Kings Article: Former AEG CEO and LA Kings Governor Tim Leiweke Interviewed by Los Angeles Magazine

[Choralone]

Y'all come across like ex-girlfriends trying to interpret everything that comes out of his mouth as a slight. He's got a new girlfriend now. Get over it.

 

[KINGS17]

The Leafs have the highest franchise value in the NHL. They are also the most profitable, playing in the biggest market in Canada. They have won the second most Stanley Cups, and are an original "6" franchise. The point is, they are very important to the league.

While the NFL may have more people watching/following because of a higher overall population, it is nowhere near as important culturally, as hockey is to Canada. Now, perhaps you are not aware of this as you have not lived there. There are multiple leagues showcasing 15-19 year old kids that have individual franchise values into the millions of dollars. They play in 10,000, even 15,000 seat rinks. When the Canadian mens team returned from the Soviet Union after winning the Summit Series, they were greeted by the Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, AT THE AIRPORT. I do not think the NFL/NHL comparison is a legitimate one to make. I will kick rocks if I ever see a football on a bill of US currency. Somehow I do not think that will be happening anytime soon.

Please spare me any attempt of delegitimizing what I have to say by preaching about my irrational, and over the top support of Canadian culture. This is a response to many of your assertions that I see as clearly being false.

There is no doubt that hockey is ingrained in Canadian culture, and that's great.

Let me ask you though, how much do you think college football teams and stadiums would be valued at if they were professional minor league franchises?

I don't think you understand how much football, not just pro football, but any kind of football is ingrained in American culture. You know that there are high school football stadiums that are the size of the arenas that Canadian kids play hockey in, right? And that's just in the state of Texas.

 

[HockeyCA]

There is no doubt that hockey is ingrained in Canadian culture, and that's great.

Let me ask you though, how much do you think college football teams and stadiums would be valued at if they were professional minor league franchises?

I don't think you understand how much football, not just pro football, but any kind of football is ingrained in American culture. You know that there are high school football stadiums that are the size of the arenas that Canadian kids play hockey in, right? And that's just in the state of Texas.

I think football is really popular in the United States. College Football players are a bit older than Junior hockey players in Canada. Some players from Junior hockey are playing in the NHL at 18,19 years old.

Point is, where all hockey fans here right, so we know how ingrained the sport of ice hockey is to Canadian culture. I don't think College Football has had the same impact on United States culture. I don't think there are any College Football stadiums that have been named as a national historic site or landmark.

Anyways, nice to know that at least some people like to debate around here every once in a while.

 

[Buddy The Elf]

I think football is really popular in the United States. College Football players are a bit older than Junior hockey players in Canada. Some players from Junior hockey are playing in the NHL at 18,19 years old.

Point is, where all hockey fans here right, so we know how ingrained the sport of ice hockey is to Canadian culture. I don't think College Football has had the same impact on United States culture. I don't think there are any College Football stadiums that have been named as a national historic site or landmark.

Anyways, nice to know that at least some people like to debate around here every once in a while.

No, no, no.. football is more popular in America than hockey is in Canada. That is why we don't have as many ice rinks. All our available land is used to play football on it. I'm pretty sure they are in the process of changing the stars on the American flag to be little footballs. We also refer to Canada and Mexico as America's end zones. What do Canadians refer to America as? Canada's Olympic size rink? Yeah, that is what I thought. Pfft.. take your hockey jingoism elsewhere.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Y'all come across like ex-girlfriends trying to interpret everything that comes out of his mouth as a slight. He's got a new girlfriend now. Get over it.

Ex-girlfriends that broke up with the ex-boyfriend no less.

 

[kingsfan]

I love Leiweke's comments. All of them, ever since he left LA. All it does is make me want to beat Toronto even more and I hate that team more than I hate my ex-mother-in-law.

I love Bernier but I hope we score more than two-for-one night in down town Belgium just to make parade planning Tim eat every word he's spoken, crap them out and re-eat them again.

The only downside is now every time he opens his mouth, I have to listen to him because the media in Canada is 1st, 2nd, 3rd and often 4th time Leafs. Everything else comes after.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I like how Leiweke has also managed to already piss off Leafs fans to some degree. I see a happy marriage there with him in Toronto.

 

[fsanford]

I think football is really popular in the United States. College Football players are a bit older than Junior hockey players in Canada. Some players from Junior hockey are playing in the NHL at 18,19 years old.

Point is, where all hockey fans here right, so we know how ingrained the sport of ice hockey is to Canadian culture. I don't think College Football has had the same impact on United States culture. I don't think there are any College Football stadiums that have been named as a national historic site or landmark.

Anyways, nice to know that at least some people like to debate around here every once in a while.

You never lived in the SEC country have you. The amount of people that follow and identify themselves as supporters of college football teams dwarf's any sport including the NFL. People who live in most of the 48 lower states will identify themselves a fan of a local instate team or if they are transplant a fan of team from another state. And most of the fans did not attend the school the cheer for.

People are passionate about in Canada hockey no doubt. But college football rivalries are much more intense and have a longer tradition.

Maybe because U.S. Football is not a global sport people assume the passion is not there.

 

[kingsfan28]

I like how Leiweke has also managed to already piss off Leafs fans to some degree. I see a happy marriage there with him in Toronto.

He also says he hopes to return to LA again to be part of something else one day. Sounds like he wants to be part owner of something big, like an NFL team.