Last dance tour on for Robison as WHL commissioner

Outgoing executive reflects fondly on time in the league

Rob Robison, centre, drops the ceremonial faceoff in P.A. on Dec. 15.

For outgoing WHL commissioner Ron Robison, the 2006-07 campaign stood out better than all the rest when it came to highlights on the ice.

That season concluded with epic post-season encounters between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Vancouver Giants. The two clubs met in a WHL Championship Series that needed a series deciding Game 7.

In Game 7 played on May 14, 2007 before a sellout crowd of 4,006 spectators at The Arena in Medicine Hat, Tigers talented centre Brennan Bosch scored in double overtime to deliver his squad to a 3-2 victory in that contest. The win allowed the Tigers to win their fifth WHL championship in team history.

The two sides would move on to the Memorial Cup Tournament that determines a CHL champion. Medicine Hat entered that event as the WHL champions, and Vancouver was in as the host team.

On May 27, 2007, the two sides would meet in the Memorial Cup championship game played before a sellout crowd of 16,281 spectators at the Pacific Coliseum. The teams entered the third period locked in a 1-1 draw.

With 4:55 remaining in the third, Michael Repik scored the winner for the Giants, and Spencer Machacek scored into an empty net inside the final 50 seconds of the third to round out a 3-1 final. The win allowed the Giants to capture their first Memorial Cup in team history.

The WHL Guide for 2007-08.

The championship wins of both teams were commemorated on the cover of the WHL Guide for the 2007-08 campaign. Serving as the WHL’s commissioner, Robison was pretty proud two of the circuit’s member teams could go head to head in classic encounters like that where each side captured a major championship trophy.

“I have a lot of great memories,” said Robison. “When we talk about a certain event I go back to 2006-07 season when Medicine Hat and Vancouver went seven games in the (WHL) championship series, and then they met again in the Memorial Cup championship.

“In the WHL championship, Medicine Hat won at home, and then Vancouver won at home in the Memorial Cup. I think that was a pretty special year.”

In the current day, Robison is serving out his final days as commissioner of the WHL, which was a position he stepped into on September 15, 2000. Last June, Robison, who is an alumnus of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey Team, announced the 2023-24 campaign would be his last as commissioner of the WHL.

Before coming on board with the WHL, Robison worked in various roles for Hockey Canada from 1981 to 2000. The 68-year-old had been a Huskies assistant coach and a faculty member of the Physical Education department at U of S before coming on board with Hockey Canada.

On November 30, the WHL hired Dan Near to be the circuit’s next commissioner. Near’s tenure in the WHL office will begin on January 1, 2024 as he transitions into the role of commissioner. He will officially take over the full responsibilities as WHL commissioner on February 15, 2024.

At that point, Robison will transition to an advisory role providing support and guidance to Near.

The 43-year-old Near served as the global head of Adidas Hockey and was responsible for leading Adidas’s entry into hockey managing their global business since 2016. Prior to his time with Adidas, Near, who is a product of Markham, Ont., spent 10 years with the NHL’s head office in New York specializing in marketing, retail development and consumer product licensing from 2006 to 2016.

Ron Robison, right, is pictured with Mathew Barzal (#13) in 2017

Robison is making a tour to visit every WHL centre one last time while he is commissioner. The Indian Head, Sask., product stopped in Prince Albert on December 15, when the host Raiders fell 4-3 in overtime to the Kelowna Rockets at the storied Art Hauser Centre.

One night later, Robison dropped into Saskatoon as the host Blades fell 5-4 in overtime to the Rockets at the SaskTel Centre.

During his time as commissioner, Robison wanted to oversee a circuit that had good competitive balance where any team could win, and it didn’t matter if you came from a big, medium or small sized market. He believes the fact that Swift Current Broncos won a WHL title in 2018 and the Raiders captured a WHL championship in 2019 as small market clubs shows the league has come up with a formula that works in that area.

Robison believe the Raiders, who have a storied history, are in a really healthy spot, and he praised the team’s leadership for the work they’ve done.

“I think the credit is due to the people on the ground here in Prince Albert led by (Raiders president) Gord Broda,” said Robison. “I think they have community leadership like Gord (Broda) provides for this franchise is incredible.

“He has been dedicated for many years and continues to be. Then when you look at the job that Curtis Hunt has done as general manager has really I think done a great job of acquiring a lot of assets to put this hockey program in a really good place moving forward combined with Mike Scissons on the business side. When you are getting buildings in the small markets you need to be over 90 per cent sold out on a regular basis.

Ron Robison takes part in a WHL title presentation in 2019.

“They are doing that here in Prince Albert, so we couldn’t be more delighted. We think the franchise is in a really good place, and we’re looking forward to having a new facility here real soon.”

During his time in the WHL, Robison said the thing he liked most was meeting people in all the league’s centres over the years. He made sure to give credit to a number of people that work behind the scenes to make the league run including education advisors, security network personnel, team doctors and billet families.

“If I look back, I think that is the area we have so much respect for,” said Robison.

Robison was pleased with the growth the league made in two areas in particular while he was commissioner.

“I think we’ve really worked at two things extremely hard,” said Robison. “One was our facility standards to make sure that at all times the players and the fans have as much of a world class experience as we can possibly deliver.

“The standards to make sure that those facilities are always delivering a good environment for the players was really important. I think the player experience overall has been enhanced significantly when you look at our scholarship program. Over the 30-year period of the scholarship (program), we’ve had close to 8,000 players benefitting in investment by over $30-million by our ownership.

Ron Robison does a ceremonial faceoff in Saskatoon on Dec. 16.

“It is incredibility an important program, because the players can commit to us at a young age and focus on their hockey, but also have that education opportunity when it is all over.”

Going forward, Robison said the league will be in good hands with Near. The outgoing commissioner said the strength of the new commissioner will be on the business side of the game. Robison believes Near will quickly adapt to all aspects of his new position.

Looking at his own future after his time with the WHL wraps up, Robison said it will be different not seeing the staff in the league office in Calgary adding you become close with the staff you work with on a day-to-day basis. He said he will miss WHL lifers in vice-president of hockey Richard Doerksen and senior director of officiating Kevin Muench.

Robison said it will be strange to no longer interact regularly with Greg Gardner, who is the WHL’s chief operating officer, and added Near is fortunate he will joining a great group of people who are great to work with.

When Near takes on full responsibilities as WHL commissioner, Robison is going to focus more on enjoying time away from the game, but he believes he will still be attached to the circuit.

“I’m going to be slowing down for sure,” said Robison. “I’m going to step back, and I think I will still be available to help the league in any way they need me.

Ron Robison, right, shakes hands with Rockets captain Gabriel Szturc.

“You don’t just walk away. After all these years, you need to be able to support the league, and I’m prepared to do that for sure. I think it is about going from 100 miles an hour maybe down to 40 or 50 miles an hour about and try to spend a little bit more time with family.”

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