{"id":166485,"date":"2025-09-24T19:31:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T19:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/166485\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T19:31:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T19:31:16","slug":"nhl-nhlpa-player-orientation-program-setting-future-players-on-right-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/166485\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL\/NHLPA Player Orientation Program setting future players on right path"},"content":{"rendered":"

Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Jet Greaves<\/a>, who wowed fans with his play after a late-season call-up from the American Hockey League last season, was eagerly anticipating what was in store for him at this event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really is just so valuable,\u201d said Greaves, who, at age 24, is among the oldest of participants at this year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly in your careers, there’s so many new experiences. There are good things, there are bad things, and there’s everything in between. So, I think with a program like this, you just learn so much and you meet so many new people,\u201d added Greaves. \u201cI think it’s just a good foundation to build on as you go through your career and have many different experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matthew Schaefer<\/a> celebrated his 18th birthday during the POP. The first overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft by the New York Islanders understands that the door is opening to a brand new world for himself and his colleagues in attendance, that these moments are critical to being ready for what is next.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been awesome. Obviously, you learn so much,\u201d said Schaefer, who headed straight to the POP from NHLPA Rookie Showcase. \u201cI think the biggest thing you take is just all these meetings and lectures, and you get to chat with people you haven’t met before, ask questions, and just learn so much about the league, and life lessons in general.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zeev Buium<\/a> went from the NCAA hockey tournament to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Minnesota Wild last spring, but these few days with his peers are a true stepping stone to his new chapter in life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s really cool to be able to be a part of something like this. I mean, look at all of us. This was our dream to be in the NHL and hopefully make a team and be a part of this,\u201d Buium said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou learn so much here. There’s so many different aspects, and how much they care about you and really want all of us to succeed,\u201d Buium added. \u201cAnd it’s nice to have the resources and know we can come to them with any questions at any time. And I think they just do a really good job of making us feel comfortable that we can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Setting a Financial Foundation<\/p>\n

One session that resonated with many of the young players in attendance was the one presented by Omaha-based financial advisor Brian Kelly and his partner, Boston-based financial lawyer Steve Kidder.<\/p>\n

The pair use a Jeopardy-style competition as a framework for their critical discussion on financial education.<\/p>\n

Many of the questions posed during the session are a sobering reminder that being a professional hockey player doesn\u2019t guarantee lifelong wealth.<\/p>\n

The players learned that the average career length for the bottom 75% of NHL players is two years. That means if you\u2019re thinking about a strong financial plan in your fourth or fifth year, it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n

Over the eight or nine years he\u2019s been presenting at the POP the level of financial sophistication has risen, Kelly said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there’s still a big gap within the group,\u201d Kelly explained. \u201cSo, there’s guys that are very novice to investing and saving and budgeting and all of that stuff and debt. There’s a lot of guys that really are sharp. We get really good questions about pretty in-depth topics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zayne Parekh<\/a>, the ninth overall NHL Draft pick of the Calgary Flames in 2024, came away from the session already planning a discussion with his family in the Toronto area about putting a financial plan together.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really informative stuff, stuff that we’re going to need for the rest of our careers. So, I\u2019m glad I’m able to come in and learn even just a little bit about some of this financial stuff here because it\u2019ll benefit me in the long run,\u201d Parekh said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought a lot of these sessions would be a little boring, but I’m staying pretty engaged, and you have to know this stuff,\u201d Parekh added.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to be prepared for what to do after your hockey career,\u201d added Los Angeles Kings prospect Andre Lee<\/a>. \u201cTo start thinking about that early, so you don’t stand there and think, what am I doing now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shifting the Team Mentality to off the Ice<\/p>\n

Jared Maples, formerly a member of the CIA and Homeland Security before joining NHL as executive vice president and chief security officer, challenged players to be aware when it comes to vulnerable positions from outside forces looking to take advantage of their wealth and status. He was especially blunt when it came to gambling and specifically gambling on hockey.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not bet on hockey, that\u2019s the rule,\u201d Maples said. \u201cDon\u2019t do it. Don\u2019t go near it. Don\u2019t have conversations about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of the workshops demand a little more introspection, like the session on inclusivity led by former NHL player, and current analyst and NHL Player Inclusion Coalition member, Anthony Stewart<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Toronto native described growing up in impoverished conditions and an incident of racial taunting at the hands of a teammate when he was a teenager. His teammates didn\u2019t step in during the incident that turned violent.<\/p>\n

Stewart left the dressing room vowing he was done with hockey.<\/p>\n

He boarded a bus home to the motel his large family was staying in at the time, but on the way he reconsidered. Stewart ended up playing 262 NHL games and was part of two Canadian entries in the World Junior Championships.<\/p>\n

\u201cI almost quit the game because of racism,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cI packed my bag and I left.\u201d<\/p>\n

Imagine the ripple effect on the game from that decision.<\/p>\n

Perhaps equally as meaningful, his decision to stay in the game helped pave the way for his brother, Chris, to play 668 NHL games. The brothers were peers and supporters of other Black players from Toronto, like Wayne Simmonds<\/a> and Devante Smith-Pelly<\/a>, the former of whom won the 2018 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award and the latter won a Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018.<\/p>\n

Now, how would the players listening to his story react in a similar situation, Stewart asked the group.<\/p>\n

Stewart, also the chair of Hockey Equality and active in other inclusivity programs, presented with fellow NHL PIC members Georges Laraque<\/a> and Jon Merrill<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Merrill and his wife have been active in the LGBTQ+ community and speaking out about inclusivity in the game. He challenged the players in attendance to be positive role models and voices in their locker rooms and in their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cAllyship requires action,\u201d Merrill explained.<\/p>\n

Some of the Sessions are Stark in Their Messaging<\/p>\n

Another thought-provoking session focused on the issue of sexual assault and harassment, led by Rickie Houston, the Chief Program Officer for A Call to Men, an organization that meets with groups of men and teens to help end violence against women and girls by helping create a better next generation of manhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is an ideal place for us to be,\u201d said Houston, who has been presenting at the POP for four or five years.<\/p>\n

By remaining silent on sexual harassment, men play a role in allowing the problem to persist, Houston explained to the group.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if we begin to talk about the subject of men’s violence against women, and as men, we stop remaining silent, but we take interest in the subject as well? What we think is that we can reduce men’s violence against women and girls when we begin to hold other men accountable,\u201d Houston said.<\/p>\n

Houston believes these young NHL players embrace their role in affecting change.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talk to them, as they’re part of the solution. When we think about influence and platform, they’re playing hockey at the highest level now, getting ready to play professional, and so there are a lot of young kids that look up to them,\u201d said Houston.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, they have influence, and so those things they talk about become their platform,\u201d he added. \u201cSo, we engage them as, hey, this can become your platform as you engage younger players, as you go back to your hometowns and maybe do a hockey camp, you can talk to young players about this particular subject.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaping the Future From Past Player Experiences<\/p>\n

The theme that players are not alone as they embark on this adventure is an important and recurring one.<\/p>\n

Players are reminded that as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, they are entitled to a second opinion on medical assessment and proposed care provided by their teams. Players were encouraged to talk to veteran teammates and agents about their experiences with certain injuries and related treatments what worked, what didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Former NHLer Joe Reekie<\/a>, now an NHLPA Player Representative, recalled how twice he opted against team-suggested surgery and both times he suffered no ill effects. This was long before the second opinion option was enshrined in the CBA.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have this in place for you guys, and it\u2019s important,\u201d Reekie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s your body, it\u2019s your career,\u201d Reekie added, \u201cask questions.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Jet Greaves, who wowed fans with his play after a late-season call-up from the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":166486,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[64,63,575,85],"class_list":["post-166485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}