Pro Hockey Options: The Backup Plan

As a hockey player, the dream is to make it to the big leagues, where school isn’t in your vocabulary, and you play the sport you love. Saying you want to get to the NHL is the easy part. But actually getting there, that is the hard part. It is a lot easier said than done to set a goal than to work towards it and achieve the goal. With that being said, many hockey players with the dream, the passion, and the heart to play the sport, never get to put on an NHL jersey in the regular season and finally get rewarded for their dedication to hockey. This is where The Backup Plan comes into action.

Growing up, school is always the first priority according to majority of parents. When players are focused on hockey at the junior level, school starts to get bumped out of the picture. In 2005, the Québec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) updated their school policies that all players in the QMJHL, except international players, must follow “All players, except the international players, are required to take courses leading to a secondary (high school), CEGEP (college) or university diploma.” (1) This is to ensure all players will graduate high school, and also find an occupation they are interested in if hockey does not become an option. Along with that, the QMJHL pays for a full ride of school for graduating players. The amount of years of school given to a graduating player, is equal to the amount of years they have played in the league.

Although a free expedition through university sounds undeclinable, the over-all better school package comes from the NCAA system and on how they treat school equally important to hockey in comparison to the QMJHL. While being on a campus in which you are not only studying, but you are also practicing, gives students a more educational based environment while still playing at a high level of hockey. These NCAA programs offer five years in total to be enrolled with hockey and other sports, after the five years you can continue to study an occupation which is why NCAA is said to have a better educational system. Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur commented on how important school is to fall back on when hockey does not go your way. “If you have to succeed at school, why not do both? If they are succeeding in school and hockey, they will be set for life.” (2)

The odds of continuing a hockey career at the professional level is unlikely, luckily there are also other ways you can stay enrolled with the sport. Numerous options open up such as playing at a University level while staying in line with your studies while you pursue a career. Finding yourself behind the bench with a suit on as a coach is also another option that players chose so that they can still be involved in this sport. Many great coaches have experience in a junior, or professional level hockey career as a player at some point in their life before coaching in the NHL. These are only some examples in which you can make it back into the exciting sport of hockey and there are many more roles that help a player or team be successful.

Becoming an agent is another popular example for getting back into the game. You might not always be the best on the ice, but there are other ways to make money through the sport off the ice. Agencies help develop and guide their clients to a better hockey career. Agents get a certain percentage of the money you make within your pro contract, but this is worth the small percentage since they help you make decisions and direct you on the right path for what is best for you and your career. The top rated agency for hockey through contracts of the NHL is the multi-sport agency Octagon. With almost $842 million in contracts under management and has negotiated over 256 years worth of contracts.

Nevertheless, there are some incidents that can completely change the outcome of a hockey player's career; Injuries are a part of hockey. They cannot be controlled when they happen, but they can be controlled whether or not they happen at all. Hockey is a dangerous sport and there have been numerous counts of life threatening situations. Injuries can either delay the process of being scouted or even happen already in the pro leagues. Bailey Webster of the Saint John Seadogs commented “It was not easy coming back after missing over half of the season, I was a little nervous of what could happen again because of my injury. But overall I thought I ended off the season well.” Webster had missed over half the season after not being selected in his first year eligible for being a draft pick to the NHL in 2015. He suffered from a wrist injury setting him back a little further which cut out his odds of being drafted as an eighteen year old. Some other incidents include drugs or even trouble with the law which can affect the way the public looks at a certain hockey player.

With no plan moving forward you will find yourself stuck after mainly focusing on the goal you strived for. While isolating school from your path to a hockey career, you find your marks are poor and that the career you want to pursue now, is not an option. That is why being prepared to not always succeed, and focusing in school will help you stay organized with what your future beholds. Different goals for the future are not guaranteed, but with goals and a plan with no distractions in your peripherals and your eyes only on the prize, you will be successful. (3)

(1) QMJHL. “QMJHL Education Policy 2014|2015.” Artcile 2. Page 6. 2014/2015. Print

(2) Lafleur, Guy. “Guy Lafleur stresses importance of school to kids with NHL dreams.” Hockey Inside/Out. 8, June. 2016. Web

(3) Rozell, Tim. “Bailey Webster Year in Review.” Youtube. 19, May. 2016. Web