Portland Pirates head resigns
Brian Petrovek, who served as Portland Pirates’ CEO for 14 years, has resigned.
The Portland Press Herald reported Petrovek’s resignation comes after the Pirates moved its home games from Portland to Lewiston last year amid a contentious lease dispute over Cumberland County Civic Center. The dispute was resolved with a five-year lease signed in February, around the time $33 million in renovation work for the venue was completed. The Pirates are set to begin the 2014-2015 season at the civic center this fall.
Petrovek’s departure also comes after a tough season in which the Pirates finished last in the American Hockey League for attendance and performance. He stepped down as CEO in March and became the hockey team’s president of business development, with majority owner Ron Cain stepping in as his successor.
"[Cain, Chairman Lyman Bullard] and I started talking more definitively about the opportunity and need for change as the ink dried on a new long-term lease with the Civic Center and the completion of the renovation project," Petrovek said in a prepared statement on the Pirates’ website. "My decision allows Ron to steer the ship on his own course and begin a new journey for the brand and our fans and sponsors as the team prepares for the 2014-15 season.”
Cain, also in a prepared statement, applauded Petrovek’s work focusing on the short- and long-term business needs of the Pirates. He credited the departing executive with helping the Pirates win bids to host the 2003 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic and the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic, making Portland one of the only four U.S. cities to have hosted more than one AHL All-Star event.
"Brian is at the top of his game — our loss will be another’s gain," Cain said.
Beyond his leadership for the Pirates, Petrovek has been heavily involved with local groups, including the United Way of Greater Portland, Portland’s Task Force on the Homeless, the Portland Regional and Community Chambers, Portland Downtown District, Maine Medical Center’s Board of Directors and the Boy Scout Pine Tree Council.
Read more
Portland Pirates sign new NHL affiliate
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments