In front office shakeup, Dallas Stars’ Jim Lites transitions to team chairman, Brad Alberts becomes CEO - The Dallas Morning News

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One of the longest-tenured Stars executives will be taking a step back.

Jim Lites, who has worked with the Stars during three stints beginning in 1993, will no longer be the team’s CEO, the team announced Friday morning. Lites will instead become the team’s chairman, a role that will lessen his day-to-day duties in the organization but keep him involved with the club.

Brad Alberts, who previously served as Stars president, will now be the team’s CEO and president. Alberts will now report directly to owner Tom Gaglardi, work more closely with general manager Jim Nill on hockey operations decisions, and assume a greater role in the management of American Airlines Center.

“Always the plan, maybe sped up by COVID,” Lites said. “Quite frankly, makes you look at everything: What are we doing? How are we doing it? What’s good timing? What’s the best time for me personally and for Brad and for everybody? Seemed natural, and the right thing to do.”

Lites rejoined the Stars on Nov. 18, 2011, when he was hired by Gaglardi. He previously worked as a team executive from 1993-2003 and 2003-07. Lites was key in the design and construction of the American Airlines Center, and helped the Stars hire Nill as general manager in April 2013.

As chairman, Lites will still guide Alberts and serve as a top advisor in the United States for Gaglardi’s hotel and restaurant business. He will also still be involved with the management of the AAC, and chair the Dallas Stars Ownership Advisory Group.

“Those are my hot buttons,” Lites said. “But my hot buttons aren’t going to meetings, looking at ticket reports. It’s really important that there are people engaged with that every minute. You have to be relentless about taking care of customers and doing all that. Brad is really good at it. He has assembled a really good staff.”

Both the Stars and Mavericks have two seats on the board of the Center Operation Company (the AAC), and previously Lites was the lead while Alberts was secondary. Now, Alberts will be the lead and Lites will be secondary. The board deals with renovations, capital expenditures, changes to suites and premium areas, managing the City of Dallas and financing the building.

Alberts has been with the Stars (his second stint with the team) since 2011 and has served as the president since 2018. He will continue to oversee the business side of the team, and will remain the president of AHL affiliate Texas. Under Alberts, the Stars have drawn marquee events like the 2018 draft and the 2020 Winter Classic to Dallas.

As far as hockey operations, Alberts will be more involved in the financial side of transactions than the personnel side.

“Jim [Nill] and I will work very, very closely with ownership on how we build the team,” Alberts said. “Obviously, the finances are a big part of how you build a team. … I think coming out of the pandemic, it’ll be really, really important to work with ownership on exactly how the team is financed and how we pay players. It’ll be very important. So Jim and I are going to be in lockstep with Tom to make sure that we’re all in good shape.”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the financial consequences, the NHL is expected to implement a flat salary cap of $81.5 million for next season, and remain there until league-wide revenues hit $4.8 billion.

Lites said he will attend all the home games as usual but spend about half as much time in the office as he previously did, allowing him to spend more time with his family, including two grandchildren. His granddaughter Sloan turns 2 in October, and grandson James was born March 12, the day the NHL suspended its season.

“It’s just a great situation for me, couldn’t be better. I’m happy,” Lites said. “Alberts is my guy, and Jim Nill is my guy. Tom’s been really good to me and I’ve enjoyed working with him.

“The day-in, day-out, the grind, I won’t have to spend as much time doing, although you never know. If they need my help or want an opinion, I’m there. But our business is really day-to-day blocking and tackling. And I get to be more of a punt returner.”

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In front office shakeup, Dallas Stars’ Jim Lites transitions to team chairman, Brad Alberts becomes CEO - The Dallas Morning News
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