David Hopkinson went from selling tickets at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to becoming its chief commercial officer.
He moved on to work for Real Madrid, as global head of partnerships, and then Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., where, as president and CEO, he led the business operations of the New York Rangers and Knicks.
Now the Toronto native has added another storied club to his resume, becoming CEO of England's Newcastle United.
Hopkinson succeeds Darren Eales, a former executive of West Bromwich Albion, Tottenham, and Atlanta United, who is stepping down due to health reasons.
Brian Cooper, a former MLSE executive who both worked with Hopkinson at MLSE and sat on the other side of the negotiating table from him, calls Hopkinson "the next gen of sports business leaders."
"Dave is a really bright guy, a good leader," said Cooper, who is chair of MKTG Canada, a sports and entertainment marketing agency. "And he has a great vision.
"He has been put in difficult situations, whether it's MLSE with the three-headed ownership group at the time on the board and then James Dolan (executive chairman and chief executive officer of Madison Square Garden Sports and Madison Square Garden Entertainment). And then going over to Europe."
"I can't say enough about Dave," he added.
Cooper represented Scotiabank in negotiations with MLSE and Hopkinson over naming rights for the then-Air Canada Centre that lasted some 11 months.
"Dave comes heavily prepared. As did we … It was an intense negotiation," said Cooper.
Hokinson was with MLSE from 1994 to 2018 in various roles, including senior vice-president of global partnerships and marketing and chief commercial officer. He started from the bottom there.
"You can tell when there's a lead in the pack, and that was Dave," said Cooper. "He was just determined, persistent, professional."
Hopkinson has also served on the board of directors for Canada Basketball since 2023.
"I am incredibly honoured to join Newcastle United at such an exciting time in the club's history," Hopkinson, who officially starts his new job Friday, said in a statement. "This club represents something truly special. It has extraordinary history and heritage, incredibly passionate supporters, and ownership, players and staff who are committed to excellence."
Newcastle (0-1-2) currently stands 17th in the English Premier League.
In March, the club reported revenue of 320.3 million pounds ($595.3 million) for the year ended June 2024, up from 250.3 million pounds ($465.2 million) in 2022-23. Helped by a return to the high-profile Champions League, that meant increases of 90 percent and 32 percent in commercial and matchday revenues, respectively.
Newcastle was bought by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021.
"We are delighted to welcome David to Newcastle United," Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan said in a statement. "David is an outstanding executive whose track record across global sport and entertainment speaks for itself.
"His experience and strategic capabilities will be invaluable as we continue to build on the club's presence locally and grow it globally on and off the pitch."
In March, the Magpies defeated Liverpool 2-1 to win the Carabao Cup, its first domestic trophy in 70 years.
Star striker Alexander Isak, who scored the winning goal before 88,513 at Wembley Stadium, has since moved on. The Swede joined Liverpool on Monday for a British record transfer fee of 125 million pounds ($232.4 million) after a prolonged transfer saga.
Newcastle, which plays at the 52,305-capacity St. James’ Park, is no stranger to star attackers with the likes of Alan Shearer, Jackie Milburn, Len White, Hughie Gallacher and Malcolm Macdonald wearing the club's iconic black-and-white striped kit.
Former Canadian international David Edgar left Canada at 14 to join Newcastle's academy. The seventh Canadian to feature in the Premier League, he made his debut in England's top tier on Dec. 26, 2006, against Bolton.
Edgar turned heads for the senior side at the age of 19 with a long-range rocket in a 2-2 tie with Manchester United on Jan. 1, 2007.
A century before that, Scottish-born Sandy Hall played for Newcastle in 1907. Hall emigrated to Canada at the age of 21 and went on to help Canada's Galt FC win Olympic gold in soccer at the 1904 Olympics before returning to Scotland to become a professional footballer.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2025
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
