Career As a Hockey Professional: Players, Coaches, Managers, Scouts

CAREER AS A

HOCKEY PROFESSIONAL

Institute Research Number 430 ISBN 1-58511-430-8 O*Net SOC Code27-2021.00

CAREER AS A

HOCKEY PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS, COACHES, MANAGERS, SCOUTS THE UNITED STATES IS A NATION OF SPORTS FANS AND PLAYERS. IN FACT,

professional sports is a multi-billion dollar industry, employing not just athletes but the supporting staff of coaches, trainers, officials, front office, even concession stand workers. It is also the best venue for large corporations to advertise their products. A single 30-second commercial on the Super Bowl costs $2.5 million. Given the financial stakes, almost every amateur athlete in the country dreams of getting into the professional leagues, and hockey players are no different. Even though hockey is the lowest paid of the four major American sports – football, baseball, basketball and hockey – the top salaries are still in the millions.

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Although very few school and amateur athletes are able to break through to the major leagues, many of them make a good living in the minor leagues. Sometimes, love of the game is enough to keep them playing for less money and recognition. As a hockey professional, you will do more than compete in organized hockey games. You will need to spend many hours each day practicing your skills and improving your game under the supervision and guidance of a coach. You will view video recordings to critique your performance and that of others, and to learn your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. Hockey is played on an ice rink in an indoor arena, but many amateur games are played on outdoor rinks. The rink must be a specific size – 200 feet long by 85 feet wide – and the boards surrounding the rink are generally 40 to 48 inches high. The rink is shaped like an oval, and shatterproof plexiglass is attached to the top of the boards to keep the puck in play and to protect the fans. Each team places six players on the ice at one time: a goalie who guards the team's goal, two defensive players to protect the team's goal and its goalie, and three offensive players, a left wing, a right wing and a center. The center is the main position for the offensive plays, obtaining and keeping the puck until a wing moves into position; the center then passes the puck to a wing, who is usually a good shooter and can often get the puck into the net, past the goalie. Each game starts with a warmup session where both teams take to the ice, one team grouped at each end. Each team skates and practices shooting with their own team mates, avoiding the other team; this is just a warmup, not the actual competition. The players then return to the locker room until the official start of the game. The average professional hockey game is 60 minutes long, divided into three periods of 20 minutes each. Between periods there is a 20-minute intermission when the ice is cleaned and the players have a chance to catch their breath. Amateur and scholastic games may be shorter. During the game, players move on and off the ice at roughly 40-second intervals. This is known as a line change, the line being the forward, left and right wing, and two defensive players. 3

However, individual players can be changed while the remaining line members stay on the ice. If a player needs to get off the ice for whatever reason, the signal is a partially raised stick while the player skates to the bench. A designated replacement player then moves onto the ice. Moving on and off the ice during the game is a delicate operation. If a player joins the game before the exiting player is within five feet of the bench, that team will be assessed a penalty for “too many men on the ice”. Hockey games are supervised by officials both on and off the ice. Those on the ice call penalties during the course of play, as well as make the decisions that stop and start the play. While the players wear uniforms with their team’s designated colors and insignia, on-ice officials wear black pants and a shirt with black and white vertical stripes. Players who make specific mistakes while the game is being played are assessed penalties and must spend two to five minutes in the penalty box, while their team must play shorthanded, with one less player. Some common penalties include tripping and holding, while major penalties include fighting. If an infraction is serious enough, the player will be removed from the game altogether. When the puck crosses the goal line and enters the net, one point is scored for the team responsible. The players must hit the puck in with the stick, or deflect it off a home player or official or even the goal post, for the goal to count. No player can use a hand or foot to push the puck into the goal. The player who actually hits the puck into the goal is given credit for the goal and one point; if the goal results from a pass by another player, that player is given credit for an “assist” and is also given a point. The more points a player accrues, the more valuable that player is; one point equals either one goal or one assist. There is recognition each year for those players who score 50 goals or more in a single season, and for landmark goal-scoring events, such as scoring your 500th goal. There are also awards for the most assists and point totals. During the game itself, scoring three goals is known as a “hat trick”. Scoring three consecutive goals is known as a “natural hat trick.”

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Just as there is protective clothing for other sports, hockey players must wear certain types of protection under their uniforms. The uniform is composed of helmets, gloves, pants and skates. Under the uniform, players wear shoulder pads, elbow pads and shin pads. Male players wear a protective cup over the groin area. Goalies wear additional padding around the neck and covering the front of the shins and knees. In North America, the hockey hierarchy begins with the National Hockey League (NHL), the premier major league. Directly below that is the American Hockey League (AHL), the premier minor league; each team in the AHL is affiliated with a team in the NHL and is commonly known as the NHL’s “farm team.” Below the AHL there are four separate leagues at the same level: East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), United Hockey League (UHL), Central Hockey League (CHL) and West Coast Hockey League (WCHL). The teams in these leagues also have affiliations with the NHL and AHL teams.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW TO LEARN THE GAME OF HOCKEY, YOU MUST PLAY IT, PRACTICE IT AND WATCH

others playing it, both amateur and professional. But before you ever strap on skates or pick up a stick, you need to know how the game is played. Watching games on television while listening to the commentary will give you a beginning education on the rules and strategy of the game. If other kids at school play, get to know them if you don’t already. They can give you an idea of what it’s like to play for the school team. Attend games and note the differences between what you see there and what you have been watching on television. Once you know the rules, if you want to pursue a career as a hockey player, you must learn to ice skate if you don’t already know how. Skating is the single most important skill for a hockey player to possess and is the key to a successful career. Quite simply, skating gets you from one end of the rink to the other, enabling you to take the puck from opposing players, move it to the opposing goal and score.

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If you do not have access to an ice rink or skates, try rollerblading; it is fun and is great exercise, but be sure to follow safety guidelines like wearing a helmet and knee and elbow pads. Many neighborhoods have young people who get together and play street hockey on a regular basis. Do not be intimidated by your lack of experience on an actual ice rink. Joe Mullen, who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, did not begin to ice skate until he was in his teens. To perfect your stickhandling skills, even without ice, you can practice by working with a rubber hockey puck on a paved surface, your driveway or an unused parking lot. It may surprise you how difficult it can be to control the puck with the stick, but that’s why you practice, to get better at it. Once you get on the ice, it will surprise you even more how fast the puck moves. If you are doing this with a friend, practice passing the puck back and forth between you while skating forward and backward. This is another essential skill. At this stage, it would be inappropriate for you to practice “checking”(pushing, shoving, hitting another player to gain control of the puck) your companion. Save that for when you’re under the direction of a coach who can show you the right way to check without either of you getting hurt. Once you know the rules and logistics of how to play, you could join a local amateur league or try out for your school team. Bear in mind that amateur leagues play when ice time is available; sometimes that happens to be late at night. Ask around; maybe your sister’s boyfriend plays in a league or the new next door neighbor knows somebody who does.

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HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY HISTORIANS BELIEVE HOCKEY WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST GAMES PLAYED USING

a stick and a ball. Forms of the sport were played by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Romans and Arabs. Hurling, which is a sport similar to hockey, was played in Ireland as long ago as 1000 BC, and later European peoples played some form of this game between 400 and 1400 AD. Another significant influence on the modern game of hockey was lacrosse, a stick and ball game played by Native Americans. The first professional hockey league was founded in northern Michigan, in 1904. Named the International Hockey League, it contained four teams, one of which was from Canada. In 1909, the first professional Canadian league was established, the National Hockey Association. Although this association discontinued after the 1916-17 season, its strongest teams established the National Hockey League and competed in the 1917-18 season. It remained a four-team league, with only Canadian teams, until it admitted its first United States team, from Boston in the 1924-25 season. By 1926, there were six teams: Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and the New York Rangers. All of these teams are still playing today. By the 1960s, hockey had gained in popularity to such an extent that the governing body of the NHL decided to expand the league. From 1967 to 1972, 10 teams were added to the NHL: California Seals, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks. In the early 1970’s, the international hockey scene came to the forefront when the best professional players in Canada took on the USSR’s Red Army team for an eight game tournament. The Canadian team barely squeaked by with a last-minute winning goal, but ever after, Russian players have been regarded as the elite in the world of international hockey because of this tournament’s exposure. By the end of the 1970s, the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League had merged and Wayne Gretzky, The Great One, joined the Edmonton Oilers. For 15 years, he dominated the game; he is still the leading goal scorer of all time, with 894 goals scored in 1487 games over 20 seasons. 7

Along with Gretzky, the best players of the late 1980s and early 1990s included Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and Brett Hull. More European players entered the National Hockey League as a result of the early 1990s breakup of Communist nations such as Czechoslovakia and the USSR. By the late 1990s, the NHL was composed of 60% Canadian, 20% American and 20% European players. The best of the Europeans included Pavel Bure of Russia, Teemu Selanne of Finland, and Jaromir Jagr and Dominik Hasek of the Czech Republic. Jaromir Jagr was the number two offensive leader in the 2005-06 season with 123 points: 54 goals and 69 assists. By the 2000-2001 season, the NHL expanded yet again, to 30 teams, adding franchises in warmer climates, such as Arizona and Florida. Some teams moved to cities where their financial situation would be considerably improved, for instance, the Quebec Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche, and the Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix and became the Coyotes. The 2004-05 season was cancelled when team owners and players could not agree on whether there should be a salary cap for players. The NHL cancelled the season in February of 2005, the first time that a major North American sports league lost the whole season because of labor problems. Although hockey is thought of as primarily a game for men, according to sports historians, women have been playing ice hockey for more than 100 years. Today, it is one of the fastest growing women’s sports around the world. In fact, over the last decade, the number of participants in women’s hockey has grown 400%. Through the 1970s and 1980s, women’s hockey grew in popularity until the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) organized a Women’s World Championship tournament in Ottawa, Ontario in 1990. Eight nations sent teams to compete: Canada, Finland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, West Germany and the United States. Since then, Canada has won every year except for 2005, when the United States walked away with the championship.

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Today, most colleges and universities have their own men’s and women’s hockey teams, with a separate rule book to cover both, issued by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). Women even have their own annual hockey camps. In 1992, a female hockey player named Manon Rheaume, made hockey history by being the first woman to play in one of the four major sports in the United States by goaltending for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a pre-season game. She also played a regular season game on December 3, 1992 for Tampa Bay. She remains the only woman who has ever signed a contract with the National Hockey League. Rheaume went on to become a Gold medalist at the World Championship in 1992 and 1994, and a Silver medalist in 1998 at the Olympic Games. On October 20, 2005, the National Hockey League registered WNHL with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, with the full name to be known as the Women’s National Hockey League. The Leaque specified the application was being used for purposes of indicating membership in a professional hockey league, entertainment services in the form of hockey games, and merchandise. Many speculate that the NHL is now prepared to endorse and support a women’s hockey league at the same level as the existing men’s league. The only major difference between men’s and women’s hockey is that women are not allowed to body check. Unfortunately, many experts feel that women’s hockey will never receive the recognition that men’s hockey does because of the lack of physical contact. You can keep track of the latest developments in the advent of professional women’s hockey at this website: http://www.whockey.com/ While all types of hockey continue to be popular, the sport is still ranked fourth of the top four United States professional sports, behind the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and Major League Baseball.

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WHERE YOU WILL WORK AS A PROFES SIONAL HOCKEY PLAYER, YOUR PRIMARY WORK PLACE WILL BE

the ice rink of your team or that of whatever opposing team you are playing on any given day. Besides playing the game in front of fans, you will also work on the ice rink during practice sessions with the rest of your team, learning and mastering various moves and honing your skills. If you are a center, you will work at the front of your line, focusing on getting and passing the puck to your team mates. If you play the right or left wing, your position will be to the right or left of the player who is at center. You may also position yourself near the opposing goal crease, in anticipation of a pass from the center or the other wing player. As a defense player you will position yourself in front of your own net when the opposing team is near it, and lag behind when your forwards are moving toward the opposing net. Because your primary job is to guard your own goalie and net, you should never be too far from it. Of course, when your own offensive players are in the opposing team’s ice space and you see an opening to grab the puck and score, you should take it. As a goalie, your primary work area is within the goal crease, which is defined on the ice by a blue arc in front of the net. You must do everything you can to protect your goal and prevent the opposing players from getting the puck into your net. Ron Hextall, a goalie who played primarily for the Philadelphia Flyers from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, habitually left the goal crease to retrieve the puck; he even scored goals. However, most goalies (and this will probably include you) stay close to the net during the game. Your work doesn’t end when you leave the ice, however. You will also work out in the team weight room for strength training, or perhaps at a local health club when you’re playing in an opponent’s city. Because hockey is a demanding physical game, you will have to stay in excellent shape to be the best you can be. Like basketball, you need speed and agility to succeed and even a few extra pounds will slow you down enough to make you ineffective.

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If you are injured during the course of a game, you may need to spend time in physical therapy/rehabilitation. This could take the form of sessions with the team trainer or even a physical therapist on an outpatient basis. Although it may not feel like work, you will be obligated to attend special events where you can meet the fans face to face. These events generally take place at meet-the-players nights at the arena or perhaps at a local restaurant. Another place you will work is in the media areas of the ice rink or even at local television or radio stations. The kinds of questions reporters ask may be based on your performance that night, or you may guest star on a local radio or television program as a celebrity. You will also work in the locker room with the other players and team management during team meetings. These meetings might include watching videos of your last game or of an upcoming opponent’s last game. You will discuss which players are making what moves, who looks stronger or faster than the last time you played this team, and who has been playing a more physical game lately. When you retire from playing the actual game of hockey, you can still be involved in the game as a professional. You can become a coach, in which case you will work at the arena in your home city, as well as at the arenas of opposing teams. Becoming a team scout may also be an option for you. If you decide on this post-playing career, you will work at ice rinks around the country, observing young players in order to determine if your team should try to attract them as future prospects. You may also decide to become a member of the media, television or radio, that covers hockey games. As a professional hockey player, you will know the game thoroughly, and you can comment with intelligence and insight on it as it is being played. This makes you an ideal color commentator or play by play commentator for radio or television. In this capacity, you will work at the games, watching from the press box which is normally located above the regular seating where you can expect to have an excellent view of the game.

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YOUR WORK DUTIES YOUR FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT WORK DUTY IS TO LEARN THE GAME AND

practice it relentlessly. Practice is a daily scheduled event. No player misses practice unless injured and not able to skate or is otherwise physically ill. Practice involves various drills: skating drills, passing drills, and practicing shots against your own goalie, to give you the chance to practice shooting and the goalie the chance to practice blocking shots. After that, you must learn to play your individual position. If you are a defensive player, it is your primary duty to keep opposing players from scoring, within the confines of game rules. As an offensive player, you must constantly try to obtain the puck so your team can score against the opposing team. There are five basic skills you must learn and perfect in order to play professional hockey: skating, stick handling, passing, checking and shooting, although skating is of primary importance. Hockey players must be able to accelerate on their skates, maintain balance while struggling for the puck, stop quickly and change direction abruptly. Some players in the NHL can skate more than 25 mph while handling the puck at the same time. All players should be equally comfortable skating forward and backward, but defensive players use more backward skating skills than offensive players. Stick handling is the most difficult of all the skills to learn. In a perfect world, you will move the puck side to side, while feeling the puck on your stick blade without looking down at it. The more you look down, the greater the chance you will be surprised by a hit from an opposing player. Plus, by being able to scan the ice instead of looking at the puck, you can identify which of your team mates is open and closest to the goal, ripe for a pass from you. When handling the stick, however, you must avoid carrying your stick above your shoulder. A goal scored with a stick raised in such a manner will not be counted. If you check an opponent while raising your stick, you will be penalized for “high sticking”, which is a minor penalty and will result in your being sent to the penalty box for two minutes. 12

Passing is an essential skill because it enables a player to give the puck to a team mate who may have a better chance to get the puck into the opposing team’s net. The essence of most offensive play is for the center to carry the puck into the opposing end zone and pass it to the wing who appears to have the best chance at a shot into the goal. You must not be afraid of physical contact with other players. You will be expected to check players who are carrying the puck, and the opposing players will check you. Your coach will likely guide you as to the frequency and type of physical contact your position will involve. Checking, or hitting the opposing player into the boards, is acceptable if that player has the puck. Tripping or holding such a player, or smashing a player against the boards when that player does not have the puck is not acceptable and could result in a penalty. Traditionally, defensemen are the most aggressive players physically, often engaging in fights. As recently as 20 years ago, it was not uncommon for all the players to come off their team benches and fight with each other, otherwise known as a “bench clearing brawl.” Today, the rules prohibit more than two players from fighting at one time, and there are penalties for other players who get involved, known as the “third man in” rule. Realistically, you may never fight or, if you are highly skilled and you score frequently, someone from the opposing team may try to draw you into a fight to get you off the ice on a penalty, and you should know how to handle yourself. Avoid the fight if you can, but if your opponent throws the first punch and you skate away, the opposing team may assume you are afraid. You play the game while on the ice, but there are many tasks off the ice which are equally important to your career. You must learn to deal effectively with the media and you must maintain a certain amount of visibility within your home community. Dealing with the media may scare you at first, especially if you are a naturally shy person. However, you should try to overcome your shyness and, with time, you will. Reporters are genuinely interested in what you have to say about your own or your team’s performance. Their job is to ask questions that, with your answers, will give them quotes they can use in their story about the game. Just think of it as two professionals doing their jobs. 13

Visibility within the community will happen automatically as fans recognize you at the grocery store or walking down the street. It is not a negative situation at all, since you represent the team. You can help the process along, as well, by attending events which the team public relations department sets up, such as fundraisers for charities. Of course, you should do everything in your power to avoid negative visibility. No doubt you are aware of the misdeeds of some professional athletes, since they often make the front page of the newspaper. It is never a good thing to be caught driving while intoxicated or carrying drugs, whether you are an ordinary citizen or a professional hockey player. The rules of hockey change periodically, and it will be up to you to learn the changes and follow the new rules when you are on the ice. A recent rule that is causing some unhappiness among players in the AHL is the face shield rule: all players must now have a plastic face shield attached to their helmets before they can play the game. Face shields were originally developed to protect injured players with facial injuries who could still play, while uninjured players occasionally wore them by choice. Due to frequent, more serious facial injuries in recent times, however, the rule has been changed to make face shields mandatory. Two other off-ice work duties are the constant travel and the possibility that you will be traded to another team and have to move to another city. There is no way to avoid traveling, because you will play a certain number of games “on the road” or at opposing teams’ home rinks. If you play in the National Hockey League, you will take an airplane to the most distant locations; in the American Hockey League and other minor leagues, you will travel more often by bus. Many people find it exciting to travel, but for those who must do it on a regular basis, it can get tiresome. You will spend time away from your family, sometimes even on holidays. However, since you will be visiting the same cities over and over, you can develop a certain level of comfort in each of them, with favorite restaurants and other sites and attractions unique to each location. You may even be able to take your family with you, on occasion.

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No player is immune from being traded. Wayne Gretzky was at the top of his game in Edmonton when he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. When you are traded, you will have to get used to living in a new city and, if you have a family, they will probably move with you. The team you join may have been a fierce rival, and now you will have to learn to play with team members that you might have preferred to check into the boards in recent years. If you go on to a coaching career after your playing days are over, you will have the responsibility to mold your players into an efficient team, with everyone working together to try to win games. This is certainly easier said than done and, if you fail to meet the general manager’s or team owner’s expectations, they will not ask you to continue coaching the team. If you coach at the high school or college level, you will also need to be a teacher. As a general manager, you will be less involved with the team on a daily basis and more involved in the overall administration of the hockey franchise as a whole. You will make many of the decisions, such as which players to sign and which to release, and whether the coach deserves more time to develop a winning team. If you retire from playing hockey and become a media person, you will be a spectator of the game, covering those games assigned to you by your boss. You will travel just as much as the team does during the season. You could also become a scout for a specific team, in which case you will travel to observe junior and college hockey, and other minor league players, in order to observe their play. You may work for a specific team or work as an independent professional. Either way, you will work in some secrecy for your organization, because it is not good to indicate to opposing teams that there is interest in any specific player. If you find a player who might be a good fit for your client’s organization, you will make confidential reports to the coaches, and they may or may not agree with you. Besides playing skills, your report may include information about a player’s background and discipline to the game.

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HOCKEY PROS TELL THEIR OWN TALES I Am a Professional Hockey Player, Rookie “I just finished my first year as a professional hockey player. During my last year in college, I was approached by a scout from one of the NHL teams, asking if I wanted to try out. I had hoped for years that this day would come, so of course I said yes. After college, I went to the training camp for the team to prepare for my first year. Man, was it different! Most of the players skated rings around me, but they were also pretty encouraging. The practices were harder and more demanding than anything I had ever known. It reminded me of how hard it was to make the transition from high school to college hockey. Eventually, I began to fit in with the other players, and we started to develop some rapport on the ice. I was assigned to a line with four other players, and the really intense preparation began. The first few days, I was completely exhausted when practice was over and I thought, ‘If I have to do one more skating drill, I’ll pass out’. But by the end of the first week, I was pretty much used to it. At the end of the training camp, I was assigned to the minor league team. My first game as a professional was exciting but very daunting. I had been playing hockey for years, but the atmosphere inside this professional arena was so different from school. The opposing team had some great players, but I somehow managed to hold my own and even got an assist. No one was more surprised than I was! For the rest of the season, I managed to keep up and came out with 25 points, 3 goals and 22 assists. Not the best, but not the worst either. Off the ice, I lived in an apartment with a couple of my team mates, and that was quite a lot like living at college. We got along pretty well and had some fun times. The traveling wasn’t too rough, but our bus did have a habit of breaking down more than the coach would have liked. 16

Now that I have my first year under my belt, I’m looking forward to my second year with the team. There’s a little piece of me that’s worried that after all the hard work in the years to come, there is still the possibility of never playing a single game in the NHL. Love of the game will keep me going, but knowing I have my college degree is the insurance in the back of my mind always.”

Former Professional Hockey Player, Head Coach NHL Team “I am the head coach of a National Hockey League team. Interestingly enough, I played most of my 19 years in the NHL for the very same team I am coaching. Hockey has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. My father first put skates on me when I was three and taught me to skate forward and backward. By the time I was five, I had a stick in my hand and could move the puck around pretty well though not very fast. My actual hockey career was very satisfying. Not only did I love playing the game, but I was good enough to win several awards for my individual performance and I played on a number of Stanley Cup winning teams. I tell you, there is nothing quite like skating around the ice lifting that cup high above your head, hearing the absolute roar of the crowd, then drinking champagne from it in the locker room. But my career involved more than awards and playoff games. What most fans don’t realize is how much hard work is involved in a hockey career, or any sports career for that matter. Every day you practice, and just when you don’t think you can do another skating or shooting drill, the coach says, “Again!” The games themselves can be grueling, especially when you’re losing. And honestly, I really believe that some nights, the puck willfully doesn’t bounce your way. You miss shots that you thought you never would, or your goalie seems half asleep, or the other team suddenly seems like superhero skaters. It’s tough, too, to hear the “boos” coming from your own fans. 17

I laugh, too, when some fan points out how much fun it must be to travel all the time. Travel is great when everything goes well. But I can’t tell you how many nights I have slept on airport seats when our flight has been delayed hours and hours. Luggage gets lost for athletes just like it does for regular people, too. But if you are determined to play hockey for a living, stick with it and do your best. Learn as much as you can, and watch the older players. I tell my players all the time to be the best they can be and the rest will fall into place.”

Former Professional Hockey Player, General Manager AHL Team “I am currently the general manager of a team in the American Hockey League. I started out as a minor league player, and I made it to the NHL for a couple of years, but the bulk of my playing career was spent in the AHL. The most common question I am asked is whether I regret not having played most of my career in the NHL. When I was younger, I was a little impatient that my career couldn’t seem to get out of slow gear. But the coaches and other, older players on my teams counseled me to play to the best of my ability and sooner or later I would get noticed. Well, I was definitely noticed, even if it wasn’t exactly the way I wanted. I ended up playing on numerous Calder Cup winning teams and set a few league records before a knee injury forced my retirement. Some players might have turned bitter, but I was determined not to. With the help of my family and friends, I was able to appreciate what I had accomplished, even if it fell short of my early goals. Because I really couldn’t imagine a life without hockey, I jumped at the chance to become Assistant General Manager of one of the best teams in the AHL, and I guess you could say I reached a pinnacle of success when I was finally named General Manager.

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I hope I can continue to participate in hockey in some capacity until I retire from working life altogether. In the meantime, I absolutely love what I am doing and, every chance I get, I skate in practice with the players, just to keep in touch with our up and coming stars. If you want a career in hockey, keep working at it. Even if you don’t reach what you consider the height of success, learn to appreciate where you are; super stars are found everywhere in this game.”

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS AS A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE, YOU SHOULD HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR YOUR

body and demonstrate a commitment to keeping yourself healthy and in top physical and mental condition. Your job is to stay in the best shape of your life so you will be able to perform on the ice. You must not be afraid of physical contact. Hockey, like football, is a physical game; expect to hit and be hit. Not every hockey player has to be a fighter, but you should not back down either. If opposing players know you will not fight back, they will take every advantage to push you around. You should possess a drive and determination to win and not be easily deterred from your goals. Opposing players will not treat you kindly or do you favors by passing you the puck. They will be just as determined as you should be to win. Former team mates automatically become adversaries on the ice. You must be able and willing to work as a team player, putting yourself second to the needs of the team as a whole. Although stars like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux make the game look simple and appear to do everything on their own, they would be the first to tell you that it is their team mates that make their own spectacular moves look so good. You should possess a healthy sense of your own worth without being egotistical. You should consider yourself at least as good as any of the other players on your team. There will always be someone better than you are and someone not as good.

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Learn to take direction from your coach and the senior players on the team. If you demonstrate too much independence from the coach’s guidance, it could damage your chances of progressing in your hockey career or even just getting ice time during regular games. You will certainly need to be able to get along with people, on and off the ice. You will be traveling with your team mates and co-existing in locker rooms where you will be shoulder to shoulder. If you are disagreeable or hostile to them, you will be unable to function together on the ice. You should also be respectful to fans and the media, especially in your home city. Sports figures who act outrageously and offend everyone they meet will make headlines, and they may be popular with a certain group of fans, but they will lose respect and, ultimately, their credibility as professionals. Obviously, not everyone makes it to a team in the National Hockey League, although everyone aspires to it. However, many players have carved out respectable careers in the minor leagues. Work hard no matter where you find yourself and you will get noticed, but realize that whatever level you attain, you are living the dream that so many young people have, to play professional sports.

ATTRACTIVE FEATURES ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS SO MANY CHILDREN ASPIRE TO PLAY

professional sports is the money. Every time a star player gets a new contract worth millions of dollars, the details are on all the television and radio news programs and in the newspapers. In fact, there is the potential for anyone who has the skills to make top salary and achieve super star status. While you will probably not command the tens of millions that a star baseball or basketball player does, most people could live well on the two to four million dollars made by the star hockey players every year! Players in the minor leagues often do make a respectable living as well. As with any profession, it depends on how passionately you want to pursue your dream of being a professional hockey player, and, simply, how good you are. 20

As a hockey player, if you are on a winning team, you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup in the NHL or the Calder Cup at the AHL level. The Stanley Cup is especially prestigious, because the name of every player on the winning team is engraved on it and has been since the beginning. By winning, you become part of the history of hockey. As a professional athlete, the bottom line is that you are playing on a daily basis your favorite sport for a living. However, you don’t play all year round. During the off season, your time is generally your own, to devote to your family or hobbies or community service, or other income-producing activities, similar to what a teacher does but without all the paperwork. You may also be asked to work outside the hockey world. Even while you are playing, you could be asked to endorse products, for which the company will pay you. Local television stations in the city where you play might request your services making commercials. Not too many players become serious actors, but Wayne Gretzky did play a part on the soap opera The Young and the Restless in the early eighties. The extra money a bonus. As a professional hockey player, you will acquire an agent early in your career, to help you make decisions such as which team is offering you the best career opportunity, the most money and the greatest exposure. The agent can also arrange for off-ice endorsement opportunities if you want it. The agent’s primary job, however, is to make sure you are treated fairly, including being compensated for your hard work. It is important to have someone looking out for your interests so you can concentrate on staying sharp for your game. Your experience as a professional hockey player could lead to advancement within the hockey world, even long after you stop playing the game. Becoming a head coach, a sports announcer or a professional scout is well within your reach. Your agent will be able to assist you with these job opportunities as well.

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UNATTRACTIVE FEATURES ONE OF THE WORST THINGS ABOUT BEING A PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYER IS

that no matter how hard you work, you may never get out of the minor leagues. This means you will be making far less money and receive far less recognition than if you make it to the NHL. This in turn impacts your lifestyle and that of your family, if you have one. You may eventually have to stop playing hockey altogether to get a job in order to support yourself and your family. Many players in the NHL have never been on a team that won the Stanley Cup. It can be difficult to face defeat night after night, when the puck is not bouncing your way. Many players have retired only to see their former team mates win the ultimate prize the very next year. Traditionally, it is the goal scorers in hockey who receive the most attention. If you are a solid, dependable defense player who almost never earns points, you will not receive as much attention. Die-hard hockey fans and anyone who has ever played the game will appreciate your steadfast efforts, but no one else will. If you are very shy, the public life can be hard to take. Fans will want to know every detail of your life, your spouse’s name, your children’s names, where you live, what your favorite color is and on and on. There is even a risk that one of the fans will begin to stalk you, not necessarily to hurt you but just to be close to you. If you are frequently traded during your career, your family life will suffer. If your spouse and children move with you, they will constantly be exposed to new schools, a new residence, the need to make new friends and all the other stresses of moving. If your spouse has a job and does not want to leave it, you will be spending very little time with your family during the hockey season. Not all agents do the best job for their clients. If you have an agent, there may come a time when you must part ways because the agent is no longer effective at negotiating on your behalf. Or you may find your agent is devoting more time to the more prestigious players than to you, leaving you feeling shortchanged.

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The most serious negative aspect of being a hockey player is the constant possibility of injury. Besides the bumps and bruises you get every game, you may break a leg or sprain an ankle, putting you on the sidelines for weeks or even months before you can play again. The longer you cannot play, the more your skills deteriorate, and you will have to work hard to get back to game strength. Many hockey players have suffered career-ending injuries that have left them paralyzed or even dead. Concussions are a recurring problem, even with the required helmets, and chronic back trouble appears to be widespread, especially among taller players. Back trouble frequently sidelined Mario Lemieux during his playing days, and Wayne Gretzky suffered from arthritis before he retired.

EDUCATION ONCE YOU LEARN THE RULES OF HOCKEY AND YOU MASTER THE SKILLS, YOUR

hockey education will be pretty much on-the-job. Every game you play is and should be a learning experience, with the chance to improve the next time you play. It is helpful to think of your coach as your teacher, just like any other teacher you deal with. The coach knows almost everything about hockey and you know less, so you should soak up the knowledge and instruction like a sponge. Another way to learn hockey is to video and watch professional games. If you decide to pursue a hockey career, you will spend a significant amount of time viewing games played by your opposition. Viewing videos will give you essential knowledge of how the opposing team operates, who their strongest players are, and what moves they routinely make to get and keep the puck. For instance, if a defense player has started to score goals on a regular basis, you will want to see how it’s done. While you are still an amateur player, you might consider attending hockey camp. Most of the teams in the NHL and AHL have a summer hockey camp where you will have the chance to learn from the team’s current and former players. The daily schedule usually includes a good long stretch of on-ice time, as well as off-ice time to devote to viewing videos, studying strategy and learning how to maximize strength training and conditioning. Participants are grouped according to age. 23

In hockey, as in every other major league sport, there is a controversy about whether college players should finish their college education before proceeding to professional sports. There are two sides to the argument. Wayne Gretzky went straight from junior hockey to his professional career without attending college and, of course, he was very successful. Because of the short, intense nature of most hockey careers, you may be tempted to leave college without finishing a degree in order to pursue your dream. This is a decision that you can only make by consulting with your parents and other trusted adults in your life. It may be that you love hockey, but you also really want to get a degree in business so, in the event hockey doesn’t provide a satisfying career, you will have something to fall back on. On the other hand, it may seem right to you to grab the chance to play when it is being offered, even if it means delaying college for a while or leaving halfway through. Realistically, the older you are when embarking on a hockey career, the less likely you are to beat out the younger players for a spot in the major leagues. Whatever your decision, devote yourself wholeheartedly to it without regrets. Play hockey to the best of your ability until you attain the highest level you can, then pursue your education or another career. Or, finish college, get your degree, then see if a hockey career is still a possibility for you.

EARNINGS THE SALARIES THAT PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYERS EARN ARE WIDELY

diverse and are based on the league in which you are playing, your individual performance and how well your agent is able to negotiate. In the National Hockey League salaries range from just over $600,000 to as much as $4 million annually. If you play exclusively in the AHL, you will make between $30,000 and $225,000. And if you play exclusively in the ECHL, CHL, UHL and WCHL, you will make about $24,000 a year. It really comes down to which league and the value of your skills to the team: the better you are, the more you earn. However, if you are signed to a “two-way contract,” you will make a certain salary if you play in the AHL but, if you are called up to substitute in your NHL team, you will be paid more. For instance, if you are making $200,000 in 24

the AHL and you are called up to the major league team, you may jump to $800,000 on an annual basis, while you are there. Two-way contracts are extremely common between the AHL and NHL, and even between the ECHL and NHL. If you are an offensive player, you will be compensated based on how many goals and assists you have during the individual playing season, as compared to all other goal-scoring players in your particular league. Goalies are judged according to wins, ties and losses, and their goals-against average, which means the number of saves they made during the game compared to the number of shots they faced; this is tallied over the course of the season. If you are a defense player, determining your earnings will be a little more complicated. You will be judged on how effectively you keep the opposing players away from the goaltender, how well you operate in the goal crease. The best defensive players are constantly harassing the opposing offensive players, refusing to allow them a shot, blocking their view of the goal, without incurring any penalties. Another way your team will judge your performance is how many times the opposing team scores when you are on the ice; if a particular defenseman is on the ice each time the opposing team gets a goal, he may have a problem. There is always room for negotiation. If you feel you are not getting paid what you are worth, you can instruct your agent to lobby for more money or ask the agent to find you another team that is willing to pay you what you want. The only problem with holding out for more money is that you might not be worth as much as you think. The team you are playing for will refuse to negotiate, another team might not think you are worth it, and you may find yourself out of hockey altogether or, at the very least, playing in a minor league. If your team does meet your demands, you may get the reputation of being difficult or a prima dona. This could damage your relationship with your team mates and compromise your performance on the ice. Worse still is the potential public and media perception of you as more interested in money than playing the game. Most fans do not earn a six-figure income, and they view in a negative light someone who does, but still complains about not making enough money.

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OPPORTUNITIES ALL YOUR OPPORTUNITIES AS A HOCKEY PROFESSIONAL HINGE ON HOW YOU

look on the ice, whether you can score or defend your goal effectively or, as a goalie, how many big saves you can make. That is why teams send out scouts to look at players in the minor leagues, looking for the next super star who will turn a team around. If a scout offers you a chance to “audition” by playing with a team on a trial basis, take it and then play your heart out. Your entire career as a hockey professional may depend on how well you demonstrate your skills and finesse during the trial period. Once they sign you to a contract, you must deliver consistent performance, so get used to this hard work. This is actually easier said than done. It can be intimidating to play hockey at a higher level than you are used to. The players skate faster and with more skill, they are more aggressive and the moves are more sophisticated. You may feel out of your element. To maximize this opportunity you have been given, stick to the basics. Practice your stickhandling, skating and checking; do the moves that you know the best and try to keep up. Your team mates will allow you some time to become acclimated; unfortunately, the opposition will not. If you’re drafted by a hockey team while still in college hockey, it will be a few years before you can progress if you elect to finish your degree first. Even then, you will not play at the major league level unless you are extraordinary. While you are finishing your education, keep playing. Your hockey skills depend on how much ice time you get. If you do not get enough, your skills won’t mature. To take advantage of the opportunity waiting for you, do everything you can to stay sharp. When your playing career is over, you will likely receive offers of one kind or another to remain connected to hockey, either as a coach, a scout or media personality. Money will certainly be a consideration in your decision, but you also need to understand what each job involves and whether you will be happy in this career change.

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If you want to stay hands-on with hockey, coaching is definitely the way to go. You will still be able to skate and use your skills while helping your players hone theirs. Scouting gives you the chance to help younger players realize their dream when you choose them as a viable prospect for your client organization. A media job allows you to be involved with hockey, but as more of a spectator. If you have played most of your career in one city, you may wish to use the power of name recognition to open your own business. Many professional athletes have opened successful restaurants and other businesses in the town where they are best known. Best of all, you get to be close to the team for which you worked so hard, and also stay close to your team mates.

GETTING STARTED TO GET STARTED IN A HOCKEY CAREER, YOU MUST LEARN THE GAME AND

practice, practice, practice. Watch games on television and see if you can spot the finer moves or mistakes the players make. Listen to what the commentators are saying. Go to local live games as often as you can and study the players’ techniques. If you can, attend a meet-the-players night for your local team. Honestly ask the players how they got started, what motivates them, what they do to stay in shape and stay sharp at their game. Most players will be only too happy to talk to you, remembering their own younger days as an aspiring hockey player. You might hang out at the local hockey rink and volunteer to help out however they need you, just to get a chance to be up close to real hockey players. Or you could get a job at the hockey rink as an usher or a concession worker, which will allow you to see games for free while earning some extra money. If you are lucky enough to play for your high school team, make sure the coach knows how serious you are about wanting to pursue a career in hockey. Most players will say they want to make it to “the bigs”, but you must convince your coach that you’re not just talking. Ask the coach how you can improve your game and then take the advice. Your coach can be your mentor, whether you are in high school or college. 27

Try to attend summer hockey camps where you can benefit from the intense instruction and interact with real professional hockey players. Most of the major and minor league teams have such camps, and the instructors and organizers are either current players or former players of that particular team. If you search for the keywords “hockey camp” on the web, you should get a list of many of the hockey camps out there, probably quite a few in your own backyard. Before you attend, make a list of questions you have for the players. Make up your mind to ask for an honest assessment of your abilities, then request help in how to do it better, and try your best to follow through. Make every use of this opportunity to learn from the real professionals who are where you want to be. Above all else, make up your mind to see your ambition through to the end. The worst feeling in the world can be the regret that you should have pursued your desire more aggressively, when it is too late to do so.

ASSOCIATIONS In the hockey world, the term “association” most often refers to a hockey franchise. There are two other associations which are really labor unions that ensure players are treated fairly across the league concerning both rules and compensation. O National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA)

www.nhlpa.com Information about the players union, recent developments and other items of interest to players in the National Hockey League. O Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA)

www.phpa.com Information about the union, its activities and recent developments for those who play in the American Hockey League and other minor leagues.

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O National Hockey League (NHL)

www.nhl.com This is the official site of the National Hockey League, which is the premier league in North America, otherwise known as “the bigs” or the highest level of hockey competition. Offers detailed statistics for the previous year and links to the official sites of every team in the NHL. O American Hockey League (AHL)

www.theahl.com This is the official site of the American Hockey League, similar to the NHL site with stats and, at the top of the home page, links to every team’s official site. This league is second in the North American hierarchy of hockey; each team is affiliated with a team in the NHL. O The four following leagues are at the same level, a step

below the American Hockey League. Here, too, the teams correspond to the AHL and their NHL teams. Each site provides links to each individual team within the league, as well as news that affects the league as a whole. East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) www.echl.com United Hockey League www.theuhl.com Central Hockey League www.centralhockeyleague.com West Coast Hockey League www.wchl.com

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PERIODICALS O Eurohockey.net

www.eurohockey.net Exclusively European hockey information O The Hockey News

www.thn.com/en/home/home.esp Perhaps the most well-known hockey publication in North America, it offers current information about the NHL, the AHL and future prospects O Hockey Brain

www.hockeybrain.com Mostly offers excellent current hockey news O Hockey’s Future

http://hockeysfuture.com This site deals exclusively with hockey prospects: future major and minor league professionals O Let’s Play Hockey

www.letsplayhockey.com This site offers information and tips for youth hockey players and others involved O New England Hockey Journal

www.hockeyjournal.com Covers the Boston Bruins in depth and every other hockey team located in the New England states

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O USA Junior Hockey

www.usajuniorhockey.com/about.asp Extensive website and hard copy magazine dealing with United States junior hockey O Rink Magazine

www.rinkmagazine.com/rinknet/ This site emphasizes ice rinks around the world; the publication has both a figure skating editor and a hockey editor O Womens Hockey

http://whockey.com Comprehensive women’s hockey site, including international and college team coverage, as well as hockey camps and links to other women’s hockey sites

COPYRIGHT INSTITUTE FOR CAREER RESEARCH 2010 CAREERS INTERNET DATABASE www.careers-internet.org

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