Institute of Rural Management Anand

PGDM-RM42 – Term I –End Term Examination

<IGB>
<21 October 2021>
<Anvesh Verma, Roll Number: P42176>

Executive Summary
The case is about Windsor Spitfires ice hockey team that plays in the Ontario Hockey League or
OHL. The team was been taken over by new owners Peter Dobrich, Bob Boughner, and Warren
Rychel in the year 2006, after the team went through a tough time following ban and suspension
due to a hazing incident involved between two players of the team.
The new management has worked extremely hard to uplift the team through the tough times. They
have made a strong core of the team by selecting and developing players in the three years of their
ownership. This has made the team almost like a family that believes in facing all the challenges
together.
The team became of the most improved teams in the league, while the coach was also awarded the
best coach trophy in just the second year of his stint with the team. The team has also connected
well with its fans and community through regular participation of its player in various events,
which has increased the supporters’ interest in the team, as evident from the increasing seat
occupancy at their stadium season over season, which is one of their main sources of revenue.
The team had been doing well and attracting the eyes of many young talents, who wanted to play
for the Windsor Spitfires when a tragedy struck the team. Their leader and one of the most
charismatic players, Mickey Renaud, passed away unexpectedly one morning due to some
undetected heart condition.
Even though the team has been spirited and doing well, Peter Dobrich is worried about the long
season ahead and the huge expectations that the fans and supporters have from the team. He is
therefore contemplating bringing in a new talent who might improve the team game. However, the
player is considered selfish and has a wrong attitude, which goes against Windsor Spitfires' current
team philosophy. This has made Peter wonder if he should try to cash in on this rare opportunity of
bringing in the player or if he should stick with the original team as bringing in the new player
might upset the great team spirit and balance that he with his other two partners have achieved in
their three seasons as the owners of the team.

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 Institute of Rural Management Anand
PGDM-RM42 – Term I –End Term Examination
<IGB>
<21 October 2021>
<Anvesh Verma, Roll Number: P42176>

Statement of Objective
The statement of objective, in this case, is about Peter Dobrich bringing in the new talent. The new
player being talked about in this case is a prodigy and the type of player who can bring more and
more audiences into the stadium to watch the team play. This will help in increasing the revenues
of the team through higher ticket sales, which is one of the major contributors to the revenue of the
team Windsor Spitfires. As seen in the case Peter Dobrich, due to his business side, wants to create
an 'affordable complete-entertainment package and to expand the regional fan base' something that
acquiring the new player might help with.

Problem Statement
The problem that the protagonist, Peter Dobrich, is going through is whether to cash in on this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and get the new player or should he let the opportunity pass as the
team he and his co-owners have developed, works on the philosophy of togetherness and
brotherhood. The new player's attitude has been a subject of criticism as he is also considered to be
someone who is selfish and won't be much interested in the team meetings and team-building
process. This might not only upset the balance of the team but also the plan where the team
regularly goes out to meet the community and their fans. Due to these reasons bringing in a new
player might lead to a divide in the team. This has got Peter wondering whether he should bring in
the player as he now has to decide on it in a few weeks before the trade deadline and communicate
the same to his partners.

Defining Criteria
A few criteria that the Windsor Spitfires owners must consider include - improving the team's
performance, the future performance of the team, the effect of adding a new player to the
confidence of existing players', team spirit and team building, increasing sales of the Spitfires'
game tickets, increasing the sales of Spitfires' merchandise, expansion of the regional fan base,
connecting more with the existing supporters and fans, leadership dynamics that already exists in
the team and how it might change on the addition of the new player that Peter Dobrich is pondering
over.

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 Institute of Rural Management Anand
PGDM-RM42 – Term I –End Term Examination
<IGB>
<21 October 2021>
<Anvesh Verma, Roll Number: P42176>

Generating Alternatives
One of the most obvious solutions that the owners can go through is bringing in the new player
being talked about in the case as this might be one of the rare opportunities that Spitfires get to
acquire the talents of such a highly-rated player. Secondly, the team can stick with the already
existing team as the team has a strong core and the players have very good relations and
understanding of each other. The team can alternatively scout for young players that adhere to the
current philosophy of the team, as the third solution. This will not only help them create a team for
the future but also help them stick to the game plan that has been successful for the team in the past
three years. Finally, as one of the alternatives, since Peter is concerned about increasing the
revenues, he can come up with alternatives to selling tickets and merchandise to earn more revenue
for the team.

Evaluation of Alternatives against the criteria

The first solution of bringing the new player seems to fit the bill when the criteria include
improving team's performance and increasing the sales of tickets and merchandise, as the player is
a proven talent and it has been mentioned that he is a kind of player that pulls a lot of audience into
the stadium to watch the matches which might directly or indirectly improve merchandise sale.
However, adding a new player might harm the existing team’s confidence and also affect the team
spirit.
On the other hand, sticking to the same team will help the team maintain its core principles while
also not affecting the players' confidence or the team's spirit. The third alternative about scouting
for new players will not solve the immediate problem but might help in keeping the team's
philosophy intact while also helping the team's future performance at a lower investment cost. The
final alternative where the owners search for an alternative approach to earn revenue might be a
long-term exercise that cannot be implemented immediately while also not doing anything for the
team's performance or confidence.

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 Institute of Rural Management Anand
PGDM-RM42 – Term I –End Term Examination
<IGB>
<21 October 2021>
<Anvesh Verma, Roll Number: P42176>

Action Plan
As per the given scenario in the case, the second alternative where the owners stick with the current
team seems like the best solution. The team has gelled well with each other and they know each
other's game in and out. The team's players respect each other and play together as a family trying
to protect their honor. Even though leadership has taken a hit with the sudden demise of their ex-
captain Mickey Renaud, the management has identified four players who can take his place. The
revenue of the team is not in any serious trouble and is currently showing improvement season over
the season as evidenced by the ticket sales. The team is also happy in participating in the
community events which fulfills Peter's second objective of increasing the local fan base. The team
seems to be doing well and the competition between the players seems to be healthy which will
only help in improving their performances, as the players, help each other work on their
weaknesses.

Contingency Plan
The alternative that best suits the case next would be to bring in the new player being talked about.
The case depicts that he is a great player who might improve the performance of the Spitfires. It is a
rare opportunity that Spitfires' management has received to sign a player of such a high caliber.
Even though the case mentions that the said player has been selfish and does not show the right
attitude at times, there have been no clear shreds of evidence to support the same. The case also
clearly mentions that the reason behind his behavior might be exposed to the limelight from a very
young age, something that he might not be comfortable with.
Bringing in a player of his quality will not only help in improving the results but might also help in
improving the players' techniques. He will also have a net positive effect on the revenue of the team
by attracting more fans to the stadium and increasing merchandise sales.
The new player might be gradually introduced to the system and philosophy of the team and if he is
not, can be made into a team player by conducting special exercises and rewarding him if he is a
good team player on and off the pitch through incentives.

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