March 2005 CPSL announces new commissioner (from CPSL website)
NEWS
CARY KAPLAN APPOINTED CPSL COMMISSIONER
The Canadian Professional Soccer League has appointed a top Canadian sports business executive as its new Commissioner.
Cary Kaplan, previously with the CPSL as a management consultant following an impressive tenure with Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League, takes over from Vincent Ursini as head of Canada’s only complete professional soccer league.
Ursini resigned in February to dedicate his time to the Ontario Soccer Association and is seeking election to the Canadian Soccer Association board next month.
The Canadian soccer community first became aware of Cary Kaplan in 1995 when he staged the highly successful visit of Parma of the Italian Serie A to play an all-star team from the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL), forerunner of the CPSL. More than 17,000 tickets were sold for the Varsity Stadium event, the highest attendance for a soccer match involving two club teams for 25 years.
Cary Kaplan, 35, who graduated with his MBA from Dalhousie University, joined the Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey Club as its marketing executive in 1996 and for three years in 1998, 1999 and 2001 was responsible for the Bulldogs winning the Tourism Award for Excellence—the best promotion and marketing campaign for any Hamilton event or attraction. In 1999 he won the Ken McKenzie Award for the most outstanding contribution to an AHL team by a marketing or public relations executive. In 2000 he was promoted to club president.
Upon spearheading the sale of the Bulldogs from the Edmonton Oilers to a group involving the Montreal Canadiens and local business people in 2002, Cary left the Bulldogs with his wife Amelia and began the sports management company that they currently manage, Mississauga-based Cosmos Sports.
In taking on his new role, Kaplan declared: “I believe strongly in the growth of pro soccer in Canada and I am optimistic that with a lot hard work and cooperation, the image and profile of soccer in this country can grow dramatically over the next several years. I am proud to have an opportunity to be part of this transformation.”
The appointment is effective immediately.
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