Creating Space to Plan for New Adventures

“It’s a hard thing because you have worked so hard your entire life to achieve your goal. Players may feel that they may be distracted from that goal if they are working towards something else. They wonder how they can commit to planning for a transition when I need to make priority number one what I’ve worked my whole life for and what I am doing. I always found that was the biggest hurdle for guys to accept. Hey, there is enough time in the day (to plan). You don’t have to do it 14 hours a day. It is something you can do in your spare time and be very efficient in doing so.”

Energize with Diverse Thinking

“I think there has been a change in the last decade where… management and coaches have come around to accept that people can have other interests while still being extremely focused on the highly competitive nature of our job. I always tell people I think that (planning for life after hockey) actually helped me. Anyone who has played highly competitive sports knows how much your sport can be on your mind. For me it was an escape. I could focus on hockey and not always think about the last game, the next game, what I should or shouldn’t have done. It allowed me to come to the rink fresh and focused on getting better each day.”

Perceptions of Focus – Inside the Hockey World

“I never experienced anyone looking down on me or judging me. That might be a stereotype. Everyone was always very supportive. The point I tried to make in the Players Tribune Article is that I never missed any team events. I was always as involved as everyone else. It was just taking advantage of those down times, an hour or two, and still being able to do everything with the team was the angle I took. There has been a change in the encouragement for people to have other hobbies or to look at what post hockey might look like. It is more positively thought of than it was 5,10, 15 years ago.  Talk to people. Pick their brains. Understand what it is they do.”

A Learner’s Mindset

“My new career in finance is going very well. Obviously I am fully transitioned into it and have enjoyed the time. I continue to learn more every day and am now progressing through the ranks. I have great mentors and have met great people that help me be in this position. I am thankful for the steps I took while I was playing to put me in this position.”

Creating a Purpose Filled Life

“I have seen many people transition out of the game. Some who will never need to work a day in their lives. Others will need a second career. I always say, in most cases it is not about the money. You are a Type A personality who has always been driven and working towards something. People think it’s great to retire at 36 or 27 and go golfing every day. But all of your friends and your family are working. So you need to find something. Mental health and addiction is real. It has opened the eyes of many players that they realize they need to have something to do.

Most players that reach that level of success are very goal oriented driven people. All of a sudden when they wake up the morning and have nothing to look forward to, it can be a very challenging time. Even if you are the superstar and make a ton of money, think about how driven and focused you are now. Even if you take a year or two, you are going to need to find something meaningful to get up for.”