Inferno Interview - Steve King

It's been an interesting summer for fans this year, we've gone from the depths of despair and anger with the old management, to the whole fan-base rejoicing at the news of Todd Kelman and Steve King (And some others!) coming in. We've never had an owner register on the forum, but Steve has taken the time to interact with the fans and even share a joke or two. We took the opportunity to speak to Steve whilst he's over in Canada and see how he's found the welcome, what the plans are for the coming season and more...

The-Inferno - Firstly, thanks for buying the club, bringing the fun back and taking the time to engage with the fans! How was your brief stay in Wales?

Steve King - It is absolutely my pleasure. When I got back home to Calgary, I couldn’t stop talking to my friends and family about my night in Cardiff. The trip was far too short but the overwhelming show of support for the team that night and my tour of the city and arenas really could not have been better. I can’t wait to get back.

The-Inferno - When and how did you first hear about the EIHL and specifically the Devils?

Steve King - I’ve been friends with Todd Kelman for a long time so I’ve been following the EIHL ever since he went there many years ago.

The-Inferno - With the new arena on the way, and the history of the club how hard was it to make the decision to buy the club?

Steve King - The decision was not hard at all. I had told Todd a year ago that I wanted him to find an opportunity in the EIHL that I could back him on. We spoke to a few other clubs who were keen to have us involved but when we got into the details about the opportunity that existed in Cardiff, there really wasn’t another option from my point of view. The only difficult part was in negotiating an appropriate valuation with the previous owner but that worked out in the end.

The-Inferno - How have you found the welcome from the fans? Both at the meet the owners event and since then?

Steve King - Not only have I been blown away by the welcome, I’ve also been very impressed with the knowledge level of the fans. Growing up in Canada, we often feel like we’re the only ones that know anything about hockey but the knowledge and passion of the fans in Cardiff has been a massive surprise.

The-Inferno - There's been a massive swing in emotions for the fanbase this summer, have you had a chance to look at any footage from the glory years yet?

Steve King - I have indeed. Todd has told me about the many years that Cardiff ruled the EIHL and was the marquee franchise. I’ve seen footage and I’ve heard some wonderful stories from former players and coaches through Todd. I think that there is a tremendous opportunity here to bring the Devils back to that place as the premier club in the league and not just for a year or two. There is no reason why this club shouldn’t be at or near the top of the league on a consistent basis. It may take a year or two to build up to that point but that is certainly my expectation.

The-Inferno - Can you give us any idea about potential sponsorship for the club? Especially on the jersey and naming front?

Steve King - Todd has been very busy, along with the player signings that you’ve all seen, talking to sponsors. The early reaction from sponsors has been very positive to the changes at the team but I don’t have anything to announce at this time. I’m sure that Todd will be busy getting sponsorships sorted out in early August.

The-Inferno - It's great to see IAW onboard with the club going into the new venue, but have you had a chance to view the Big Blue Tent (BBT) yet?

Steve King - I have been in the BBT and had a chance to watch a men’s league game there. I have finally found a league that I could do well in!! The BBT is small but I’ve been in many rinks in the past that were old and small and they were always the loudest rinks to be in. With the way our team is shaping up, I don’t think too many other squads are going to enjoy their time at the BBT!

The-Inferno - How important was it to get IAW onboard with the club, and what are your long term plans for the Devils?

Steve King - IAW’s involvement was very important to me. During negotiations with the previous owner, they made it known to us that they would like to be a part owner in the club. In exchange, they offered us revenue sharing and rent concessions that should make the Devils one of the strongest clubs in the league from a financial perspective. The end result should be a very sustainable model that should be able to maintain a championship caliber roster while remaining profitable. It also meant that Todd can use his marketing skills to maximize the entertainment experience in the arena on game nights since the club has a share in all of those revenue streams.

The-Inferno - Do you and Todd have any plans to bring any Canadian or American teams over for an exhibition match when we move to the new arena?

Steve King - We would absolutely love to be we also recognize that that is a very difficult task. I went to Belfast a few years ago to watch the Giants take on the Boston Bruins in an exhibition match and I could see how much it meant to the city of Belfast and to the fans of the Giants. We’d love to do something like that in Cardiff but it would be extremely difficult to achieve so I don’t want anyone thinking that that is in the cards.

The-Inferno - Do you see an opportunity to promote the wider Elite League across the hockey world? Would you have any influence in pushing this if so?

Steve King - One of the things that our ownership group has talked about is the flow of good Canadian players to the EIHL and to Cardiff in particular. Most of us have good connections in the hockey world and this is something that we will work towards going forward. Todd in particular has an excellent track record of doing unique things that will get the Devils and the league noticed. I’m sure he’ll continue to dream up new ways of doing that in the future.

The-Inferno - Does the club have plans to offer live and/or delayed streaming of games? Would a "game streaming season ticket" be something that the club might consider?

Steve King - Todd will be looking at all ways of promoting the club and broadening the fan experience. I’m sure that evaluating the logistics of streaming will be part of that analysis but I do not have any information on that at this point.

The-Inferno - Have you made any plans to attend some games over the course of the season?

Steve King - I am planning on coming to Cardiff on the weekend of October 10th, along with my family, the other three owners and their families and also several other friends and family members. I also hope to come back in the spring for some playoff action so hopefully the boys can make that happen!

The-Inferno - A big thanks from almost every fan for taking over the club and bringing the excitement back! What are you hoping for this coming season on the ice?

Steve King - I’ve always been a hopelessly optimistic guy and that includes my hopes for my favourite sports teams. So with that as a preface, I really believe that we should be a competitive team this year. Because we didn’t take over until July, many of the players that likely would have loved to come to Cardiff were already signed with other clubs so I think that a bit of patience will be required before we are where we want to be. With that being said, I love what I’m seeing out of the player signings and I’m thrilled that in very short order, Cardiff is again being viewed as a top place to play in Europe.

The-Inferno - When can we expect the players to start arriving in Cardiff and preparing for the preseason games?

Steve King - I’m afraid I don’t have an answer to this question. I’m guessing that Andrew, Todd and Franny may have an indication on this but unfortunately I do not.

The-Inferno - Do you have a preference about the sort of team we put on the ice? Fast and skilled? Gritty? Tough?

Steve King - Yes! I want a fast, skilled, gritty, tough team. I don’t think you have to choose one or the other. I think that if you build your team correctly, you can blend in all of those components and that’s exactly what championship caliber teams do. Hockey is a very physical game so I certainly do have a preference for physical play. I think it takes the other team’s smaller players out of their comfort zone and I personally find it very entertaining. At the end of the day, sports is an entertainment industry and as a paying customer, I want to be entertained by creative offensive plays, clever defensive plays and also by hard hits and the odd fight. Even my wife grew up working the penalty box for her two older brothers so she always cheered for fights so that she would have some company in the box! My daughter’s favourite player on the Calgary Flames is Brian McGrattan, the toughest guy in the NHL right now, so you can see that my family does not mind the tough stuff!

The-Inferno - Is there anything we've missed or you'd like to add?

Steve King - The main thing that I would like to say to Devils fans is that the primary goal here is for everybody to have fun. Being a sports fan is a wonderful diversion from everyday life and there’s no reason to make that diversion a negative one. So our main goal here is to make sure that everyone that comes to a Devil’s fixture is going to have fun and be entertained. Whether it’s a night out with the boys, a night out with your significant other or time spent with the whole family, the focus will be on fun. Life is too short to worry about anything else. That starts with delivering an entertaining and winning on ice product and it continues on to how the club carries itself in the community. This is Cardiff’s club, not the owners. We want to have a club that everyone in Cardiff is proud to support and that gives back to the community. I couldn’t be more excited for the season to start!