How a northern Ontario developer pivoted to running 4 local sports franchises

Jonathan Migneault · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 14, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

When Dario Zulich bought the Sudbury Wolves hockey squad successful 2016, helium said his extremity was to get a caller arena built.

As a developer, Zulich said helium was much funny successful landing the declaration to build, and aboriginal manage, a caller arena successful Sudbury than moving the day-to-day operations of an Ontario Hockey League team.

"I thought it would beryllium a truly bully concern exemplary if I was integrated each the mode done from the landowner, developer, to the constructor, to the manager of the building," helium said.

Zulich present admits helium knew thing astir moving a hockey squad astatine the time.

"I retrieve my lawyer giving maine the acceptable of keys and, and helium said I turned pale," helium said.

"I was a small nervous, but, you know…And you conscionable gotta leap successful with 2 feet. Then conscionable larn it."

He ne'er got to physique that arena.

In July 2022 Sudbury metropolis assembly voted to cull a planned arena and lawsuit centre astatine Zulich's proposed Kingsway Entertainment District because of the $215-million terms tag attached to the project.

It had much than doubled from a $100-million estimation erstwhile the task was archetypal projected successful 2017.

"I deliberation determination was intelligibly a statement connected assembly that we're not consenting to instrumentality connected caller further debt. The terms tag of astir $215 million, that was provided arsenic an estimate, was conscionable excessively much," past Mayor Brian Bigger said astatine the time.

The metropolis has since pivoted to plans for a downtown arena and lawsuit centre to regenerate the Sudbury Community Arena, which was built successful 1951.

Zulich has besides pivoted.

He said the onshore helium purchased connected the Kingsway will go an concern parkland instead.

But his absorption has besides shifted successful the 9 years since helium bought the Sudbury Wolves.

"I've jumped successful with 2 feet taking implicit the absorption of SWSE. My 100 per cent absorption is to negociate these teams," helium said.

SWSE stands for Sudbury Wolves Sports and Entertainment.

A twelvemonth aft helium purchased the Wolves Zulich bought the Sudbury Spartans amateur shot team.

In 2018 helium brought nonrecreational hoops to Sudbury with the instauration of the Sudbury Five, who play successful the Basketball Super League.

And successful 2023 helium revived the Sudbury Cyclones semi-professional shot team, which is portion of League1 Ontario.

A sports franchise model

Zulich said he's modelled SWSE aft Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, the Toronto-based nonrecreational sports and existent property institution which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, Argonauts and Toronto FC, among others.

"It's conscionable a antithetic scale," helium said, referring to his company.

"In a metropolis similar Toronto you get northbound of 20,000 people. We're gonna get you know, 1,000. I deliberation we're gonna get up to 4,000 with the close venue."

No substance the sport, helium said the concern exemplary for each squad is similar.

"With immoderate sports business, you merchantability tickets and past you're going to merchantability advertising," Zulich said.

"If you person radical astatine the event, you mightiness arsenic good springiness them a blistery canine and a Coke. And aft that you mightiness arsenic good merchantability them a chapeau and a T-shirt."

More recently, Zulich said he's go much hands-on with his teams, sitting successful connected draught meetings, for example.

While helium got his commencement successful concern arsenic a developer, helium said managing sports teams is present his full-time job.

"I privation to bring Sudbury immoderate championships," helium said.

"I don't cognize if I tin oregon not, but I'm going to effort arsenic hard arsenic I can. I'm 100 per cent focused connected doing that."