Craig Leipold[1] is the owner of theMinnesota Wild of theNational Hockey League (NHL). He previously owned theNashville Predators.
Leipold is the founder of Ameritel, a business-to-business telemarketing firm inNeenah, Wisconsin. He also was the past owner of the Rainfair Company, which made protective footwear. He has also been a director ofGaylord Entertainment Company, owner of theGrand Ole Opry inNashville,Tennessee.[2]
Leipold first was considered a potential owner or investor in theNBAMilwaukee Bucks andSacramento Kings teams. He attributed this interest to the fact that he knew the sport of basketball well. He became interested in ownership of a professional ice hockey franchise because there were more opportunities than in basketball.[3]
Leipold bought an expansion franchise from the NHL in 1997 for $80 million.[2] He sold the Nashville Predators due to rising operating costs and low fan attendance.[2] Leipold claims more than $70 million in losses during his tenure as owner of the Predators. Initially, Leipold had an agreement to sell the team toJim Balsillie for $220 million,[4] but he withdrew from the agreement after Balsillie started season ticket advertising for a move of the team toHamilton, Ontario. The Predators were sold instead to an investor group that included William J. "Boots" Del Biaggio. The final sale price of the Predators was reported as $193 million.[2] Leipold has gone on record objecting to Balsillie becoming an NHL owner, stating that he does not trust Balsillie.[5]
Leipold's purchase of the Minnesota Wild from founding ownerBob Naegele, Jr. was announced on January 10, 2008. Leipold had this to say about his newest acquisition, "It is a true privilege to become part of the organization and the hockey community in Minnesota." Fans of the Minnesota Wild had already begun welcoming Leipold as the new owner via the team's message board. Leipold's company Minnesota Sports & Entertainment also owns the Wild'sAHL affiliate, theIowa Wild (formerly theHouston Aeros). The company manages theXcel Energy Center and theSaint Paul RiverCentre.[3]
Leipold is active in numerous civic and corporate organizations as well as several charities benefiting children. He is the co-chair of CollegeBound Saint Paul’s Fund for the Future, which seeks to raise funding to support opening a college savings account for every baby born in the city of Saint Paul, the headquarters of the Minnesota Wild. He has been named Nashville Sports Council "Sports Person of the Year," "1999 Father of the Year" by the Nashville Father's Day Council, and "Nashvillian of the Year" by the Easter Seals, following a highly successful 1998–1999 season for the Predators.[6] He and his wife,Helen Johnson-Leipold, maintain residences inRacine, Wisconsin, andSaint Paul, Minnesota, and are the parents of five sons, Christopher, Kyle, Connor, Curtis, and Bradford, and a daughter in-law. Helen is the daughter ofSamuel Curtis Johnson, Jr. of theS. C. Johnson family[2] and is chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson Outdoors, Inc. and chairman of Johnson Financial Group[7] Leipold is a prominentRepublican and supporter ofGeorge W. Bush andMitt Romney.[2] The Xcel Energy Center hosted the2008 Republican National Convention.