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John Forzani, the former Calgary Stampeders' player and owner, passes away at 67
The CFL has lost one of the few men to be a key part of the league as both a player and owner, John Forzani. Forzani, a noted player and former owner of the Calgary Stampeders, passed away Friday at the age of 67 in Palm Springs, California. His death came on the heels of a heart attack he suffered Thursday. Forzani was less prominently involved in the CFL over the last few years, as his group sold majority control of the Stampeders to the Calgary Flamesin 2012 (he kept a minority stake and was the team's co-chair in 2013), but he'll be remembered fondly across the league for his time as a player, his time running the team and his influence on the league's board of governors. CFL commissioner Mark Cohon sent out a statement Friday lamenting Forzani's death:
The CFL family is saddened by the news of John Forzani’s passing.
As a league, we are immensely proud to say he was one of ours. As individuals, we are so grateful to have known him.
On the field, John was a Grey Cup champion. In business, he epitomized the entrepreneurial spirit. In the community, he supported causes he believed in. And as a member of our Board of Governors, and an owner of the Calgary Stampeders, he did much to move the CFL forward.
Gregarious and outgoing, John was a joy to be around. He not only demonstrated to us all how to reach lofty goals; he showed us how to enjoy the journey, as well.
Our thoughts are with his family. Like all of his other friends across the country, we will miss him, and remember him.
Born in Calgary in 1947, Forzani played NCAA football at Utah State University and then played on the offensive line for his hometown Stampeders from 1971-1976. He played alongside brothers Joe (a linebacker) and Tom (an all-star wide receiver), and all three were part of the Stampeders' team that won the famed 1971 Grey Cup over a star-studded Toronto team on the infamous "Argo Bounce." It's what Forzani did off the gridiron that's particularly notable, though.
While still playing for the Stampeders in 1974, Forzani opened a "Forzani's Locker Room" sports store in Calgary. He eventually turned that into The Forzani Group, a multimillion-dollar empire that encompassed SportChek, Mark's Work Warehouse, Athletes' World and other brands and was Canada's largest sporting goods retailer until he sold it to Canadian Tire for $771 million in 2011. The money he made from his sports business allowed Forzani to be a key part of the group that bought the Stampeders from the disastrous ownership of Michael Feterik in 2005, and he played a vital role in not just turning the team around, but turning the then-troubled CFL around through his work at the Board of Governors level. Forzani's contributions on the field were important, but what he did off the field for the CFL mattered even more to its present success, not just in Calgary but around the league. He'll be greatly missed.
