Veteran Canadian Basketball Leader Jason Thom Named COO of North Pole Hoops
North Pole Hoops is proud to announce the appointment of Jason Thom as the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), overseeing operations across the organization.
This appointment reflects North Pole Hoops’ long-standing build-from-within philosophy. Jason is not a newcomer to the NPH ecosystem—over the last decade he has touch points within every department of the company and has been deeply embedded in Canadian basketball for over 20 years, contributing, supporting, and helping shape the landscape at every level. His promotion represents continuity, trust, and belief in developing leadership organically.
“North Pole Hoops has always believed in people and in process. I’ve been fortunate to grow alongside this platform and this community for many years”, stated Thom.
“Stepping into this role is about continuing to serve the culture, strengthening the foundation, and helping the next generation at NPH grow into leaders while pushing the organization forward.”
A Proven Basketball Leader Through two Decades in the Game
Jason’s résumé speaks to a rare breadth of experience across media, league operations, governance, and basketball storytelling, making him one of the most well-rounded executives in the Canadian basketball industry.
From 2019–2020, Jason served as Commissioner of the National Preparatory Association (NPA) under the North Pole Hoops umbrella. In this role, he was responsible for:
- League governance and competitive standards
- Program alignment between prep, grassroots, and post-secondary pathways
- Building credibility and structure during a critical growth phase of Canadian prep basketball
Following his tenure with NPH, Jason accepted the role of Director of Basketball Operations with the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) working alongside then Commissioner Mike Morreale, where he played a key role in:
- League-wide basketball operations,rule compliance
- Supporting basketball operational consistency across all 10 CEBL Markets
- Overhauling the league’s officiating department and aligning interprovincial referee oversight
- Maintaining partnerships with Canada Basketball, U SPORTS and the CCAA
In addition to his league leadership experience, Jason has spent significant time shaping how basketball is covered, understood, and consumed nationally through senior roles with The Score Television Network and then Rogers Sportsnet. Followed by multiple broadcasting and production roles with the DAZN, TSN, Canada Basketball and the Raptors905.
Through media, Jason became known as a trusted voice and storyteller, helping amplify athletes, leagues, and moments while building deep-rooted relationships across grassroots, prep, collegiate, and professional basketball.
His work has also intersected closely with Canada Basketball, further grounding his understanding of national pathways, standards, and long-term athlete development.
Why Jason. Why Now?
Across two decades, Jason has helped tell the stories, build the systems, and strengthen the relationships that power Canadian basketball. His unique ability to bridge culture and operations, media and execution, vision and structure makes him exceptionally well-suited to guide North Pole Hoops through its next phase.
“Jason represents everything we believe in at NPH. He’s grown with us, earned trust through action, and has spent two decades building real relationships across Canadian basketball,” said NPH CEO, Tariq Sbiet.
“As our organization continues to grow nationally, in the United States, and globally, it was important to add a seasoned veteran to our roster—someone who understands both the culture and the grind—to help execute our ambitious vision and mentor the next wave of leaders within our ecosystem.”
A major component of Jason’s addition to the executive team is his commitment to mentorship and leadership development. With his extensive industry experience, Jason will play a key role in mentoring the next generation of industry professionals within North Pole Hoops, helping develop future operators, leaders, and creatives who understand both the business and the responsibility of the platform.
As COO, Jason will focus on:
- Operational excellence across leagues, prep programs, and platforms
- Strengthening internal systems and workflows as NPH scales
- Supporting conference and regional structures through alignment and execution
- Developing and mentoring internal talent while preserving NPH culture
Thom’s appointment marks a defining moment in North Pole Hoops’ evolution—reinforcing its commitment to authentic growth, internal leadership development, and long-term impact through basketball.
The deep-rooted relationships across every level of the game — from governing bodies to grassroots coaches and athletes to prep programs, college staffs, and professional decision-makers — uniquely position Thom to help advance North Pole Hoops’ mission of connecting the country through basketball. By bridging communities, regions, and levels of play, Jason will play a key role in strengthening the national ecosystem, creating more access, more opportunity, and ultimately growing the game’s impact coast to coast.
