The Calgary Flames. They’re more than just a team; they’re a city-wide institution. If you’ve ever experienced game day in Calgary, you know the electric atmosphere. Yet that day just scratches the surface. Let’s peek below the ice and see how the entire Calgary Sports & Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) ecosystem, led by President and CEO Robert Hayes, is making a lasting impact on the city through its teams, events, venues and through its commitment to being a passionate community supporter.
CSEC is the powerhouse behind some of Calgary’s most beloved teams and venues including the Calgary Flames, Calgary Wranglers, Calgary Hitmen, Calgary Roughnecks and Calgary Stampeders, as well as the iconic Scotiabank Saddledome. For the ownership group and business team, however, CSEC exists to provide more than world-class entertainment. It exists to be a pillar in the community from providing athletes with a platform to showcase their talents, to providing local jobs and giving back millions in donations and volunteer hours through the various Foundations each team has set up.
CSEC brings on board people that align with its mission, vision and values, which are rooted in building champions and winning through areas like its people, teamwork and a focus on community and philanthropy. For Hayes, who enjoys sports and is active in giving back to the community, the CEO role was a personal fit.
Hayes has spent more than 30 years in finance.
“In my finance career, I spent a lot of time working with people and organizations,” Hayes explains. “I loved building relationships. When this opportunity came along, I saw it as ‘relationship building on steroids.’ The fans, the sponsors, the teams – it was a dream opportunity given how much I enjoy working with, making new connections and interacting with people.”
For Hayes, the giving back philanthropic spirit of CSEC’s ownership group was a major draw. “It’s a personal value of mine,” he shares. “The Flames Foundation, along with the other team’s Foundations, contributions to our city are truly impressive.”
In his short time as CEO and President, Hayes says the experience has exceeded expectations.
“In addition to the position, the cherry on top is to be part of building the new Scotia Place Event Center. CSEC, along with our terrific partners the City of Calgary and Province of Alberta, are helping to design what I know is going to be an incredible facility in Scotia Place. I believe the city, province and all who visit from across the country and beyond will ultimately be very proud of the end product. I love the community I reside in and the people that make it the special place it is, and I love sports. Put it all together and I feel it is just amazing to be a part of it all.”
There are many parallels between his finance career and his current one in sports entertainment.
Hayes explains, “In both sectors, one must work hard to ensure the client, fan, sponsor or partner sees value and has an exceptional experience. With CSEC, this encompasses everything from the product on the ice or field to the food served at the concessions to the usher helping you find your seat.”
He continues, “When I came to CSEC, I walked into a talented and dedicated business team headed by terrific leaders who are as passionate on the business side as the coaches and athletes are on the ice or field. When you surround yourself with such people, you cannot help but be successful. Our playbook includes a focus on building champions because we believe this is just as important in running the business as it is for the teams chasing that same goal – we are committed and connected across the entire organization.”
The leadership of CSEC is active and very hands on. Just one example for Hayes is when he agreed to work at 11 a.m. for a themed game that included approximately 16,000 local school children attending. His job swap that day meant he was not in his office but in the concession helping to serve “so many slices of Pizza 73 that he lost count.” It’s also seen in the way CSEC honours the military, the Pride and Indigenous communities and other diverse community cultures by hosting South Asian and Black History themed games. When CSEC says ‘we are all in this together,’ they mean it and they show it.
“This is why we are building Scotia Place,” Hayes says. “It’s all about bringing the community together. Yes, you can watch sports, but there are also other events such as concerts across all genres, WWE, motivational speakers and more. We get to be the stewards of this wide range of events, which is a very cool thing. Additionally, we look for opportunities to be innovative such as our pioneering of the Stampede Bowl game the Calgary Stampeders will host in partnership with the Calgary Stampede, and we are very excited to have been awarded the 2026 Grey Cup – one of the largest sporting events from a watch perspective in Canada. We are honoured and humbled to be able to do all this for the citizens of Calgary, Alberta and more broadly, Canada.”
Just like the players on the field and on the ice, CSEC uses its playbook to ensure it reaches their goals.
“The playbook has the vision, mission and values of the organization. It represents what we strive for – to build champions on and off the playing surface, to be the leader in the sports and entertainment industry, and to be the heartbeat of the community.”
That, however, comes at a cost. Hayes references the visual of a swan gliding majestically on the pond seemingly effortlessly, when in reality that swan is paddling hard under the surface.
“I’ll give you an example,” Hayes shares. “Recently we hosted an evening hockey game with the usual fans, food, ushers, etc. By 9 a.m. the next morning, everything had been cleared and made ready for a lacrosse team photo, followed by practice and a game that evening. The next day we had two hockey games, so the arena had to be turned over again. It’s one thing to realize the logistical gymnastics of this on the operational team, and another when you realize we are asking our hospitality team, ushers, security personnel and other game day personnel to be here on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s a big ask, but they come to work with a smile on their face and roll up their sleeves willingly.”
On behalf of the ownership and leadership teams, Hayes robustly praises the staff for their hard work.
“The fact is, we have several sports teams operating out of one building and at times football games over at McMahon Stadium. We do not have two sets of people. We have many team members that go between venues. We have to balance all of this and now we have said, ‘hey everyone, we are also building Scotia Place.’ We know we ask a lot of our people, and they sure do deliver in how they are able to multitask.”
The depth of the end user experience, however, is world class and it goes far beyond enjoying the game. Hayes thinks back to before he joined as CEO. As a season ticket holder, he was very familiar with Scotiabank Saddledome … but not with angry chicken.
“When I joined the team, my food and beverage director was very upset because I didn’t know what angry chicken was! In the past I would just walk 10 feet from my seat to the nearest concession; I didn’t know about all the different food and beverages we actually serve. Pocket Dawgs! Angry chicken! The Dome Ceasar in honour of this drink being invented in Calgary! We have unique items here. Now, every game we have a 60-second soundbite where our food and beverage director introduces the concession teams and tells everyone where the offerings are. Some of what is on offer may not be where you sit, so be sure to look around.”
In 2023, CSEC was given the AFP Calgary and Area Chapter’s Outstanding Philanthropic Group Award as part of the Generosity of Spirit Awards on National Philanthropy Day. Hayes couldn’t be more pleased to talk about this.
“Winning championships is important but so is giving back. The Flames Foundation has put more than $65 million so far into the community to help combat child food insecurity, to promote sports, to build up academics and so much more. This is a key reason why I took this job.”
As he reflects on his journey, Hayes says a big thank you to his wife for her support.
Jacqueline has been incredibly supportive. She’s been a rock through all this putting up with, among other things, lots of travel and managing our triplets. I’m also grateful for the support of our kids, Hannah, Alexander and Emily, our family dog Quinn, plus the newest family member – grandpuppy Milo!”
He continues, “I have been truly blessed to work with amazing businesses and talented teams and people my whole life. I always try to work with smart leaders because I learn so much from them, and CSEC reflects that.”
Hayes is also grateful to be a part of the CSEC family.
“When I joined CSEC, I didn’t know much about lacrosse,” he shares as just one example of the many ways he has been surprised and delighted as he continues to delve into the role. “When I attended my first lacrosse game after joining CSEC and the team scored, the entire Saddledome broke into song! I learned that there is a song the crowd sings whenever the Roughnecks score. We’re talking 14,000+ people singing after every goal. Then I learned when our goalie makes a great save, there is another chant from the crowd, and similarly when the other team gets a penalty. You just come away from experiences like this so energized whether you are familiar with the sport or not.”
In the end, this is what it’s all about for Hayes and for CSEC. The fans, the athletes and the community all coming together in and out of Scotiabank Saddledome.
“I don’t think people realize the scope of what we do here,” smiles Hayes. “Madison Square Garden in New York is the busiest venue in North America. Crypto in Los Angeles was number two but we think we’ve actually moved ahead of them into the number two spot. We are only dark about two nights a month and the rest of the time we always have something going on. Sports. Entertainment. The Stampede. Events. It’s a true testament to all the people working together to make this all happen.
“The perfect dream of course, is all our teams in the playoffs. Now that would be an atmosphere! We joke about it knowing what the logistics would entail, but we also know how amazing that would be for the community and the organization. We will do everything we can to empower our players, our fans, our people and the community. We want to create a circle of winning that never ends.”
“This, at the end of the day, is championship culture.”
