- Ted Leonsis was unanimously elected chairman of the NHL Board of Governors on Tuesday
- Jeremy Jacobs steps down after 19 years, with Calgary’s Murray Edwards staying on as vice-chair
- Read below for the full statements from Leonsis, Jacobs and Gary Bettman
The NHL’s Board of Governors has a new chairman for the first time since 2007.
Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was unanimously elected to the role Tuesday, replacing Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who is stepping down after 19 years. Calgary Flames governor Murray Edwards stays on as vice-chair.
Jacobs laid out his reasoning in a statement released through the league.
“I was first elected to the role in 2007, and nearly 20 years later, it’s well past time for me to pass the torch,” Jacobs said. “I’m proud of what the Board of Governors, and our Commissioner, Gary Bettman, have accomplished over the last two decades.”
Plenty happened on his watch. The league added Vegas and Seattle, signed landmark media rights deals, and ratified a collective bargaining agreement that took effect Sept. 16 and runs through Sept. 15, 2030.
Stepping down as chairman does not mean stepping off the board. Jacobs keeps his seat and will serve under Leonsis and Edwards.
He bought the Bruins for roughly $10 million in 1975 when he was 35 years old. Boston reached the playoffs in 42 of his 50 seasons, won the Stanley Cup in 2011, and Jacobs went into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2017.
Leonsis, 69, inherits a board that has spent months working through expansion bids for a 34th team.
In his own statement, the new chairman pointed straight at Washington.
“Long before I became an owner, I was a fan of this game and of the Washington Capitals,” Leonsis said. “I love hockey and have a profound belief in its potential. We have proven in Washington how investing in a team, its fans and in a community can create a true hockey city.”
Bettman worked beside Jacobs for all 19 of those years and used his own statement to thank him:
“His wisdom and unwavering commitment to this League have helped guide us through a period of unprecedented growth, both on and off the ice,” Bettman said.
Leonsis runs the Capitals through Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which also owns the Wizards and Mystics. His son Zach was named president and vice chairman of the company last week, though Ted kept the CEO title and sole decision-making authority over the teams.
