One of the most recognized executives in Canadian sports, John Lashway is in his third season as Deputy Commissioner and seventh season in the CEBL. He previously served as Executive Vice President, Strategy and Communications, while also serving as team president of the Hamilton Honey Badgers from the time the league launched in May 2018 through the Honey Badgers CEBL Championship season of 2022. He supports CEBL Commissioner Mike Morreale with a focus on basketball operations, league policies, processes and procedures, communications and broadcast strategy, human resources and administration, and issues management.

John’s career includes 22 years of senior leadership roles in the NBA (Portland, Toronto) and 10 in the NHL (Toronto). He was recruited to Canada to help create and launch the Toronto Raptors franchise and is the only person to have had a leadership role with the two defining moments for basketball in Canada—the birth of the Raptors and the birth of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Through his investment company, Honey Badger Capital Inc., John is a seed investor in the Unrivaled Basketball League, the 3-on-3 women’s professional basketball league.

John played a key role in the merger of the Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs that formed Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. He served as a senior vice president with MLSE until leaving in 2008 to start a consulting firm that works with clients in numerous industries across Canada and the United States. John brings experience gained working with leagues that include the NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLB, MiLB, MLS, CFL and with Olympic sports.