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Careers in Hockey: A collection of resources

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I thought some people might enjoy this resource:

http://www.sportsagentblog.com

One resource is a list of agents by sport, including hockey. I'm surprised how few sports agents are listed for hockey vs. other sports. There are more listed for extreme sports than hockey. I don't think the list is all inclusive, because I noticed several well known general sports agencies like IMG aren't listed.


and this NHL specific keyword search which actually returns results for not just the NHL, but the CHL, NCAA, KHL and Euro Leagues.

http://www.sportsagentblog.com/category/nhl/
 
My experience includes-

- WHL scout
- Regional scout for a major scouting agency
- ECHL scout *
- Player rep. for an NHLPA Agent
- Director of Player Development for an NHLPA Agency *
* current
I got these by planting my backside in bantam, junior, CIS, NHL hockey rinks across the country 20 + times per month, attending NHL drafts, networking and knowing talent.

My 2 cents-

-SMWW maybe legit but offers very little that you cannot get on your own
- you do not need to be a lawyer
- there are 2 levels of agents in hockey....NHLPA certified and those that are not....ie PHPA....many PHPA are not certified for NHL
- scouting, even at the NHL level does not pay big money....most are retired people or people with full time careers that do this on the side...
- scouting does give you great exposure to the business- I have scouting passes that cover the OHL, QMJHL, WHL, BCHL, AJHL, CIS etc....ie free access to the games. This includes access to the scouts suite....which most arenas have.....this suite is only open to NHL GM's, NHL staffs, league personel and scouts with valid passes. On any given night you are in this room with 30-50 legit hockey people...the exposure is fantastic...
On the agency side it onlys pays if and when your client signs a pro deal.
If the deal is an NHL deal then both the player & the agent can make some nice money....if it is lower than the NHL then the agent sees pennies.....
It looks glorious but it is far from it:
- it is a cuthroat business
- many agents (including the big name ones) are signing kids at 13-14 yrs old
- many are buying the business....ie sending gifts to the parents....paid vacations etc...
- most players change agents numerous times even before they sign their 1st pro deal
- when you are representing players in junior (young kids) you are dealing with billets, teachers, principals, coach, GM, Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Grannie, the player, equipment purchases, training expenses, travel etc, etc,......and all this is done without receiving 1 nickel.....again, no money is ever exchanged until (if) he signs a pro deal....which most players of course never do
- you are responsible for the players development, ice time, power play time, marketing the player....ie getting him interviews, media time, press time, NHL Central Scouting's eye, other scouting agencies eyes, individual pro clubs eyes etc....

In many cases you do these duties for 6-7 years......all for free in the hopes that a pro deal is on the horizon.
The out of pocket cash spent during this time is huge.

Having said all this I absolutely love this business and am at a game most nights.
Our agency has 20 pro clients and several junior clients.

The best way I see of getting into scouting or agency is to get your butt to a game and network.
 
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Karlssonlee said:
That`s pretty cool man, how did you get a meeting with them?

If you don't me asking that is lol
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Many of the NHL teams post internships (and other jobs) online (link above somewhere :sarcasm:; I think you can find a "job" link in the bottom stuff of the nhl.com site).
 
Karlssonlee said:
That`s pretty cool man, how did you get a meeting with them?

If you don't me asking that is lol
Click to expand...
I am currently there, so it went really well haha. I am there 3 days a week (school the other 2) I also get to go to all games for free, and I work from the office right inside the Scotiabank Place so it's an unreal experience.
 
Sports Marketing

I will be graduating from Saint John's University in Minnesota this May and am looking to get into the sports marketing business. I have been a hockey fan/player all my life so that seems like the natural choice for which sport. My dream job would be Marketing for the Wild. I'm doing a marketing internship with the hockey team here, but we are very small and obviously don't have a lot of resources to commit to marketing.

Anyone out there have any experience working for sports team or more specifically hockey marketing? Any advice would be great. Thanks.
 
Hallway Goon said:
I am currently there, so it went really well haha. I am there 3 days a week (school the other 2) I also get to go to all games for free, and I work from the office right inside the Scotiabank Place so it's an unreal experience.
Click to expand...

Hey man that's awesome, congrats. Sounds like your doing really well.

I was just wondering if you could give me a better insight as to how you got to where you are. In terms of education, internship, etc.

Thanks!
 
Karlssonlee said:
Hey man that's awesome, congrats. Sounds like your doing really well.

I was just wondering if you could give me a better insight as to how you got to where you are. In terms of education, internship, etc.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Absolutly- I am in a post-grad program at Algonquin College. It is really intense, and unless you have a business background you may find it difficult, at least take some finance or accounting classes before going. The class was created by Jim Kyte, who played in the NHL for years. He was promoted to the head of the Business department at Algonquin, so it is now run by Dave Best. Besty was the Director of Olympic Affairs for the Canadian Olympic Committee for 9 Olympic Games. Between these 2 guys you can talk to who you need to talk to anywhere in the sport world. Jim Kyte for the professional aspect, and Besty for the National Sport Organization aspect.

That is how I got my internship, I got their contact info and set up a meeting. Some people in my class are with the 67's, Hockey Canada, Football Canada, Moss Mellien, Diving Canada, Rugby Canada, Soccer Canada, etc, etc. The list goes on and on.

Hope this helped a little bit!
 
Hallway Goon said:
Absolutly- I am in a post-grad program at Algonquin College. It is really intense, and unless you have a business background you may find it difficult, at least take some finance or accounting classes before going. The class was created by Jim Kyte, who played in the NHL for years. He was promoted to the head of the Business department at Algonquin, so it is now run by Dave Best. Besty was the Director of Olympic Affairs for the Canadian Olympic Committee for 9 Olympic Games. Between these 2 guys you can talk to who you need to talk to anywhere in the sport world. Jim Kyte for the professional aspect, and Besty for the National Sport Organization aspect.

That is how I got my internship, I got their contact info and set up a meeting. Some people in my class are with the 67's, Hockey Canada, Football Canada, Moss Mellien, Diving Canada, Rugby Canada, Soccer Canada, etc, etc. The list goes on and on.

Hope this helped a little bit!
Click to expand...

Hey Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

This really gave me a better insight, and direction as to what I would like to do.
I was just wondering what the requirements were to get into the sports management program at Algonquin. I was debating between doing my master's in sports management at UofO, or Algonquin. What program do you think is better?

Thanks,

Sounds like your doing really well for yourself, congrats and keep it up!
 
Karlssonlee said:
Hey Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

This really gave me a better insight, and direction as to what I would like to do.
I was just wondering what the requirements were to get into the sports management program at Algonquin. I was debating between doing my master's in sports management at UofO, or Algonquin. What program do you think is better?

Thanks,

Sounds like your doing really well for yourself, congrats and keep it up!
Click to expand...

For my program an background in business and some sort of basic finance is the requirements.

Many classmates were debating on getting their masters as well, but it didn't offer the same opportunities in terms of internships, and they also wanted to get the hands on experience that college offers. To each their own though right.
 
sports management worldwide

hey guys ive been talking to a few guys who used to be scouts and i was asking how i could get started in the business. They both told me there are some programs on the internet that could assist me.

does anybody know anythting thing about SMMW? is it legit?

thanks in advance for the feedback:yo:
 
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lukeschennisgod said:
hey guys ive been talking to a few guys who used to be scouts and i was asking how i could get started in the business. They both told me there are some programs on the internet that could assist me.

does anybody know anythting thing about SMMW? is it legit?

thanks in advance for the feedback:yo:
Click to expand...

This information in littered all over the thread if you look around
 
lukeschennisgod said:
hey guys ive been talking to a few guys who used to be scouts and i was asking how i could get started in the business. They both told me there are some programs on the internet that could assist me.

does anybody know anythting thing about SMMW? is it legit?

thanks in advance for the feedback:yo:
Click to expand...

It is legit but not required.
Not even 1% of the scouts in the business would hve taken this.

Where are you located?
How old are you?
 
I am trying to start a career in sports and I am applying to 2 US colleges to obtain a Master of Science in Sports Management degree.

I have also spoken to Sports Management World Wide recently (great customer service BTW) and they informed me that some of they courses can be transfered into college credits at either Concordia University Chicago or Western Oregon University.
 
What are some NHL-related business jobs (don't require hockey background) one can do?

I honestly have no idea what to do with my life. Like I wanna do something where I would actually look forward to waking up at 6 in the morning just to go to work. But my only true passion is hockey.

I mean, if I had it my way, I would be a NHL player (like most people on these boards) but that's obviously not going to happen. So I decided that what I wanna do when I graduate Univ, is too work for the NHL.

The thing is though, I'm in the Arts program at my university (1st year) right now, and I've already discussed transferring to the business program with the school councilor or whatever it's called. But she asked my under which aspect, like Accounting, or Marketing or whatever.

So that's why I made this thread. To know what kind of jobs one can get with the NHL? Like any recommendations or anything?
 
Nazzlind said:
I honestly have no idea what to do with my life. Like I wanna do something where I would actually look forward to waking up at 6 in the morning just to go to work. But my only true passion is hockey.

I mean, if I had it my way, I would be a NHL player (like most people on these boards) but that's obviously not going to happen. So I decided that what I wanna do when I graduate Univ, is too work for the NHL.

The thing is though, I'm in the Arts program at my university (1st year) right now, and I've already discussed transferring to the business program with the school councilor or whatever it's called. But she asked my under which aspect, like Accounting, or Marketing or whatever.

So that's why I made this thread. To know what kind of jobs one can get with the NHL? Like any recommendations or anything?
Click to expand...

Best option is switching to business program and getting an internship with a sports team to get some experience. Most people, unless they played high level pro (NHL, AHL), got their start in sports with an internship. Also, it is a little to our disadvantage living in Canada as there are a lot more sports jobs in the USA than Canada. I know this because I have been trying for the last 5 months to find a job. So now I am thinking of going back to school.
 
A question for those of you who have experience in the biz:

I'm currently attending graduate school for Library Science (Archival Science specifically), and I was wondering...are there any NHL jobs at the league or team level that would lend themselves towards that sort of specialization? In the past, Library-related jobs have been mostly a public sector thing, but the private sector has started to jump on board in the last decade or so. Are there any indications of the NHL following suit, or should I vacate my hopes of working for the NHL right now?
 
boots electric said:
A question for those of you who have experience in the biz:

I'm currently attending graduate school for Library Science (Archival Science specifically), and I was wondering...are there any NHL jobs at the league or team level that would lend themselves towards that sort of specialization? In the past, Library-related jobs have been mostly a public sector thing, but the private sector has started to jump on board in the last decade or so. Are there any indications of the NHL following suit, or should I vacate my hopes of working for the NHL right now?
Click to expand...

You might need to investigate something like the Elias Sports Bureau or Stats (part of AP).

I just don't think the league or union, much less the teams, have that much interest (much less the expertise) to have an on demand type archival look up (which is what I'm guessing you specialize in).

Or, maybe the Hockey Hall of Fame?
 
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