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Careers in Hockey: A collection of resources

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Just found this thread and read through some of the comments and thought I'd share what I've experienced for those who haven't started or are just starting college.

I'll be graduating in May with a degree in Sport Marketing and a minor in Business and Marketing. Finding an internship is a lot easier than people think and for me the key has been looking in places that not a lot of people are looking (Teamwork Online).

Last October as a junior I was taking a Sport Agency Management course and our semester research paper involved having to interview any sports agent and write about it. So all I did was scroll through the NHLPA website since they list every agent and contacted ones I thought would help my career. At first I called up CAA for Pat Brisson and was told he was too busy at the time to do the interview. Instead of focusing on the big agencies, I looked for agents who were located near me and the first one I contacted after that agreed to the interview. At the end all I asked was if would need any help the following summer and he told me to call him back in March. March rolled around and I contacted him and he said I could jump on with him and help out when I got back in town for the summer. Contacting him before he even thought about hiring an intern for the summer was huge because I had no competition.

During the summer I was basically his personal assistant while getting college credit (unpaid). Absolutely loved it and let him know I could easily help him while I was at school for my final year. Never worried about getting paid or anything because it didn't even seem like work. This semester I've been able to see a few games with one of his scouts to get some experience there and recently he sent me a check for all my help.

The most important part about any of this is having him as a contact with every NHL team down the road if I want to utilize it.

It's a pretty corny line that one of my professors always said but it's absolutely true - "it's not who you know, it's who knows you and who likes you."
 
http://kings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=705761

Kings hosting "Business of Hockey" seminars in March.

The LA Kings Fan Development Department will host The Business of Hockey on Saturday, March 22 and Saturday, March 29 at STAPLES Center. The event will feature a panel of established sports and entertainment professionals and provide guests with an in-depth look at the various opportunities available in sports. The panel will also provide valuable insight on what it takes to break into this competitive industry. After the event, guests will enjoy the Kings – Florida game (March 22) and Kings – Winnipeg game (March 29).

Designed for Law Students, Masters Candidates, undergraduates, graduate students, and those looking to transition to a career in sports, The Business of Hockey will help attendees develop their tools and strategies for professional growth targeted toward a successful career in the sports industry.

Registration is as follows: $85 for a single day and $160 for both days. Included with registration is admission to the speaker panel(s), one ticket to the Kings game(s), an LA Kings Professional Pad Folio, networking opportunities and a raffle ticket for a signed Kings jersey.
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Watch for the Yeti said:
If I pursue a Business Administration degree, could that get me a job in the industry?
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Of course it could, however, you might want to get a head start & a foot in the door & secure a part time position with whatever pro club & or arena manager while at school. Make contacts, find out exactly where your natural aptitudes & abilities, areas of interest lie. Sales & Marketing or whatever....
 
Watch for the Yeti said:
If I pursue a Business Administration degree, could that get me a job in the industry?
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As someone already mentioned above me, it's important to get the experience now. And be prepared to do a lot for free.

Me on the other hand? I am pretty much ready to give this up. I'm in my late 20s with a job that gives me a decent salary and health benefits. I've started to realize that I'm not as willing as I thought to take an internship or a seasonal job with no guarantee that it will lead anywhere. The final straw came about a week ago when I got a call from what I thought was a permanent job with a team, only to be told it was 6-7 months long with "potential" for full-time employment. Why would I risk giving up a comfortable job for that, or burn myself out basically working two full-time jobs for a position where I could be let go just as fast as I was brought on?

Plus the endless writing for free and having a couple of PR directors stab me in the back is not something I'm willing to tolerate.

I have had a couple of people ask me about my job (it is sports related, but I do not work for a team), and I make sure to tell them that I have good coworkers, supportive management and that it's not terrible being surrounded by sports all day. There are worse things. However, I always make sure to tell them that there are some less than fun things about my job, or any job really, and then it's up to them to see if they want to deal with the downsides.

TL;DR: If you can deal with the downsides and are prepared to work crazy hard, you'll be fine. If you doubt your dedication even for a minute, I'd look into something else.
 
Watch for the Yeti said:
If I pursue a Business Administration degree, could that get me a job in the industry?
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Major honestly doesn't matter at all. It's all about experience and networking. Get in with your athletic department early, and often. Be willing to do basically anything.

It's a tough nut to crack, but it's by far the most fun. I don't regret all of the hours I put in while at school (giving up a lot of the "fun" things in college) to have a job in sports now.
 
saffronleaf said:
Are there any legal internships available for US law students?
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Of course. You just have to find them. I'd start by emailing every sports team's General Counsel. If there's no contact information available, just give the head office a call and ask for the contact information.

Don't limit your scope to major league teams, either. Minor League teams have legal needs as well. Same goes with national team organizations.
 
Hey guys, just had a few questions.

I am a double major in History and Political Science (I know, not exactly sports related :laugh:) but I want to pursue a career in the industry. It has always been my dream and I want to at least try it to satisfy myself if nothing else.

I am currently working for an auto finance company but I am having trouble finding employment in the hockey world. I have sent prospective e-mails to the Condors/Wranglers/Ducks/Reign and have received no response. I do not really know how to proceed. I've been thinking of going to the offices directly and even applying to the local Ducks rink program (The Rinks). I don't mind working for free to get my foot in the door.

I guess I just do not know how to even begin. Is going back to school to get a Masters in something more akin to sports a good idea?

Any help would be appreciated. This thread has a lot of good tips...thank you everyone. :)
 
Ducksforcup said:
Hey guys, just had a few questions.

I am a double major in History and Political Science (I know, not exactly sports related :laugh:) but I want to pursue a career in the industry. It has always been my dream and I want to at least try it to satisfy myself if nothing else.

I am currently working for an auto finance company but I am having trouble finding employment in the hockey world. I have sent prospective e-mails to the Condors/Wranglers/Ducks/Reign and have received no response. I do not really know how to proceed. I've been thinking of going to the offices directly and even applying to the local Ducks rink program (The Rinks). I don't mind working for free to get my foot in the door.

I guess I just do not know how to even begin. Is going back to school to get a Masters in something more akin to sports a good idea?

Any help would be appreciated. This thread has a lot of good tips...thank you everyone. :)
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I work in sports media now and tried to work for a hockey team with no success. I'm now looking for positions to get away from the sports world, so take my advice with a grain of salt if you'd rather, but here we go.

From what I have learned, you're probably going to have a hard time getting anywhere in the sports world, hockey or otherwise, without an internship, especially if you want to work for teams. There are some exceptions to this, but you have to know someone affiliated with a team to get that exception. I know someone who skipped all the interning and working for free, but he was an off-ice official before getting in with one team full-time and then the job he got was a job his good friend was vacating. His friend called him and the job was pretty much his. If you don't have connections, get in on the bottom anyway you can. Write about hockey for free if you write. Volunteer at events. Look for internships that aren't for college students only. I got my current position thanks to an internship, and I have also volunteered at the Super Bowl. It doesn't have to be hockey-related to benefit, though I'm sure that helps.

Second, for pretty much every job in hockey, you'll have to apply online unless the team's site says otherwise. If you're not on Teamwork Online, register there now. They post jobs for the AHL, ECHL and NHL. I have gotten some interviews through my applications on there and people do get offers from it. WorkinSports.com is another good one, but you have to pay for it and a lot of the jobs are already on Teamwork anyway.

Cold e-mails can be helpful. They have worked for me to some extent, but you have to target a person in the kind of job you want to have. If you want to work in ticket sales, e-mail a sales manager or an experienced ticket rep just to network and ask for career advice. I wanted to be in media relations, so I have a couple of contacts in that area. Don't just send e-mails to a blind info@ address or whatever; they'll likely be ignored.

The biggest piece of advice I have, though, is to throw your fandom out the window. It doesn't matter in this industry. You should have some interest in hockey, but sports is a business. You'll have to show what experience and skills you'll bring to keep the team running smoothly, just as you would in any other field.

I hope this helps, but if you have any other questions, I accept PMs. :)

ETA: A Master's is not a necessity. If you're really set on pursuing one, you can, but experience counts more than a degree in sports.
 
Ducksforcup said:
Hey guys, just had a few questions.

I am a double major in History and Political Science (I know, not exactly sports related :laugh:) but I want to pursue a career in the industry. It has always been my dream and I want to at least try it to satisfy myself if nothing else.

I am currently working for an auto finance company but I am having trouble finding employment in the hockey world. I have sent prospective e-mails to the Condors/Wranglers/Ducks/Reign and have received no response. I do not really know how to proceed. I've been thinking of going to the offices directly and even applying to the local Ducks rink program (The Rinks). I don't mind working for free to get my foot in the door.

I guess I just do not know how to even begin. Is going back to school to get a Masters in something more akin to sports a good idea?

Any help would be appreciated. This thread has a lot of good tips...thank you everyone. :)
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Power2ThePenguins said:
I work in sports media now and tried to work for a hockey team with no success. I'm now looking for positions to get away from the sports world, so take my advice with a grain of salt if you'd rather, but here we go.

From what I have learned, you're probably going to have a hard time getting anywhere in the sports world, hockey or otherwise, without an internship, especially if you want to work for teams. There are some exceptions to this, but you have to know someone affiliated with a team to get that exception. I know someone who skipped all the interning and working for free, but he was an off-ice official before getting in with one team full-time and then the job he got was a job his good friend was vacating. His friend called him and the job was pretty much his. If you don't have connections, get in on the bottom anyway you can. Write about hockey for free if you write. Volunteer at events. Look for internships that aren't for college students only. I got my current position thanks to an internship, and I have also volunteered at the Super Bowl. It doesn't have to be hockey-related to benefit, though I'm sure that helps.

Second, for pretty much every job in hockey, you'll have to apply online unless the team's site says otherwise. If you're not on Teamwork Online, register there now. They post jobs for the AHL, ECHL and NHL. I have gotten some interviews through my applications on there and people do get offers from it. WorkinSports.com is another good one, but you have to pay for it and a lot of the jobs are already on Teamwork anyway.

Cold e-mails can be helpful. They have worked for me to some extent, but you have to target a person in the kind of job you want to have. If you want to work in ticket sales, e-mail a sales manager or an experienced ticket rep just to network and ask for career advice. I wanted to be in media relations, so I have a couple of contacts in that area. Don't just send e-mails to a blind info@ address or whatever; they'll likely be ignored.

The biggest piece of advice I have, though, is to throw your fandom out the window. It doesn't matter in this industry. You should have some interest in hockey, but sports is a business. You'll have to show what experience and skills you'll bring to keep the team running smoothly, just as you would in any other field.

I hope this helps, but if you have any other questions, I accept PMs. :)

ETA: A Master's is not a necessity. If you're really set on pursuing one, you can, but experience counts more than a degree in sports.
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My first recommendation is to get experience directly in sports as soon as possible and do as much of it as possible. Outside of that, get experience in real world situations as well because it will always translate. At the end of the day sports is just a business.

Second recommendation: don't limit yourself to just hockey. The hockey community is extremely tight knit. Get your foot in the door any way you can and then work your way back into hockey if that's your ultimate goal. Personally, it's nice working in another sport because I can go home and enjoy hockey as a fan which is totally different than when you're an employee.

Thirdly, throw your fandom out the door. As soon as you become an employee you have to act like it. You're immediately a fan of the team you're working for and nothing else for that specific sport. More often than you would think there are people working in sports who don't live and breathe sports. Weirdos :laugh:.

Fourth, apply for Teamwork Online ASAP. Apply for every single job that you think would be fun. At one point I had over 70 applications out. You'll find out during the interview if it's really a job that you really want to do. Plus, interview experience never ever hurts.

Fifth, be willing to move. Chances are it's going to happen. You can always move back home if you don't like it. Too many people say "I will only work for xxx team or xxx team" and that's great, but good luck.

Sixth, don't expect a lot of pay. Bluntly, pay in sports is low compared to similar jobs in other industries. However, working in a stadium is absolutely awesome. Most times it also means other perks as well (tickets, suites, access to special events, meeting cool people). There are a lot of plus sides even if the pay is a little lower.

Seventh, don't go right to a Master's degree. If you have no experience in sports chances are you will have to do an entry level job that only requires a bachelors. In some cases you might get overlooked because teams think you expect to be paid more.

Lastly, don't get discouraged. It's a tough business to get into that requires a ton of work. It's not always glamorous, but it is a ton of fun.

Hopefully that helps...
 
Thank you Power2ThePenguins and NYR89 so much for these wonderful recommendations! So nice of you guys to spend all of this time writing out these posts. :) It truly is helpful for me and I am sure many others in my position.

I def. have to approach this as applying to a business which just happens to be hockey. I guess my main problem is I don't know exactly what I want to do in the industry, but I figured that the more experience I get in the hockey world, the more I'll realize where my calling is.

It seems TeamWork Online is a good resource. Did you guys apply for the "Future Notification" window or just whatever jobs were available?

What would be some good examples of volunteering I could do? I am totally down to do that, but I honestly don't even know where to look.

And when you say work in a stadium, do you mean as an usher or something of that nature?

Thanks so much again guys...it is very touching you guys are helping in this manner. :)
 
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Ducksforcup said:
Thank you Power2ThePenguins and NYR89 so much for these wonderful recommendations! So nice of you guys to spend all of this time writing out these posts. :) It truly is helpful for me and I am sure many others in my position.

I def. have to approach this as applying to a business which just happens to be hockey. I guess my main problem is I don't know exactly what I want to do in the industry, but I figured that the more experience I get in the hockey world, the more I'll realize where my calling is.

It seems TeamWork Online is a good resource. Did you guys apply for the "Future Notification" window or just whatever jobs were available?

And when you say work in a stadium, do you mean as an usher or something of that nature?
Click to expand...

I checked Teamwork everyday when I was wrapping up my internship. Sometimes I checked twice a day and applied away.

I haven't had a sports job I didn't like (Game Day setup, game management, community relations, sales..). I still have no idea what my 'dream job' is. I do know it'll be working in sports and basically where ever I end up. It makes me a little unique in that regard, but I've used it in interviews and it has worked great in my favor.

By work in a stadium I mean that the office I work in is directly inside of the stadium. It's pretty cool to walk in everyday :laugh:
 
NYR89 said:
I checked Teamwork everyday when I was wrapping up my internship. Sometimes I checked twice a day and applied away.

I haven't had a sports job I didn't like (Game Day setup, game management, community relations, sales..). I still have no idea what my 'dream job' is. I do know it'll be working in sports and basically where ever I end up. It makes me a little unique in that regard, but I've used it in interviews and it has worked great in my favor.

By work in a stadium I mean that the office I work in is directly inside of the stadium. It's pretty cool to walk in everyday :laugh:
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For those I imagine you did a different cover letter for every position? :)

I suppose I just have to keep trying and go all in with applications! Charge! :laugh: :yo: Thanks again for the quick and prompt advice.

P.S. Nice avatar. ;)
 
Ducksforcup said:
For those I imagine you did a different cover letter for every position? :)

I suppose I just have to keep trying and go all in with applications! Charge! :laugh: :yo: Thanks again for the quick and prompt advice.

P.S. Nice avatar. ;)
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Yup. I used the same general one and just changed the team/position.

Thanks for the avatar :)
 
LadyStanley said:
http://kings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=705761

Kings hosting "Business of Hockey" seminars in March.
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Attended the first session that the Kings held. Figured they wouldn't be exactly handing out jobs, but also figured there was no harm in going. I did get a chuckle when the moderator asked the panels to identify themselves and how they got started in the business side of hockey. Two of the eight panelists were Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille. I had to assume I wasn't the only one in the room that didn't have a 20 year NHL playing career to parlay into a management job.

If anything, it was a lot of storytelling which I enjoyed. One of incidents that several of the panelists talked about was the Alan Eagleson scandal. One of the agents pointed out that a lot of the players from the 80s inherently distrusted ownership and those players' experiences had an effect on the 90s era players. Despite the recent lockouts, the agent (and other panelists) agreed that the relationship between the NHLPA and the owners is light years ahead of where it was even twenty years ago.
 
It really is hard to get the job that you all are thinking about. The big time jobs, the scouting, timekeeping, statkeeping etc. etc. You really do need to know somebody.

My uncle coaches the University Minnesota Gopher D1 hockey team, and I'm not even sure if I can get a good job there! It's a tough world. You will have to start out small and hope that you can do a good enough job that you get called up into the big time role.
 
GinoLucia2217 said:
It really is hard to get the job that you all are thinking about. The big time jobs, the scouting, timekeeping, statkeeping etc. etc. You really do need to know somebody.

My uncle coaches the University Minnesota Gopher D1 hockey team, and I'm not even sure if I can get a good job there! It's a tough world. You will have to start out small and hope that you can do a good enough job that you get called up into the big time role.
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For sure, Blake/Robitaille even joked about how Nelson Emerson (former player/close friends with Blake) started with the team after his playing career. They alluded to Emerson essentially working for a year for free before he gradually got promoted to doing video work and eventually became an assistant coach. The humorous exchange went something like:

"I'm not sure we paid Nelson anything. I think we gave him a golf shirt."
"To be fair, it was a really nice golf shirt."
 
GinoLucia2217 said:
It really is hard to get the job that you all are thinking about. The big time jobs, the scouting, timekeeping, statkeeping etc. etc. You really do need to know somebody.

My uncle coaches the University Minnesota Gopher D1 hockey team, and I'm not even sure if I can get a good job there! It's a tough world. You will have to start out small and hope that you can do a good enough job that you get called up into the big time role.
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Like all industry the "big time" jobs are hard to get and take years and years of experience along with the proper networking. It can definitely be done without directly knowing somebody. You just need the proper experience to stand out and most people don't have it for a number of reasons. Even if you don't know anyone in the industry you can change that on your own. Call teams/send emails to try and connect with someone and ask for 10 minutes of their time to pick their brain. Chances are you talk for more than 10 minutes anyway.

Most/all teams have some kind of front office staff at all home games. That's another opportunity to network and meet people that work for the team. You just have to make sure you dress appropriately and don't come off as a fan in that case. There is a clear difference between being a fan and being an employee.

While tough, it's definitely not impossible. It just takes hard work and perseverance to get into the industry when you don't have a direct contact. I've done it and have friends that have done it going to a small division 2 state school and not a big name university.
 
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