The National Hockey League announced Tuesday that Chief Operating Officer John Collins is stepping down to pursue “a new business opportunity.”
Collins, who joined the league in 2006 had been COO since August 2008.
“John leaves a lasting mark,” said Commissioner Bettman in a release. “His energy, creativity and skill at building strategic partnerships helped drive significant revenue growth for our League. We are grateful for his many contributions and wish him the best in his new endeavours.”
Said Collins, “I’m grateful to Commissioner Bettman for his leadership and friendship over the past nine years. He had a vision for extending the reach of the NHL and supported us completely as we set out to make the game as big as it deserves to be. The NHL’s future is filled with promise and potential and I will admire and cheer the League’s successes to come on the global stage.”
As COO, Collins was responsible for growing interest in the game of hockey and was known in recent years for having his signature on the Winter Classic and Stadium Series outdoor games as well as the HBO 24/7 television series that documented the teams participating in the outdoor events.
In 2014, the NHL won “sports league of the year”, “sports event of the year” (NHL Winter Classic), and “sports executive of the year” (Gary Bettman).
Collins was previously an executive with the NFL.
