PREDS VS. OILERS? IT’S A DREAM
Calgary mogul Brett Wilson has stake
Ask any player on the Nashville Predators who they’d rather play in the conference final and you’re more likely to prompt a laugh then an answer.
But ask Predators minority owner W. Brett Wilson and the response is simple.
“My dream outcome right now is an Oilers win,” said the Calgary businessman, when asked about Wednesday’s Game 7 showdown between Edmonton and Anaheim.
“One, because I like the Oilers. And two, perhaps more importantly, I can get to those games easier than going to Anaheim.”
As a resident of Edmonton from 1979-81, when the Oilers were in the formative years of building a dynasty, Wilson has long had an affinity for The Oil, which he ranks third on his list of favourite teams, topped by the Preds and followed closely by the Flames.
“I’ve always had a real soft spot for Edmonton in spite of the Calgary-Edmonton rivalry, so I don’t have any problem cheering for the Oilers,” the 59-year-old Saskatchewan native said with a laugh, adding a qualifier: “Except next week.”
Known in Calgary as a wealthy investment banker, philanthropist, social media junkie and former Dragon’s Den panellist, what isn’t widely known about Wilson is that he’s the third-largest shareholder of the NHL’s biggest surprise this post-season.
What started out as a handshake agreement at a chance meeting at a dinner party in Nashville has turned into a lucrative and emotional investment that has long had the serial entrepreneur attending games in Music City with regularity.
However, due to a hectic speaking schedule as well as a massive 60th birthday bash/fundraiser he’s throwing Saturday, he’s yet to attend a Preds game this spring.
“I intend to attend every game until the Cup now,” said Wilson, envious that he’s missed the citywide euphoria prompted by the Predators’ perfect home playoff record en route to their first trip to the West final.
“Nashville is one of the great hockey cities in America. People think that’s an oxymoron, but from the time I’ve been there, the price point of our tickets was such that everyone could attend. It hadn’t migrated as Toronto has, and to a certain degree Calgary, to suits.
“You’ve got family and passionate fans in the stands. Fans stand during a two-on-one. You can’t get the fans out of their seats in Toronto or Calgary unless it’s a three-on-nothing breakaway. The enthusiasm for the game is extraordinary.”
And it has risen to new levels during the team’s improbable run through Chicago and St. Louis as the West’s eighth seed.
“Carrie Underwood has a box, two down Blake Shelton has a box and it’s not uncommon to see Brad Paisley a few over,” said Wilson, whose club has long attracted a who’s who of Tennessee, including the NFL’s Titans.
“I think it’s a big part of why P.K. Subban fit in so beautifully in Nashville. As opposed to the dominating personality that might have been the envy of some players (in Montreal), he shows up and your captain (Mike Fisher) is married to who? (Underwood). Go ahead and have an ego — you fit in here beautifully.”
Wilson’s first attempt to get into sports ownership came in 2004 when a deal to buy a piece of the Calgary Flames fell though. He added five per cent of the Preds to his Portfolio of Fun in 2011 and has quietly increased his ownership to over 12 per cent over the years.
He also bought 25 per cent of Derby County F.C. in 2008 before selling a year-and-a-half ago alongside partner Tom Ricketts, who also owns the Chicago Cubs.
“Derby was the no-fun file and the Predators are the fun file,” he now jokes after Derby lost in a 2014 match that would have promoted them to English Premiership and made ownership $250 million.
“It was surreal being in Wembley Stadium with 90,000 people and being on the cusp of what would have been a quarter of a billion dollars had we won that game. I think there’s a dent in my forehead from when I hit the railing.”
Such is life as a team owner, where wins and losses can sometimes mean more than the bottom line.
“I probably read that book ‘A Boy At The Leafs Camp’ 20 times as a kid — maybe 30,” said Wilson when asked what it would mean to win a Stanley Cup.
“As a kid who never really played hockey well, I ended up refereeing commercial leagues my first two years of university, breaking up fights for $5 a game. I’ve always had passionate interest in the game and it’s kind of cool to have an economic interest in a team like this.”
Even cooler if his club’s next opponent helps align his schedule and allegiances at the same time.