MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Howard Baldwin, CEO of The Connecticut Whale, AHL Affiliate of the New York Rangers

Howard Baldwin…A leader in the formation of the World Hockey Association (WHA)…one of the architects of the historic NHL-WHA merger…A force behind two of the most comprehensive and successful community relations programs in professional sports…A true Connecticut innovator…And a successful movie producer.

Mr. Baldwin began his career in professional hockey with the Philadelphia Flyers organization as Business Manager of the club’s minor league Jersey Devils affiliate in 1967. By the 1968 season Baldwin was promoted to the Philadelphia Flyers as Ticket Manager and Sales and Promotion Manager.

At 28 years old, Mr. Baldwin became one of major professional sports’ youngest executives when he became a founder and partner of the World Hockey Association’s Boston-based New England Whalers in 1971. Five years later, he was president of the league.

When Mr. Baldwin determined that the team needed its own building, he moved the Whalers in 1974 from Boston to Hartford’s new Civic Center Coliseum as a vehicle for revitalization of downtown Hartford.

In 1979, Mr. Baldwin guided the WHA into an historic merger with the National Hockey League. “Howard is a doer,” according to former NHL President John Ziegler, “We would have never put that merger together in 1979 had it not been for Howard’s perseverance and his capacity to work with people,” Ziegler said. “He was a very big part of NHL history.”

Mr. Baldwin served as the Whalers Managing General Partner until the team was sold to local ownership in 1988 for the then largest team sales price in NHL history. In the three years prior to the sale, the Whalers drew record crowds and enjoyed tremendous financial success.

At the Whalers, Mr. Baldwin was the driving force behind an award-winning community relations program that was second to none in professional sports. He established the Whalers Foundation for Giving and a Whalers Teaching Chair in Pediatric Oncology at the University of Connecticut Health Center—a $500,000 gift.

Recognizing a void in regional sports programming in the northeast, Mr. Baldwin formed PRISM New England Cable TV (subsequently SportsChannel) with the Boston Celtics for the purpose of promoting Whalers hockey in the New England market.

A highly respected member of the NHL Board of Governors, Mr. Baldwin served on many key committees including, advisory, finance, “forward planning,” and pension. He was also a leader in ending the NHL strike in March of 1992.

Two years after the sale of the Whalers to real estate executive Richard Gordon, Mr. Baldwin created the expansion franchise in San Jose, California and negotiated a lease with the new San Jose arena; then, through a very complex transaction, he exchanged his position in the San Jose Sharks with George and Gordon Gund and acquired controlling interest in the Minnesota North Stars, later selling his interest in the Minnesota franchise to the former minority owner of the Calgary Flames, Norm Green.

In November 1991 Howard Baldwin, Morris Belzberg and Thomas Ruta purchased the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins. Mr. Baldwin served as the Penguins Chairman of the Board and represented the club on the NHL Board of Governors. Under his direction the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, two Patrick Division regular season titles and the President’s Trophy. Mr. Baldwin sold his managing interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1998.

Mr. Baldwin was the first American sports entrepreneur to break through the Iron Curtain and become 50% partner with the Russian government in ownership of the famous CCCP Red Army team in Moscow.

Addressing the need for player development and armed with the belief that a well-run minor league franchise can be a profitable venture while providing quality entertainment, Mr. Baldwin and his partners created the American Hockey League expansion franchise in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1998 as the minor league affiliate of the NHL Penguins.

The franchise proved so successful—both on and off the ice—that Mr. Baldwin looked for other opportunities within the AHL. In 2001 he established the AHL Manchester Monarchs, minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. These AHL franchises rank in the top three in league attendance.

From 1984-2000, Mr. Baldwin and his wife Karen, formed and ran BALDWIN/COHEN Productions with partner Richard Cohen, producing a variety of films such as SUDDEN DEATH, GIDEON, RESURRECTION and the Russell Crowe hockey drama MYSTERY, ALASKA.

Mr. Baldwin was President of Crusader Entertainment and partner of Philip Anschutz from 2000 through early 2004. While at Crusader, Mr. Baldwin developed and produced an impressive slate of films, which include: RAY (Universal), directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Jamie Foxx as thelegendary music icon Ray Charles; the Paramount action adventure film SAHARA, starring Matthew McConaughey; SWIMMING UPSTREAM, with Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush (MGM release); DANNY DECKCHAIR, the 2003 Toronto Film Festival Closing Night Gala film (Lion’s Gate Entertainment); SOUND OF THUNDER (Warner Bros.) with Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley; and THE GAME OF THEIR LIVES, starring Wes Bentley and Gerard Butler.

Howard Baldwin and his wife, Karen, who works closely with him on all major projects, currently reside in West Hartford, Connecticut. He has three children and seven grandchildren.  We could not be more thrilled to present a more exciting and accomplished Mover and Shaker!   The majoirity of the Movers and Shakers featured are people that Peachy Deegan knew before Whom You Know, and we are proud to say that we have known Howard longer than the other 216 previously featured.

Peachy Deegan interviewed Howard Baldwin for Whom You Know.

Peachy Deegan: One of the strongest components of an NHL team, or any sports team for that matter, is the depth of its system and talent. The newly named Connecticut Whale is the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. What comparisons and contrasts would you draw between New York and Hartford as hockey towns in particular, and the teams themselves specifically please? 

Howard Baldwin: As hockey markets they are at opposite ends in that New York is the biggest hockey market in North America and Hartford is obviously one of the smaller ones. In the case of the Connecticut Whale the New York Rangers are responsible for anything and everything that happens on the ice. They are a great team to work with because they are very well funded obviously and are able to make a significant investment in player talent.

What inspired you to work in the sport of hockey? 

Passion for the sport and love of the game.

What was it like to sign Gordie Howe in 1977? 

It was a thrill. The franchise was in need of some marquee value at that time.

What do you love the most about being an executive in professional hockey and how has that changed throughout the decades? 

I love the marketing and the sales most of all and trying to build value in ways that haven't been thought of before.

What do you find most challenging about being an executive in professional hockey? 

Staying in use with how tickets are sold today as opposed to 15 years ago and trying to keep up with new technology.

In October 2009 Peachy Deegan was shopping at Westfarms Mall in Farmington, Connecticut and bought a brand new Whalers jacket and was told by the store that Reebok bought the licensing so they were starting to market Whalers merchandise. She wears it all over Manhattan but people think it is old when it's new...she's making a fashion statement plus promoting Hartford hockey. Were they correct in saying Reebok owns the license? 

Reebok owns the license for the jerseys. I don't believe they own the license for anything else.

Will The Connecticut Whale ever be renamed Whalers? 

We're in a new chapter in hockey history on Hartford therefore you have the Connecticut Whale. However, there will be many retro nights in the future.

What are your best Hartford Whalers memories? 

MEETING MY WIFE KAREN IN THE WHALERS OFFICE .

Peachy remembers the time Hartford won 11-0 over Edmonton and both Ron Francis and Greg Malone scored hat tricks and Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri were sidelined with injuries. And she remembers going to Frank's restaurant with all of them and her family after. Do you remember that game? 

I remember the game very well as after the game I had to go New York for an NHL dinner and everyone looked at me in shock.

How did you enjoy hockey in Pittsburgh compared to Hartford? Certainly you won more cups that way....
WE WON THE CUP IN PITTSBURGH - BUT MY HEART HAS ALWAYS BEEN WITH WHALERS AS I STARTED THE TEAM

How was your experience with hockey in Russia? 

We were years ahead of our time in Russia. We were the first North American ownership for a team overseas in the mid 90s. I was particularly proud of that deal because we certainly broke new ground. I very much like the people there and the city of Moscow.

What made you go into the movie business and what are some highlights from that you enjoyed the most? 

A FRIEND OF MINE ASKED ME TO INVEST IN A SCRIPT AND WE DID AND WE HAD SOME GOOD SUCCESS SO WE DECIDED TO TRY IT -
AND WE MADE A LOT OF FILMS RIGHT AWAY THAT WERE FUN. I LOVED THE WHOLE RAY EXPERIENCE BUT I ALSO ENJOYED SUDDEN DEATH (WE FILMED IN PITTSBURGH) and ALSO MYSTERY ALASKA BECAUSE OF THE HOCKEY - I ALSO LOVED OUR TRIP TO AUSTRALIA TO FILM SWIMMING UPSTREAM AND THE TRIPS WE MADE FOR SAHARA. I was particularly proud of the work that my wife Karen has done in that she has written scripts that have been made. She has acted in a number of TV and theatrical productions and she has produced.

What actors did you find most interesting to work with and why? 

RUSSELL CROWE IS VERY TALENTED AND GENEROUS, GERARD BUTLER IS A FUN GUYS and MATTHEW MC - HE IS VERY LIKEABLE - BUT THERE ARE SO MANY NICE ACTORS WE HAVE WORKED WITH - MIKE KEATON TOO , CHRIS LAMBERT - TOO MANY TO NAME!

What or who has had the most influence on your pursuit of excellence? 

My parents and Karen.

What are you proudest of and why? 

Doing the best I can for my family. They come first.

What would you like to do professionally that you have not yet had the opportunity to do? 

Write my book.

What honors and awards have you received in your profession? 

I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO WIN MANY HOCKEY AWARDS AS WELL AS FILM AWARDS - THE MOST SPECIAL IN HOCKEY BEING THE AVCO CUP AND THE STANLEY CUP.
IN FILM BEING NOMINATED FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD WAS PRETTY SPECIAL.

What is your favorite place to be in Manhattan? 

WITH MY LITTLE NIECE IN HER CONDO

What is your favorite shop in Manhattan? 

THE YANKEES STORE

What is your favorite drink? 

RED WINE

What is your favorite restaurant in Manhattan? 

BICE OR THE PALM or Mr. Chows

What has been your best Manhattan athletic experience? 

Well, the year we won our second Stanley Cup. The series we had with the New York Rangers was amazing.

What is your favorite thing to do in Manhattan that you can do nowhere else? 

There's nothing like the New York City subways and the whole culture. It truly is a city that does not sleep.

What has been your best Manhattan art or music experience? 

I LIKE GOING TO SEE SHOWS - LION KING WAS AMAZING

What do you think is most underrated and overrated here? 

TRAFFIC IS UNDERRATED - OVERRATED - THE CHEESECAKE!

Other than Movers and Shakers of course, what is your favorite Whom You Know column and what do you like about it? 

That would have to be Sporty Peachy. Always well-written and insightful. I catch that column online whenever I get the chance. That says a lot as I'm not the most technologically savvy individual.

What else should Whom You Know readers know about you? 

I love to read. My wife Karen and I go to about 3 movies a week and two hockey games a week. Doesn't leave much time for anything else, does it? Also, I have zero tolerance for office politics.

How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers? 

All contacts to me are best made through the office. The number is 860.728.3366

http://www.hartfordwolfpack.com/