Minnesota Wild Time Line page11

The Saint Paul Native and Professional Sports PR Veteran Returns to Minnesota After a Successful Run with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Anaheim Angels

[December 23, 1997] -- Saint Paul, Minnesota - Minnesota Hockey NHL CEO Jac K. Sperling announced today that Bill Robertson has been named as head of communications for the expansion National Hockey League(NHL) club. The Minnesota franchise will begin play in the 2000-2001 season.

Robertson, 36, will oversee all aspects of communications for the organization, including media relations, community affairs and publications. He will serve as the main liaison between the NHL club and the local and national media. Robertson's new post marks his third venture in starting up an expansion professional sports franchise (also the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim).

"We're delighted to have a person of Bill's experience and integrity to help start up our NHL franchise," said Sperling. "His dedication to the sport of hockey and Minnesota made him an ideal person for the position. Bill's experience coming from a great organization like Anaheim Sports, and his deep association with the Walt Disney Company, clearly positions us to be successful in our communication's efforts immediately."

The Saint Paul native returns to Minnesota after four-plus years with Anaheim Sports, Inc.(ASI), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.

Robertson served as director of communications for ASI, overseeing the media relations, community relations and publications efforts for both the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim(NHL) and the Anaheim Angels(MLB). While in Anaheim, Robertson's staff won the NHL's "Dick Dillman Press Box Award" in all four years of the Mighty Ducks' existence, given to the top media relations staff in the league. Under Robertson, the Mighty Ducks have also won the "Media Guide Award" the past three years, awarded to the media guide voted best in the NHL by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA).

Robertson's new post marks his second stint with a Minnesota professional sports team. He spent four seasons as director of media services for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and Target Center from 1989-1993. Robertson's duties with the Timberwolves also included coordinating the media relations efforts for various Target Center sporting events, including Davis Cup tennis, the NIT post-season basketball tournament and University of Minnesota hockey, among others. He also coordinated much of the arena's media efforts for the 1994 NBA All-Star Game.

The 1983 speech communication's graduate of Cal State University-Fullerton was named the 1992 "Twin Cities Sports Executive of the Year" by WCCO-AM in Minneapolis. Robertson's prior experience before joining the Timberwolves includes working as a sports writer with the Los Angeles Times and serving as senior editor of Organizing Committee and served as a game-day public relations assistant for the Los Angeles Rams.

Robertson is a graduate of Saint Paul's Cretin High School. He and his wife Beth have a five-year old son, Brett, and a two-year old daughter, Brooke. Robertson is scheduled to start his new post with Minnesota Hockey NHL in mid-January of 1998.