65 Facts About Brent Ladds

Brent Ladds was born on 1951 and is a Canadian former ice hockey administrator.

Brent Ladds served as president of the Canadian Junior Hockey League from 2016 to 2022, president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1980 to 2012, commissioner of Allan Cup Hockey from 2013 to 2016, and chairman of the Hockey Canada junior hockey council from 2014 to 2016.

Brent Ladds marketed the CJHL as a development program for players seeking a professional career or an education, with exposure to National Hockey League talent scouts at the annual CJHL Prospects Game and World Junior A Challenge.

Brent Ladds sought to increase marketing opportunities, have consistent administrative practices, and to co-ordinate public relations across the CJHL.

Brent Ladds was appointed secretary-manager of the OHA in 1977, then became the first paid full-time president of the OHA in 1980.

Brent Ladds's reforms included lengthier suspensions for misconduct, and education for players and coaches.

Brent Ladds envisioned a junior ice hockey league that was more provincial in nature, and to improve the quality of coaching and the player experience.

Brent Ladds felt that junior hockey in Ontario needed to be more attractive to players, who were departing the OHA for leagues elsewhere in Canada.

Brent Ladds grew up playing minor ice hockey in Quebec, before attending Loyola College in Montreal.

Brent Ladds joined the Ontario Hockey Association in 1975, to oversee its program for on-ice officials.

Brent Ladds was faced with complaints from officials that the suspensions were too short, and demands for more protection since officials had no appeal process for the suspensions.

Brent Ladds felt that 31 attacks was not bad considering the number of games assigned, and noted that officials had representation on the OHA referee committee.

Brent Ladds was appointed president of the OHA on April 28,1980, after a restructuring from an elected president into an elected chairman and an appointed president.

Brent Ladds was to focus on the increasing business demands on the OHA, fundraising and publicity, and be a technical co-ordinator.

Brent Ladds became the first paid full-time president of the OHA.

In March 1982, Brent Ladds gave a five-season suspension to a player for striking and threatening referees.

Later in the same month when a player was ejected from a game for fighting and threatening a referee, Brent Ladds initially gave a suspension for the remainder of the season followed by probation for the next season.

Brent Ladds later agreed to reduce the suspension to eight games combined with time served by the player as a referee for minor ice hockey, as an experimental alternative to a lengthy suspension.

The OHA told referees that they could not work for both organizations, which was later reversed by Brent Ladds who felt that it was unfair for the referees.

In 1982, Brent Ladds sought to increase publicity for the Northern Ontario Hockey Association, and arranged for a feature in The Hockey News by co-ordinating contributions by its member leagues.

Brent Ladds felt that the league had become cost-prohibitive, and noted the need to cut costs and restructure senior ice hockey to compete for the Allan Cup.

In 1986, Brent Ladds suspended the Brantford Classics for one season from the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League due to excessive on-ice violence, and since their team's "objectives are not consistent with ours".

Brent Ladds felt that the OHA had a responsibility to enforce player safety when justified, and agreed to study controlling on-ice violence.

Brent Ladds was named executive director of the OHF, which was given the mandate to oversee hockey in Ontario, and be a review panel for three years to propose further restructuring if necessary.

Brent Ladds felt that the OHA must educate its teams and players annually on acceptable practices, in order to prevent incidents and change future behaviour.

Brent Ladds required each team to have a youth worker serving as a prevention services co-ordinator.

Brent Ladds hoped to negotiate a settlement despite that several teams departed the MetJHL to join the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League which was affiliated with the OHA.

Brent Ladds sought for the MetJHL and OPJHL to compete at an equal level within the OHA, whereas the MetJHL insisted on its own administration and was opposed to paying fees to the OHA.

Brent Ladds wanted to establish a junior hockey league that was more provincial in nature, rather than several local leagues within Ontario.

Brent Ladds proposed merging the two tier-2 junior A leagues, and the two junior B leagues, which included 65 teams.

Brent Ladds felt that there was little difference in talent between the junior A and B leagues, and that more teams deserved the opportunity to compete for the Royal Bank Cup as national champions.

Brent Ladds envisioned a provincial championship for all teams, and to market a program divided into divisions or conferences, similar to the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States.

Brent Ladds felt that the coaches and players needed to take responsibility for their actions, and they denied the need end brawling in hockey.

Brent Ladds stated that the suspension was a trend of lengthier punishments driven by public outcry, and that hockey administrators moved towards marketing a non-violent game.

In 2000, Brent Ladds served as chairman of the bid committee for Hamilton and Kitchener to host the 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

In 2001, Brent Ladds appointed Vern Stenlund as the OHA's first "master mentor coach", to improve the quality of coaching and the player experience in junior hockey.

Brent Ladds held the same role for Ontario's hockey teams at the Canada Games, which won gold and silver medals in consecutive events.

When Major League Hockey merged with the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League in 2008, Brent Ladds felt it was needed to maintain well-run OHA franchises.

Brent Ladds stated that his most difficult experience as president was the death of Don Sanderson, who sustained an on-ice head injury while playing for the Whitby Dunlops in 2009.

The OHA subsequently debated its rules for wearing hockey helmets, and Brent Ladds argued for them to be properly worn and securely fastened.

Brent Ladds led the study "Tomorrow's Game" to help OHA teams manage their finances and volunteers, which began in 2006 as a survey of teams and leagues to assess priorities and gather recommendations.

Brent Ladds felt that junior hockey in Ontario needed to be more attractive to players, who were departing the OHA for leagues elsewhere in Canada.

Brent Ladds stated that when he began working for the OHA, he dealt with "three or four bench-clearing brawls [each] weekend", but that culture had changed over time.

Brent Ladds felt that the OHA had transitioned into being "a more nimble and responsive organization" than when he began; and was proud of his work to advance player safety and reduce on-ice injuries, which included increased penalties for rough play and certification programs for coaches and referees.

Brent Ladds reflected on his experience with the OHA by stating,.

Brent Ladds served as commissioner of Allan Cup Hockey from 2013 to 2016, overseeing senior hockey in Ontario.

Brent Ladds served as chairman of the Hockey Canada junior hockey council from 2014 to 2016, and as chairman of the 2016 Royal Bank Cup organizing committee.

Brent Ladds was tasked with overseeing all administration, events, planning and corporate partnerships.

Brent Ladds succeeded Rick Morocco who had been the executive director since 2014.

Brent Ladds stated that his goals included increasing marketing opportunities, and to have consistent administrative practices among the ten constituent leagues of the CJHL.

Brent Ladds has sought to co-ordinate public relations across the CJHL, and oversaw a diversity and inclusion committee to update terms of reference.

When Brent Ladds became president, he wanted the CJHL to improve its position as a development program for players seeking a professional career or an education.

Brent Ladds felt that the annual CJHL Prospects Game and the World Junior A Challenge both generated exposure and opportunity for the players, due to the number of National Hockey League talent scouts who attend the events.

In 2018, Brent Ladds introduced a concussion protocol for the CJHL funded by the Co-operators, for the assessment and management of concussion, and digitally tracking a player's concussion history.

Brent Ladds later developed a player safety committee to implement educational videos for players, and for uniform ice hockey rules in the constituent leagues of the CJHL.

Brent Ladds hoped that the financial assistance given by provincial governments in Alberta and Saskatchewan would be equalled by other provinces.

Brent Ladds worked with the NHL Central Scouting Bureau to make long-term plans for the NHL Entry Draft.

In planning for the next Centennial Cup, Brent Ladds considered a format change since no team from British Columbia would compete against an Alberta team for the Doyle Cup and a berth in the national championship.

In 2021, Brent Ladds stated that all CJHL leagues agreed to truth and reconciliation games in support of First Nations in Canada.

Brent Ladds praised the Dryden Ice Dogs for being the first team to arrange such a game, and hoped for more to follow.

Brent Ladds received the OHA Gold Stick Award in 1992, an order of merit given for service to hockey by a non-player.

Brent Ladds received the Hockey Canada Order of Merit in 1997, for contributions to hockey at the national level.

Brent Ladds received the President's Award from the Ontario Hockey Federation in 2012, for contributions to hockey in Ontario.

Brent Ladds was married by age 25, and was a partner in a carpet-laying business prior to working for the OHA.

Brent Ladds later lived in Toronto, then moved to Calgary, to be closer to family in 2014.