As president of the Buffalo Sabres, Theodore “Ted” N. Black oversaw all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the franchise, with specific focus on making the Buffalo Sabres the premier destination for NHL players and the Sabres’ current and future employees. In addition, Ted provided strategic and creative leadership in areas including corporate partnerships, advertising, NHL relations, team marketing, Sabres’ television broadcasts, fan relations and ticket sales.
Ted has compiled a track record of success and experience that few sports executives can match. Ted is an accomplished leader who contributed to and presided over unprecedented growth with both the Pittsburgh Penguins and FSN Pittsburgh. He enjoys close relationships with top executives, corporate sponsors, professional sports teams, television networks and at the National Hockey League.
In late 2010, Terry Pegula enlisted Ted to undertake the task of assembling and leading the group of professionals to advise Mr. Pegula on the acquisition of the Buffalo Sabres. Ted’s responsibilities included guiding the transaction negotiations, due diligence and NHL approval process.
Previously, Ted served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of FSN Pittsburgh, a regional sports television network that produced and telecast more than 220 live pro events and 1500 hours of programming per year. Under Ted’s executive leadership, FSN Pittsburgh grew advertising revenues every year and telecast a record number of live pro events. The station also generated record revenues, record earnings, record ratings and was widely recognized as the #1 rated US-based Regional Sports Network in the National Hockey League.
Prior to his tenure at FSN, Ted was a member of Mario Lemieux’s senior management team and served as Vice President of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1999 to 2008. Ted was a member of the core group of executives that helped Lemieux execute one of the most successful franchise transformations in the history of professional sports. Ted was intimately involved in all senior executive-level decisions and strategic planning concerning the marketing, branding, sales and overall business operations and management of the team. In addition to being a key strategist during the Penguins’ efforts to get a new arena, Ted served as the day-to-day project leader for the new arena during the pre-construction phase of the project. He also interviewed and helped to recruit Ray Shero to become the club’s General Manager. Ted was active with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and served as the team’s Alternate Governor to the AHL.
In 2005, Ted was honored and recognized by Pittsburgh Magazine as a “Forty Under Forty” community leader.
Ted is a 1987 graduate of Allegheny College and he received his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1990. Ted will begin living and working in Buffalo immediately, and is looking forward to relocating his wife, Amy, and their two hockey-playing sons, Andrew (18) and Nathan (15) to the area in the spring.
