Tavares Reportedly Will Be President of Anaheim’s NHL Team

Tony Tavares, a specialist in arena management, is expected to be named president of Anaheim’s NHL expansion team, according to the Toronto Globe & Mail.

Tavares is the former president of the Spectacor Management Group, a Philadelphia-based company that manages more than 40 sports facilities around the world, including the Philadelphia Spectrum and the Pittsburgh Civic Arena.

Tavares, who rose to the level of Spectacor president at age 30 and spent about 10 years with the company, left Spectacor last year and has been working as an independent consultant in arena management.

He has never run a hockey team but has been involved with several NHL franchises and has spent this season organizing and promoting the league’s neutral-site games. Each NHL team will play two games in neutral arenas this season.

Tavares also has done consulting work for the Kings and the Walt Disney Co., which owns the Anaheim franchise that is expected to begin play next October. Disney, through a company representative, declined comment.

Tavares’ primary role in Anaheim would be to run the team’s business operations, but the president’s immediate task would be to hire a general manager and front-office staff.

Jack Ferreira, general manager of the expansion San Jose Sharks last season, is considered a front-runner for Anaheim general manager job. Bob McCammon, former Philadelphia Flyer and Vancouver Canuck coach, and Mike Keenan, former Chicago Blackhawk general manager and coach, also are being considered.

If Anaheim is to begin play in 1993, it’s imperative the organization have a general manager and scouts to evaluate players during the second half of the junior and college seasons.

Another important scouting event starts in two weeks when many top young players compete in Europe’s junior (19-and-younger) championships in Poland.