communications. This company was part of Labatt Brewing Company. Labatt Communications owned popular TV channels like The Sports Network (TSN) and Discovery Channel Canada.

During his time at Labatt's, the company also owned the Argonauts and the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. Peddie was involved in plans to buy a National Football League (NFL) team and move it to Toronto's SkyDome.

Leading Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment

Richard Peddie became the President and CEO of the Toronto Raptors in November 1996. Later, in February 1998, the company that owned the Toronto Maple Leafs bought the Raptors and their new arena, the Air Canada Centre.

In October 1998, Peddie took charge of the new, bigger company, which was renamed Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). He was the President and CEO for 14 years, until he retired on December 31, 2011.

What MLSE Does

Under Peddie's leadership, MLSE grew a lot. He oversaw all the business and team operations for:

• The Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL hockey team)
• The Toronto Raptors (NBA basketball team)
• Toronto FC (MLS soccer team)
• The Toronto Marlies (AHL hockey team)

He also managed the operations of major venues like the Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena), BMO Field, and Ricoh Coliseum (now Coca-Cola Coliseum). MLSE also had its own TV channels, including Leafs TV, NBA TV Canada, and GolTV Canada. He also oversaw Maple Leaf Square, a popular area next to the arena.

MLSE's Growth Under Peddie

In his first nine years at MLSE, the company's value tripled to $1.5 billion. Just before Peddie retired, in December 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan sold its majority share in MLSE to Bell Canada and Rogers Communications. This deal was worth $1.32 billion.

After MLSE

After retiring from MLSE, Richard Peddie started a new chapter. He now owns and runs an independent bookshop called "River Bookshop." It is located in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada.

Richard Peddie's Personal Life

Richard Peddie was born in Windsor, Ontario. He studied at the University of Windsor and graduated in 1970. The university also gave him an honorary doctorate degree in 2001. Today, Peddie lives in Amherstburg with his wife.