(March 9, 2022) - It wasn’t too long ago that Kyle Davidson completed his final exam at Laurentian University in the School of Sports Administration, and now the Sudbury native has been named General Manager of the Chicago Blackhawks.
A graduate of the 2010 class of the Sports Administration (SPAD) program, Davidson, 33, began his career with the Blackhawks as a Hockey Operations Intern in the summer of 2010 and quickly moved up the ranks within the organization. Having been promoted six times within the last 11 hockey seasons, Davidson’s rise to the top has been both a testament to his passion for the game of hockey and his dedication to his profession.
“I always knew that I wanted to work in sports, specifically hockey and I wanted to pursue an education that would provide me with a good network and valuable experience to enter the sports field. Alongside this, SPAD had a very reputable alumni base that was very accessible to students.” stated Davidson about his time in SPAD during a 2020 interview.
Davidson is only the most recent in a long line of “SPAD” alumni to be named to leadership roles, including many successful graduates such as:
- Ken Derrett, former Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, San Diego Chargers (SPAD 1978)
- Tom Grecco, President and Chief Executive Officer, Advance Auto Parts (SPAD 1981)
- Dale Hooper, General Manager of Fan Duel Canada (SPAD 1991)
- Jennifer DelVecchio, Global Senior Director, Strategic Alliances at McDonald’s International (SPAD 2005)
- Andrew Baker, Vice President, International Relations and Public Affairs at the Canadian Olympic Committee (SPAD 2005)
- Celine Seguin, Vice President, Business Administration at the Juno Awards (SPAD 2009)
“We are all very proud of Kyle, as well as the many Laurentian University graduates that take on leadership roles around the world. Our faculty, staff, students and alumni should all be proud as this exceptional individual achievement is also a credit to the community as a whole.” - President and Vice-Chancellor, Robert Haché.
This announcement comes on the heels of another positive announcement for the SPAD program as Rachel Doerrie (SPAD 2017) was recently named as an analyst in the Hockey Analytics office of the Vancouver Canucks.