Dan MacKenzie
He served as the vice-president and managing director of National Basketball Association (NBA) Canada from 2014 to 2019, and previously worked for The Sports Network.
[7] In 2013, Financial Post Business noted that NBA revenue in Canada grew 224% since 2008, and MacKenzie attributed the growth to marketing strategy combined with the sport's appeal to the young Asian Canadians demographic.
He also noted that since the Toronto Raptors began play in 1995, "what you are seeing now with the growth of the sport, is the first generation of kids who have grown up with the NBA being a strong element in their lives".
He stated that in 2013, Adidas basketball apparel sales had increased 103% in one year, and that the NBA was recognized by Mashable as one of the top-engaged brands on Twitter in 2013.
[8] In 2013, the NBA added a "Play Ball" section to its web site in English and French, to facilitate increased player registrations in youth clubs across Canada.
[11] He also announced contracts with Air Miles and Bank of Montreal, and said that Canadian-based sponsors were coming onboard due to the growing fan base in Canada, highlighting that the NBA had 650,000 Canadian followers on Twitter by 2016.
[11] In May 2019, MacKenzie stated the NBA had reached a peak in Canadian sponsorship to date, with 32 partners including Bell Canada, Molson Coors Brewing Company and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
[1][3] CHL president David Branch said that, "Dan has a unique combination of league operations, sports marketing and business experience along with being a former school teacher.
[2] In October 2019, MacKenzie stated it was a priority to grow the CHL's brand and build upon the experience for players and spectators, and to bring national events such as the Memorial Cup to smaller communities.
[18] In March 2020, the CHL and its constituent leagues cancelled the remainder of the 2019–20 regular seasons, playoffs and the 2020 Memorial Cup, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America.
MacKenzie stated a desire to begin the 2020–21 on its normal schedule, but would wait until public health authorities deem it is safe to play.
[19] When the CHL Top Prospects Game was replaced by the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge involving the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in 2024, MacKenzie felt that the new event would "[serve] as a best-on-best showcase [to] provide our top draft-eligible players from across the CHL with a great opportunity to demonstrate their elite talent and world-class skill set as they work towards hearing their name called at the NHL draft".
