Adidas executive Dan Near tabbed to become next WHL commissioner

CALGARY — Dan Near is set to become the next commissioner of the Western Hockey League.

The 43-year-old Adidas executive was introduced at a press conference today.

Near will replace Ron Robison, who previously announced that 2023-24 would be his final season in charge.

Near spent more than a decade in the NHL’s marketing department before moving to Adidas, where he most recently served as the company’s global head of hockey.