Gregory rides wave of Jackets’ surge

The Youngstown native is helping the hockey franchise prepare for the 2009-10 season.

By Tom Williams

COLUMBUS — A graduate of Mooney High and the University of Michigan, Marc Gregory has seen his share of exciting sporting events.

Topping the list are the thrills that the Columbus Blue Jackets brought to Nationwide Arena on April 23 in a 6-5 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in the Ohio capital’s first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“The atmosphere for our home playoff games was well beyond what any regular-season game ever was here,” said Gregory, the Blue Jackets’ vice president of marketing. “That back-and-forth Game 4 is at the top of the list of any sporting event that I’ve ever attended.”

After three losses to the Red Wings, the Blue Jackets needed a win to extend their first playoff series to a fifth game. Twice in the second period, the Blue Jackets overcame two-goal deficits to tie the defending champions.

But in the final minute of the third period, Johan Franzen scored to give Detroit the win and a four-game sweep.

“What’s different about the Stanley Cup playoffs is that the biggest games are in your hometown, unlike a final Four that can be 1,000 miles away,” said Gregory who has seen his share of Ohio State-Michigan football games as well as NCAA tournament basketball games. “The great thing about our playoffs is that the fans can experience it at home.

“And playing the Red Wings, a lot of our fans had the chance to go up to Detroit to watch as well. I saw a lot of our fans up there at Games 1 and 2.”

Gregory said the enthusiasm generated from the playoff appearance is spilling over into ticket sales for the 2009-10 season that opens in two months.

“The fan base has responded because we’ve been selling more season and partial-season packages,” Gregory said. “Getting into the playoffs has been a shot in the arm for us on the ticket sales side.”

The 2008-09 season was the Blue Jackets’ best (41 victories, 92 points) since joining the NHL in 2000. Captain Rick Nash, the NHL’s top draft pick in 2002, scored 40 goals and a career-high 79 points. Goaltender Steve Mason posted 10 shutouts and was voted NHL rookie of the year.

On July 3 Nash, 25, signed an eight-year contract extension worth $62.4 million.

“Rick made a big statement about the city and the organization,” Gregory said. “He’s the face of our franchise, the captain.

“He requested another year added on to the deal at a lower rate to make it easier for us in the future to be able to sign other players around him.

He’s set the example that he’s not placing himself above the team.”

At the gate, the Blue Jackets averaged 15,543 fans in Nationwide Arena which can hold almost 19,000 fans for hockey. It was the first time in six seasons that attendance had not declined.

“It was a big step for the organization to finally get into the playoffs,” Gregory said. “It was an important step. We have higher aspirations as an organization to improve upon our performance.”

While opening the postseason against the defending champions provided a huge challenge, Gregory said playing a team from the same time zone enabled Columbus fans to experience the games during normal hours whereas playing the San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames or Vancouver Canucks would have meant late-night contests.

Gregory is beginning his 11th year with the Blue Jackets. At Michigan, Gregory served as the hockey sports information director while working in the university’s athletic department.

He then spent five years with the LPGA Giant Eagle Classic before joining the Blue Jackets in 1999 as director of advertising and promotions.

“I was just handling essentially media placement and sponsor promotions in a marketing role,” Gregory said.

In 2004, he was promoted to executive director of marketing.

“I picked up oversight of the broadcasting in addition to retaining all the previous responsibilities,” Gregory said.

Two years later, he was promoted to his current position where he oversees all advertising, promotions and marketing initiatives as well as the retail, creative services, broadcasting and fan development departments of the Blue Jackets as well as the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League and non-hockey events at the arena.

“My primary focus is the Blue Jackets,” Gregory said.

A Wolverine fan in the heart of Buckeye nation, Gregory admitted he wasn’t sure 10 years ago that he’d still be in Columbus.

“The organization has been great to me to give me opportunities to pick up more responsibilities,” Gregory said. “Columbus is a great town to live in, it has a lot going for it, especially with a young family. And it’s not that hard to get back home.”

His wife, the former Melissa Holmes, also is from Youngstown. They have two daughters — Emerson, 4, and Kellyn, 1.

Gregory’s office has a view of the new Huntington Park, the home of the Triple A Columbus Clippers baseball team. That’s one of many changes Gregory has observed over the past decade.

“There has been a steady stream of new restaurants and bars,” Gregory said. “This summer, the activity has been tremendous. The Clippers have been doing a great job in drawing fans.

“I see fans walking in from the neighborhoods so I think the ballpark has been a complement that has made this a vibrant area 12 months a year. There are very few nights when there is not something going on in the [Arena] district, whether it’s hockey, baseball or a concert.”

Gregory misses John H. McConnell, the team owner who died in 2008.

“We talked about Youngstown because he did spend some time there,” said Gregory of the founder of Worthington Industries. “He played football at Michigan State. I didn’t know what position he played so I asked him.

“He said, ‘guard’ then he added, ‘it’s a skill position.’ That’s the sense of humor that he had.”

Although the hockey players have another six weeks off before training camp begins, the team’s front office is busy now that the NHL schedule has been released.

“Next season is coming quickly,” Gregory said. “On the business side, we need to make sure that the organization is taking advantage of that success that we had.”

Because of last fall’s economic meltdown, the Blue Jackets have made adjustments with the ticket packages.

“We’ve added some flexible payment plans,” Gregory said. “We’ve made some additional packages in our lowest-priced seating areas. We’ve never experienced economic conditions like this so we hope we’ve made it more affordable.”

williams@vindy.com

Marc Gregory

Position: Columbus Blue Jackets vice president of marketing.

Education: Mooney High School, University of Michigan.

Previous job: Five years with LPGA Giant Eagle Classic.

Family: Wife Melissa; daughters Emerson and Kellyn.

Hockey fever: “I went to my first hockey game at Michigan when I was a freshman [in 1990]. I saw how incredible this sport was live. Coming home on spring break, the [Pittsburgh] Penguins were on a West Coast trip. I was staying up late watching those games. I remember studying at Michigan at the library, taking a break and getting on the phone to see how the Penguins were doing in the playoffs.”

Columbus highlights: “Hosting the [2007 NHL] Draft was special. [Commissioner Gary Bettman] complemented us on the job that we did and the building was packed for that first pick.”

Penguins or Red Wings? Gregory said he was neutral during the seven-game Stanley Cup Final won by the Penguins on June 12. “In June 1999, the Penguins fan in me went away,” said Gregory, referring to his hiring by the Blue jackets. What pleased him was the strong performances that the Pens and Red Wings displayed. “I was rooting for it to go seven games because there is nothing like a Game 7 playing for the Stanley Cup. I wanted it to be a great series to showcase our sport to as large an audience as possible.”

Tom Williams