Paul O'Dacre Named Team President
July 25, 2005 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Quad City Mallards News Release
Moline, IL- The Quad City Mallards announced today the appointment of Paul O'Dacre as the team's new President, effective immediately.
"Paul's passion, dedication and enthusiasm for the game of hockey are attributes that will serve him well in his new position, " said Mike Tatoian, CEO of Victory Sports Group, owners of the Mallards, in making the announcement. "We want to continue our tradition of having one of the strongest professional hockey organizations in the country and Paul's sales and marketing background in the sport, coupled with his myriad of pre-existing contacts in the hockey world, will help keep us positioned as an industry leader."
O'Dacre, whose primary focus will be directing the business operations of the United Hockey League franchise, joins the Mallards following a distinguished, 24-year career as the Chief Executive Officer of Huron Hockey, Inc., a world-renowned leader in hockey instruction and the ice sport industry.
"The Mallards have garnered a well-earned reputation as the âmodel franchise' of minor pro hockey with their championship success on the ice and unrivalled commitment to fans and corporate partners," stated O'Dacre. "The organizational strength provides a great foundation to build upon this success, and I am really looking forward to the opportunity to connect with all the fans, community groups, partners and sponsors that make the Quad Cities such a vibrant sports market."
O'Dacre's professional experience with Huron Hockey included direct accountability for six company divisions; Hockey Schools, Curriculum Development, Computer Software Design, Facility Management Consulting, Publishing and All Sports Management.
He developed an infrastructure for world-class hockey instructional programs that reached 125,000 youth players over the past 24 years. Over 650 players and 100 coaches achieved NHL status during that time, with an assist from Huron.
"I'm quite please to hear of Paul's appointment as President of the Mallards," stated Bob Hartley, head coach of the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers. "Having worked with Paul on a number of Huron projects over the past decade, I know he's a great promoter and tireless worker."
O'Dacre's sales, marketing and operations expertise helped grow instructional product sales tenfold from $500,000 to $5 million annually along with directing development of computer software programs for youth hockey registration purposes (ENROL) and a statistical cataloguing tool (SCORE) that is used by a number of NHL teams in conjunction with video to track important game situational trends.
In 1996, O'Dacre supervised the relocation of Huron Hockey, Inc. to Geneva, Ill., where he was instrumental in the construction of the $24 million Fox Valley Ice Arena and establishment of a USA Hockey sanctioned Jr. âA' team, the Chicago Freeze, that achieved record-setting revenues in their first two years of operation.
He also successfully launched the âChevrolet's Safe and Fun Hockey' program through the sponsorship of GM Canada with Bobby Orr acting as the key spokesman, initiated development of an All Sports Management Division, which gives youth sports organizations the opportunity to raise funds through commissioners on hotel rooms and travel, while continually cultivating and maintaining corporate sponsorships with such companies as Easton Sports, Great Skate Hockey Supply Company and EHK Sports Enterprises.
"Paul has an impressive track record," said United Hockey League Commissioner Richard Brosal. "We trust that he will help the Mallards remain one of the top organizations in our league."
O'Dacre will relocate immediately to the Quad Cities with his wife, Nancy, and their two sons.
The Mallards are still in the process of hiring a new head coach. Keep checking qcmallards.com for updated news on all team events. Mallards season tickets are on sale now. Call the Mallards ticket office at (309) 764-7825 to reserve your seat for 2005-06.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from July 25, 2005
- Paul O'Dacre Named Team President - Quad City Mallards
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