CHI Annual Off-Season Rebuild

[kimmer]

Come live with me when ur done

[The BBKL Insider]

Come live with me when ur done

i could handle anton as our roommate

[anton]

i can't think of any possible negative consequences to living with kim and steve. i am in.

in what city are we talking about here.

[Fraser]

Anton can I ask you how you got into that line of work? It's always been in the back of my mind that I would love to do something in that direction, even though I have been mostly been going other ways with my education.

[anton]

Pretty standard story really - just networking through school and doing a good job. I was doing an MBA with an emphasis in Sport Management. The program posts a lot of job/internship opportunities from alumni and a "rink supervisor" position got posted.

I interviewed and got the job. At first it was just a cool enough chill job to do while I was finishing school, but I did a really good job and the owner/other managers really liked me.

When I graduated I think they assumed I would be out looking for a better/more high profile job (I was interning with the LA Kings at the time) so they pretty much asked me what it would take for me stay. Out of that came the manager/hockey director position and board of directors spot on the travel club. As for coaching, I started just assisting with a co-worker at the rink when I first started working there. We had success and started attracting kids/parents from other clubs. Our spring clinics got pretty popular so we had enough for 2 teams.

The reality is though it's really hard to make money in the rink business (especially in california). I'm lucky that our owner loves me and has deep pockets and isn't shy about paying the people he wants to have around. I really lucked out - and even then the long-term financial viability of this isn't great.

[Fraser]

Very interesting it sounds really great. And to be in such a quickly expanding hockey market like California, it must be nice to be somewhere where you are having an influence on growing the game.

I am considering the MBA route myself, specifically Athabasca Universites new Hockey-Specific Exectutive MBA program. It would essentially mean completely dropping the path I've most recently set myself on. But I haven't commited to anything beyond finsihing my bachelor of science here, so its all pretty up in the air still and I'm definetely about to hit a major life-transition period. There is something terribly appealing about being able to further persue my involvement with the game in some capacity or another though, so I could definetely see myself taking as a similiar route as you have.

Would definetely be interested in hearing more about your time with the LA Kings at some point.

[Arian The Insider]

Anton, what kind of things were you involved in as an intern for the Kings?

[anton]

Not really as glamorous as it sounds: I was part of a team that ran their "Royal Rewards" program. Essentially season ticket holders would gain "points" for doing certain things like showing up to games an hour early, using a certain type of credit card at the vendors, attending some of the lower-profile weekday games etc. They could then use these points to "buy" experiences - riding the zamboni, touring the locker room, high-fiving in the tunnel, shooting pucks before the game etc.

Once they bought an experience I would get notified and communicate with them and organize their experience. Then on game nights I would meet them and take them through it. It was pretty cool cause I got to hang out in the zamboni/players tunnel, locker room, on the ice a lot. Went to Dustin Brown's house once too.

Honestly it was kind of a shitty job - but I lucked out huge by doing it in a Stanley Cup winning season. That's an experience few people have.

[anton]

Very interesting it sounds really great. And to be in such a quickly expanding hockey market like California, it must be nice to be somewhere where you are having an influence on growing the game.

I am considering the MBA route myself, specifically Athabasca Universites new Hockey-Specific Exectutive MBA program. It would essentially mean completely dropping the path I've most recently set myself on. But I haven't commited to anything beyond finsihing my bachelor of science here, so its all pretty up in the air still and I'm definetely about to hit a major life-transition period. There is something terribly appealing about being able to further persue my involvement with the game in some capacity or another though, so I could definetely see myself taking as a similiar route as you have.

Would definetely be interested in hearing more about your time with the LA Kings at some point.

I was teaching high school English in Australia before doing my MBA and getting this job. Nothing wrong with doing something completely different.

[kimmer]

Real men do not stay in one supposed chosen path because u are stuck with it. We chase and pursue Our NEEDS and GOAL.

[anton]

bump

[Fraser]

Tyler Bozak
Anthony DeAngelo
2015 1st Rounder (ANA)
X
Claude Giroux

Post lottery due to a clause I've made in a previous deal.

[anton]

really not close tbh.

strome, reinhart, 1st is what i wanted