Minnesota Wild
Under Leipold’s ownership, the Wild is dedicated to
building a Stanley Cup contending franchise, playing an important role in the
community through service initiatives, providing a fun and entertaining
game-night experience and building strong relationships with its fans and
corporate partners.
A resident of Racine, Wis., Leipold completed the sale
of the Nashville Predators to a local ownership group on December 7, 2007, a
team he owned since the expansion franchise was awarded to Nashville in 1997.
During his time as an NHL owner, Leipold has been a tireless advocate for the professional hockey industry. Appointed by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Leipold serves on both the League’s Executive committee and Audit committee. Steadfast in his belief that a new collective-bargaining agreement needed to give smaller markets like Nashville a chance to succeed economically and on the ice, he was a member of the League committee that negotiated the CBA with the NHL Players’ Association in 2005. He is also a strong advocate for the new, more “fan-friendly” NHL, including the rule changes to promote a more entertaining competition and increased fan access to the product.