The Hockey News: Headlines: New York Islanders promote vice president of sales Chris Dey to team president

New York Islanders promote vice president of sales Chris Dey to team president

2008-08-20 22:00:00

PLAINVIEW, N.Y. - The New York Islanders promoted Chris Dey to team president on Wednesday.

Dey, who had been the Islanders' vice president of sales, marketing and event operations, will also oversee all business operations for the team as well as the Islanders Children's Foundation, the club's office in China, and the Charles B. Wang Ice Hockey Project Hope in China.

He will also work with the Lighthouse Development Corporation on the planning and the sales and marketing of the transformed Nassau Coliseum - a renovation project that is still in the works.

"Chris has been the driving force behind the change that the business has undergone over the last year," said Wang, the team's owner and Dey's father-in-law. "The promotion is well deserved and will enable him to do even more to improve the business - the way we service our fans, the impact we can have on amateur hockey on Long Island, the leadership we show in the community and more.

"I know Chris well enough that he will stop at nothing less in making the Islanders the model franchise in the NHL."

The Islanders had their highest average attendance since 2002, despite missing the playoffs for just the second time in six seasons. Under Dey, the team's group sales department ranked third in the NHL last season in total sales and corporate sponsorship sales set a team record.

"I'm so appreciative of the confidence that Charles and the organization have shown in me," Dey said. "We're continuing to build a very talented staff that is committed to being the very best in the business. I hope that our hard work will be felt most by the fans."

COMMENTS (9)

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Joshua Liracheelski Posted
(2009-04-30 06:52:22)

The Islanders and mr. clifford should maybe move to a small town in North Dakota! Islanders fans, Islanders staff and Islanders alike! Love your team, support your team and go watch your team play thick and thin! I am A Buffalo fan... waaaah waaaah they let go of our core last year... we shall move on! AND WIN! P.S. The John Spano Curse will reign

Jim Posted
(2009-04-30 06:51:19)

Clifford - your argument doesn't make any sense. It would if Wang was actually making a profit. The fact is, he's lost tens of millions of dollars since he bought the team. And will continue to lose millions of dollars until they turn the team around and get a new arena.

Clifford Neill Posted
(2009-04-30 06:51:02)

I can understand your view as a fan and wanting to believe they have the team's best interest in their hearts. They view it as their team. Not the New YOrk Islanders and their fan base. Yes they do technically own the team. Yes they can do with the business what they want, but most businesses don't have fans. These fans are the customers and in every other business, customers are considered very high priority. This group sees the fans as annoying necessities and they are just trying to take your money while shaking their heads, KNOWING if they just pretend to care, and use the Spin machine, enough people will still buy tickets, so they can turn a profit. Youth is necessary, but you as well as I know anybody they do actually develop will go somewhere else because the team will be impatient, or the players will see that Long Island is the Outer Mongolia of the NHL and go to a better run team. They really are completely incompetent and arrogant.

DEE DAY Posted
(2009-04-30 06:50:53)

I can understand your frustration,Cliff,w/ the current state of the team as I've been an Isles fan for approx 30 years(give or take a year).I agree w/ what you say almost wholeheartedly but I have to believe these moves and direction is not to please us long suffering fans but rather to build a strong base of youthful fans that can grow w/ the team.They can no longer rely on the 4 cups anymore as hope because it was,lets face it,so long ago.They must rebuild relationships in the community and I think they're doing that from the ground up.Charles will have to commit $ to payroll w/in the next 3yrs if he's serious about winning.Unfortunately for us its another wait and see approach.So I guess I'll watch and hope for the best as I've done for the last 20 something years.I do believe nows the time to rebuild 'cause the known names(ie,Sakic,Forsberg,Modano,Guerin,Sundin,etc...) are fading fast.Youth and unknown names will guide the league into the future which is now.The Isles are actually in not too bad of shape.A couple of overachievers and they'll be in the mix.Keep the faith and go Isles!!

Don Posted
(2009-04-30 06:50:49)

Who the heck cares about this promotion? It has nothing to do with hockey operations. You guys are typical "fans" who aren't happy unless you can complain. I bet you were part of the fan group who complained they didn't sign Bettruzzi like they did Brett Lindros. Signing Brett Lindros left no money for Bettruzzi. Talk about bad business. Anyway, Joshua - you sound like a disgruntled employee? Did you happen to get laid off? Were you there in the early-mid 90s when things were great? Nobody complained then.

Joshua Katt Posted
(2009-04-30 06:50:36)

Wang is a money hungry clown - I worked for him at CA. Some how he miraculously left one year before the accounting scandals that anded all the officers in jail and screwed his stockholders. It is ONLY about the money to him - the real estate projects are his only and real priority. Winning hockey costs money, therefore not important to him. Sad day when he took over the franchise, it was better with Spano! (sic).

Cliff Neill Posted
(2009-04-30 06:50:28)

If you refer to my previous posting regarding the Gordon hiring, this promotion further supports my assertion that the team only cares about making a buck and not winning the Stanley Cup. Expect a 12 or lower spot in the conference this season. Then they'll get another high pick, draft the wrong person AGAIN, and in a couple of years, prospects who do have talent such as Kyle Okposo, will be on another team flourishing, while this team will continue to rebuild. This coming from a person who has followed this team for 28 years. Team Loyalty starts with a good faith knowledge that the team really does care about winning and is trying. Not saying they do just to get people to buy tickets, while they continue to intentionally put out an inferior product on the ice.