Tanenbaum has been in his position since 2003 with MLSE, also the parent company of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA, Toronto FC of Major League Soccer and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
A member of the NHL Board of Governors and chairman of the NBA Board of Governors, Tanenbaum was instrumental in the NHL's Return to Play Plan following the pause of the season on March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and Rogers Place in Edmonton were selected as the NHL's two hub cities for the postseason.
"Return to play was a critical task that began the moment the leagues shut down," Tanenbaum told the Sports Business Daily. "So I was basically on the phone with owners in all three leagues (NHL, NBA, MLS) and with all three commissioners, Zoom and conference calls, from early morning until late night. But it wasn't just me. It was every owner.
"The idea that you can operate in a vacuum as one team is foolhardy. You can't do that. You've got to work for the health of the league. The NHL, the NBA, Major League Soccer -- I'm very involved with all of them. And my one focus is to make the collection of teams as strong as they can be, because the whole is definitely stronger than each individual that makes up the whole.
"You don't have a strong team without having a strong league behind you."
The 75-year-old has long been involved with philanthropy, community and healthcare organizations and volunteerism and won the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian award, in 2007.
The St. Louis Blues
were named SBJ team of the year
after winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in their 52-year history to cap the 2018-19 season. Their sponsorship revenue grew by more than $3 million between the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons (up to Jan. 7, 2020) and at the same time tripled the number of new full season-ticket holders.
The NHL was nominated for two SBJ awards.
The League was up for the technology award for SAP-NHL coaching insights app for iPad, which utilizes real-time data and insights for coaches and players during games, allowing coaches to make strategic adjustments during games and enhance player and team performance.
The 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend was nominated for SBJ sports event of the year. The event, held at Enterprise Center in St. Louis Jan. 24-25, featured NHL All-Star Skills, the Elite Women's 3-on-3 presented by adidas, free performances by Green Day and O.A.R., NHL Fan Fair at St. Louis Union Station and the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game, won by the Pacific Division.
