There’s something about playing and/or working in hockey that creates lifelong friendships. It’s a brotherhood and sisterhood. The game is all about teamwork and camaraderie. It’s also steeped in giving back and being part of a community.
These common values are held dear around all levels of the game. However, hockey players at all levels of the game sometimes fail to take full advantage of their networking opportunities. That is why Hockey Players in Business (HPIB) exists and why it matters regardless of the highest level at which someone played, coached, and/or otherwise worked around the game.
HPIB is a not-for-profit national organization with regional chapters across the country. It exists for three main purposes:
- Networking events and opportunities. Many NHL Alumni have helped the HPIB cause, but the biggest strength of the organization — and the sport of hockey itself – is found at the grass roots level. HPIB exists to bring people around the game together. Networking is how opportunities arise and successful ventures are born. Just as with the game on the ice, different people have different off-ice skill sets. Many different mission-critical abilities in the business world can be found directly within the hockey and hockey Alumni realms. The right people just need to connect. Meanwhile, there’s also a social component to these interactions. It’s fun to talk and hang out with fellow hockey people.
- Professional development. Even — or especially — at the game’s highest levels, many struggle to realize their full potential to develop their skills in the private sector off the ice. HPIB dedicates resources to help members sharpen their existing skills they can apply to the business world, especially on the leadership end. It also assists members in working together to develop new skills and utilize their own abilities in combination with associates who have complimentary strengths. Think of it like how successful forward lines and defense pairs are built in hockey. What does a highly successful forward line need? It needs at least one playmaker, one finisher, and at least one responsible two-player who tends to the less glamorous but vital details. Meanwhile, all should strive for continuous improvement across the board. It’s rather similar in business. A successful business involves teamwork in various key areas.
- Giving back to the game. There are both on-ice and off-ice components to players giving back to the game. Much of it boils down to paying forward to others what the game has given to each of us in different facets of involvement. Basically, it’s all about good citizenship and community involvement. One particularly appealing aspect of HPIB is that it has branches not only in locales where there’s a successful NHL franchise but also in places where the game exists mainly at the grass roots level. There are many different ways — and places — where the hockey community can (and must) work together to grow the game, on and off the ice.
Everyday leadership
Effective leadership is part of any successful team. Again, this is vital at every level of hockey. Bill Clement’s book, EveryDay Leadership: Crossing Gorges on Tightropes to Success, is a must-read for anyone involved in the sport of hockey. The book was built on the Hockey of Famer’s professional paths on an off the ice. It deals with encountering obstacles and setbacks and finding success on the other side. It also discusses how all the traits needed to succeed in business can be found within the game of hockey itself. Lastly, it talks about what goes into demonstrating and thriving in leadership roles in non-hockey situations.
What the traits of a successful leader? What types of people should we seek out? Why are “energy vampires” the biggest detriment to personal and team success? Why is continuous personal and professional development not just possible but downright critical?
Each and every principle and suggestion put forth in the Clement book is an integral piece of the Hockey Players in Business mission.
Hockey is a common language
Yesterday, Mike Augello and I had the opportunity to speak at some length with HCIB’s Kevin Henry and Lance Rosenberg from Hockey Day in Houston. Lance is also the head of HPIB’s Houston chapter.
Two things became evident very quickly in discussing the strategic goal alignment of their respective organizations with ours.
- The hockey world is a small one. The four of us know and/or have worked in different capacities with a lot of the same people. It wasn’t really an epiphany — I experience this a lot among fellow hockey writers or when interviewing NHL Alumni players — but it was a reminder. Networking within the hockey realm isn’t just advisable. It’s simply smart and greatly needed.
- Hockey is an ice-breaker and a common language. When hockey people get together, whether it’s an in-person setting or even a Zoom-type call, it takes no time at all to start feeling comfortable around one another. The stories start flying. The conversation is easy and natural. That’s why the locker room and off-ice atmospheres in hockey are so enjoyable. That’s also how business gets done.
Upcoming HPIB events
Hockey Hot Stove plans to work closely with HCIP to publicize their upcoming events across the country. Just as Hockey Players in Business is designed for people at all different levels of the sports, Hockey Hot Stove is not JUST a National Hockey League website. We exist to write and talk about hockey stories from all realms of the sport.
The Philadelphia Flyers’ organization has a highly successful youth and amateur hockey component within their community development department. Rob Baer heads it but Bob “the Hound” Kelly (recently retired) and Brad Marsh believe it in and make it central to their roles in the Flyers’ organization. Likewise, Marsh is the president of the Flyers Alumni Association and Kelly is a board member. Day in and day out, the Flyers Alumni devote as much or more attention to public hockey and community service as they do to events involving fellow retired Flyers players from the NHL.
Hockey Players in Business sees things the same way. So does Hockey Hot Stove. In the weeks and months (and hopefully years) to come, HHS will regularly talk about upcoming Hockey Players in Business events across the country. Up first: a look at the upcoming golf outing in Ohio with all proceeds going to the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation. The Columbus chapter of HPIB is deeply involved in organizing and promoting this event to honor the Gaudreau brothers’ legacy and serve the community in the greater Columbus area. We’ll have a full rundown on Monday.
