New NHLPA UNLMT Offers NHL Players Custom Athlete Development Support

From the outside, it’s easy to assume that professional athletes are set for life.

We hear about the big-money contracts and see the social media posts of the luxurious homes, fancy cars, designer wardrobes and five-star vacations.

But according to the NHL Players’ Association, the average length of an NHL career for players who have reached hockey’s top level over the last decade has been between four and five-and-a-half years. And the league’s hard salary cap doesn’t just suppress earning power for superstars — it also squeezes the middle class and incentivizes managers to grant opportunities to players at the lowest end of the salary spectrum whenever possible.

With these realities in mind, athlete development programs have been developed across pro sports to help players handle what lies ahead after their playing days are over. Hockey has now gone one step farther with the NHLPA UNLMT program, which was officially launched in June.

“With this initiative, we are focused on providing individualized support for each player so that they can excel both during their playing career and in the future,” said NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh. “NHLPA UNLMT, together with our collaborators and a strong support team consisting of several former players, is committed to making sure these players become the best they can be – in the game and outside of it.”

As the players’ association’s director of strategic initiatives, former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Rob Zepp has overseen the development of NHLPA UNLMT — spoken as ‘NHLPA Unlimit.’

“Not being solely defined as a hockey player has benefits both today and tomorrow,” he said. “The platform and opportunities that you have as a professional at the very pinnacle of your craft are profound, and engaging in those opportunities and building them out away from the rink can also have a positive impact on your primary profession — your performance and your playing days on the ice.”

The central tenet of NHLPA UNLMT is its bespoke approach — meeting players where they are and delivering opportunities that match their interests and passions. The process begins with an assessment that was developed under the guidance of Jay Harrison — a defenseman who logged 372 NHL games between 2005 and 2015 and who now holds a PhD in psychology.

During their assessments, “Players have the opportunity to take a very in-depth, robust look at who they are and what what makes them tick,” Zepp explained. “The part that has really resonated with players is that the person that they walk through and have this de-brief and discuss outcomes with is Jay — a player who just happened to play a few hundred games in the National Hockey League as a defenseman. That’s a pretty unique and relatable experience for guys.”

During their playing days, both Harrison and Zepp balanced hockey with higher education. During a long and winding pro career that saw him ply his trade in the minor leagues for four years before heading to Europe for nine seasons, Zepp earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Waterloo, then an MBA from the University of Liverpool. He didn’t make his NHL debut until Dec. 22, 2014, when he became the oldest goaltender since 1926 to win his first NHL game at age 33.

Collaborators with NHLPA UNLMT include institutions like Stanford, Temple University, and UBC’s Sauder School of Business. But it’s not all academics.

“It’s a common misconception that these types of programs are back-to-school efforts,” Zepp said. “We know that the formal education route isn’t necessarily the path for everyone. It was mine. It is for some. It isn’t for all.”

During pre-launch, the players who participated in NHLPA UNLMT zeroed in on interests that included commercial real estate, financial management, starting a podcast, building a personal brand, learning a language — even farming.

“We’re here to help guys uncover and unlock what those interests are and connect them into resources,” Zepp said. “Whether that’s a formal resource like a certificate program or education to get some theory, or if it’s connecting them into the practical side of things by putting them in touch with an industry expert, we’re trying to take that multi-faceted approach so that we truly are driving the outcome for the individual and it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.”

For many players, a post-hockey plan is a financial necessity.

“Careers are short for most,” said Zepp, who ultimately appeared in 10 NHL games as part of his 14-year pro career. “The amount of money earned — you have a really finite window of opportunity.

“This is the 0.1% of the 0.1% of everybody who plays. And even when you get there, staying there is that much harder. So you don’t have a 40-year runway to make those earnings. You’ve been engaged in pursuing this since you’re six, seven, eight years old and you may have a year if you’re lucky.

“From a financial perspective, obviously the majority of players will need to find their ‘What’s Next’ — what they’re passionate about so that they can go to work every day inspired and happy and engaged, following their playing careers.”

The program can also aid the players who are financially secure when they retire.

“Let’s be honest: those years will be longer than your your playing career,” Zepp said. “That is an incredibly important part of our mission as well — ensuring that these guys find and pursue things that help to bring them joy and give them a sense of identity, purpose, meaning as they did for many, many years playing on the game’s biggest stage.”

When the program was formally announced in June, NHLPA members were provided with access to a newly launched digital platform. Now, efforts are underway to educate players on what NHLPA UNLMT has to offer.

“Step No. 1 is is creating that awareness so players know that this exists,” Zepp said. “And if it isn’t for them, necessarily, today — they know that it’s here.”

That education process extends all the way down to the league’s fresh faces.

“Our efforts are going to continue here over the coming weeks, months and years to ensure that our current members are aware of the resources that exist,” Zepp said. “And, our incoming members know that this is a critical benefit of NHLPA membership.”