Perter Karmanos Jr receiving the Bill Long Award, 2010
It should be no surprise that awards keep piling up for former Compuware Chairman and CEO and Plymouth Whalers owner Peter Karmanos, Jr. The business acumen and passion Karmanos, Jr. poured into founding and building Compuware Corporation transferred seamlessly into building a hockey empire.
In July of 2013, Mr. Karmanos was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame on the basis of extraordinary contribution to the sport of hockey in the
On September. 13, 2010, Mr. Karmanos was inducted into the
In May, 2010, Karmanos was awarded the Ontario Hockey League’s Bill Long Award for Distinguished Service. The award is presented in recognition and appreciation of an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the OHL.
In December 1997, Karmanos was chosen as one of four recipients of the National Hockey League’s Lester Patrick Award. Originating in 1966, the award is given annually to individuals who are recognized for "outstanding service to hockey in the
Mr. Karmanos founded the Compuware Youth Program in the late 1970’s; took ownership of the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires in 1983; and sold the Spitfires in 1988 when he was awarded the first OHL franchised based in the United States, when the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors were founded in 1989.
Ontario Hockey League Commissioner David Branch remembers meeting Karmanos for the first time. “I can recall Pete coaching a Compuware Bantam team in a tournament out west and being at a Pee-Wee tournament in
“He provided us for the very first time as a league to enter into the
Much like Karmanos’ success with the Spitfires the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors started slowly, but after two seasons, the team was over. 500 and challenging every season for the West Division and OHL Championships.
The team – now known as the Plymouth Whalers - has made the playoffs in every season (19 straight years) except their expansion year of 1990-91. The team has won 12 divisional titles (1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2013), two OHL Regular Season Championships (1999, 2000), reached the OHL Championship Finals five times (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2007), and won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL Champions in 1995 and 2007. The team played in the Canadian Hockey League's Memorial Cup championship in 1995 and 2007.
The Whalers have enjoyed uncommon stability under Karmanos’ watch. In
Karmanos’ success with an OHL franchise in
Karmanos’ success with two OHL franchises led him to purchase the National Hockey League’s Hartford Whalers in 1994, moving the team to
Right in the middle of purchasing the Hartford Whalers, Karmanos built Compuware Arena in
Karmanos founded Gale Force Holdings in 1988 to manage his hockey interests, which include the Carolina Hurricanes and the
In addition to his hockey and business interest, Karmanos deeply committed to philanthropy. He had made gifts of more than $50 million to establish and support the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in
Pete lives in suburban