In the 1980s, Joey Scoleri made a name for himself in the music business. But he was a key component of the behind-the-scenes element of the NHL.
The NHL world has many behind-the-scenes people that help out players and NHL staff in their times of need. And in this feature story from The Hockey News’ special-edition Fully Loaded magazine (March 1, 2012 cover date), this writer put the spotlight on former Canadian D.J.-turned-L.A. mover-and-shaker Joey Scoleri.
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Scoleri gained fame in the Toronto area in the 1980s under the working name 'Joey Vendetta,' but after he left home to work in New York and Los Angeles, Scoleri found his niche as a highly connected guy who can throw parties, stage celebrity games and generally act as an ambassador for NHL stars looking for some fun.
“As a kid, I used to dream of just getting to go to a Leaf game,” Scoleri told THN. “To now be friends with players and celebrities who are good people and give back, I’m incredibly fortunate.”
Scoleri had stacks of hockey equipment in his California home, all available to players and celebs looking for a fun game of shinny at a local rink. He understands the balance of the personal and professional sides of hockey celebrity.
“Rock stars, actors, athletes, they all have something they admire,” Scoleri said. “You’re great at hockey, but you wish you were a guitar player. You’re great at baseball, but you wish you were a golfer. Johnny Depp, who I met a while ago, would totally rather be in a band. When I’m talking to him about guitars, because I play, he’s completely smitten. That’s what makes them human.”
MR. GOOD TIMES
March 1, 2012
By Adam Proteau
You might not know Joey Scoleri’s name, but you’d better believe just about every NHL star does.
A popular former rock radio DJ from Toronto, Scoleri has become a major behind-the-scenes mover-and-shaker in the entertainment world. That includes the hockey world, where for decades he has ingratiated himself to players thanks to his astonishing connections, deep love of music and healthy respect for the privacy valued by public figures. He is the NHL elite’s unofficial entertainment ambassador, able to whip up a good time in a heartbeat – and stay silent about the revelry that takes place in his presence. “Players trust me, because I’m a firm believer there’s a line on what you should talk about,” said Scoleri, senior vice-president of tour marketing and promotion for entertainment monolith Live Nation. “It’s really none of anyone’s business, in my opinion. What happens in the room stays in the room, and what happens in people’s private lives stays private. At the end of the day, pro athletes are human and value their privacy.”
The son of Italian immigrants, Scoleri rose through the radio ranks in his hometown of Toronto under the name Joey Vendetta, yet maintained a connection to the sport he adored. His first foot in the door of the hockey world came at the time Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour was traded to the Maple Leafs. Scoleri began putting together music tapes that were played in Toronto’s dressing room and during warmups before games. He became the de facto soundtrack-maker for the Buds, and when he worked in Toronto dance clubs as a DJ, he continued cultivating ties with NHLers.
Scoleri left Canada to work in New York City for Elektra Records, coincidentally, around the time Gilmour was traded to New Jersey. But when he left Manhattan for Los Angeles (changing companies and moving to Hollywood Records) shortly thereafter, he continued as a conduit between the hockey and the entertainment industries, working with Queen, Los Lobos, the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus in his day job and building friendships with the likes of Jarome Iginla, Kiefer Sutherland, Mats Sundin, David Boreanaz and Mike Cammalleri, among many other celebrities.
Players appreciate Scoleri’s talents and are more than willing to be there for him in return. For example, he organized the 2008 Festival Cup charity game in Toronto and convinced Sundin – who at the time was back in Sweden between playing for the Leafs and Canucks – to come back to North America and participate. And before Sundin signed with Vancouver in December of the 2008-09 season, he took a six-week Los Angeles vacation and spent much of it with his wife and Scoleri.
The secret to his success is relatively simple: He isn’t star-struck by anybody and recognizes the humanity in everyone. “Rock stars, actors, athletes, they all have something they admire,” said Scoleri, 46. “You’re great at hockey, but you wish you were a guitar player. You’re great at baseball, but you wish you were a golfer. Johnny Depp, who I met a while ago, would totally rather be in a band. When I’m talking to him about guitars, because I play, he’s completely smitten. That’s what makes them human.”
One of Scoleri’s biggest recent achievements was rescuing the 2011 Charlie Sheen theater tour, which began with the notorious actor alone onstage bombing in front of audiences. Live Nation brought Scoleri in to save the show – and that’s what he did, deciding an interviewer (himself) could provide structure and balance for Sheen’s mercurial persona.
That’s what Scoleri does. He makes things work. He introduced Hollywood producer Oren Koules (the man behind the Saw franchise) to ex-NHLer Len Barrie and the latter two went on to purchase the Tampa Bay Lightning. He still brings out his Joey Vendetta radio name occasionally – only instead of DJing at a Toronto music station, he appears on The Fan 590 sports radio channel talking to NHLers and celebrities. He’s friends with trainers, equipment makers, team owners and just about everyone in every corner of the hockey business.
Even the notion of creating a bona-fide hockey community in Southern California hasn’t presented a problem for Scoleri: He skates four times a week with the likes of Hollywood mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer and actor Cuba Gooding Jr. When a visiting team comes into town, he’s usually meeting an NHLer or two and showing them around. And whenever he comes back to Toronto or Canada, he’s inevitably freelancing in the hockey industry. During All-Star weekend, he hosted several parties in Ottawa.
For a kid who loved nothing more than music and hockey, life doesn’t get much better than this. “As a kid, I used to dream of just getting to go to a Leaf game,” Scoleri said. “To now be friends with players and celebrities who are good people and give back, I’m incredibly fortunate.”
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