Victor Cui, President and CEO of the Edmonton Elks, speaks to media after presenting Mayor Amarjeet Sohi with a jersey, in Edmonton, Alta., on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
EDMONTON – Victor Cui is out as president and chief executive officer of the Edmonton Elks.
The CFL club made the official announcement Tuesday afternoon, adding the search for Cui’s replacement will begin in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, the franchise’s day-to-day business operations will be handled by existing business operations senior leadership.
Cui had served as Edmonton’s top executive since January 2022, replacing Chris Presson, who was fired following the ’21 season.
Cui, an Edmonton native, grew up watching the team play and called his decision to join the franchise, ‘a dream come true.’
But the Elks have struggled on the field during that time, having compiled a 4-23 regular-season record.
Edmonton has also lost a CFL-record 22 straight home games dating back to 2019 and remains the league’s lone winless club this year (0-9).
Chris Jones, Edmonton’s head coach/GM, was already with the franchise when Cui was hired. Recently, though, Cui indicated making any changes to the Elks’ football operations department would be “very difficult.”
The Elks did undertake some bold new initiatives under Cui’s leadership.
On July 29, the Elks’ 27-0 loss to the B.C. Lions was broadcast in Punjabi, a first in professional football. Last season, Edmonton achieve another franchise first when it had a regular-season matchup carried in Cree.
But Edmonton posted an operating loss of $3.3 million in 2022, making it four straight years in which the community-owned club has run at a deficit.
Edmonton averaged 23,787 spectators last year, a far cry from the league-high 31,517 fans it averaged in 2015. The Elks drew an announced crowd of 19,921 to their 38-29 home loss to Winnipeg last week.
Edmonton visits the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-5) on Thursday night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2023.
