David Branch

Branch played NCAA hockey while attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a scholarship.[1][2] After graduating, he moved to Whitby, Ontario, and became involved in coaching minor hockey with the Whitby Wildcats organization,[1][2] and hockey camps run by Wren Blair and Jim Gregory.[3]

Branch served as secretary-manager of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1974 to 1977.[3] He was hired by Gord Renwick in 1978 to become the new executive director of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for the retiring Gordon Juckes.[4] He served in that role until 1979.[1]

Branch played a role in the founding of the Ontario Hockey League, by negotiating the split of its predecessor, the OMJHL from the OHA.[3] He became commissioner of the OMJHL in 1979, and the independent OHL in 1980. Under his management, the OHL has grown from 12 teams to 20, and has become a marketable television commodity. Branch became president of the CHL in 1996. During his tenure, the CHL All-Star Challenge evolved into the annual CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, and the CHL Canada/Russia Series was created.

Branch helped develop a scholarship program that affords all players one year of post-secondary education per season played in the league.[2][5] Branch has advocated for player safety, anti-violence, and mental health.[1] He was instrumental in adopting rules to reduce the number of fights in the OHL.[6][7] Branch was part of introducing a blindside hit rule in the OHL,[6] and aims to have all members of the CHL introduce similar rules.[7]

On July 30, 2019, the CHL announced Dan MacKenzie will become the new full-time president as of September 2019, taking over for Branch who will continue as the OHL commissioner.[8][9][10]

Branch is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee.[1] He was honoured with the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2016,[5] and he was inducted into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in 2017.[2]

He is the father of Barclay Branch, the general manager of the Flint Firebirds.