Exiting the Game: How the NHL's New Retirement Program Aims to Help Players in Their Post-Hockey Life

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports Canada.

It turns out there's more to life than hockey and that's good news for players who hope for a life after it.

The NHL and the players' association will soon commence with an individual player development program aimed at preparing its athletes for the issues they face after hockey. It's not exactly a back-to-school program, but one that hopes to tailor itself to each unique personality that exists in the league, helping them to transition out of a vocation that, on average, lasts about five years.

The league, like its contemporaries in the NFL, MLB and NBA, has come under fire over the past few years for the ways in which some of its players have unceremoniously—or tragically—left the game. The deaths of Wade Belak, Derek Boogaard, and Rick Rypien over a four-month period in 2011, and that of Steve Montador this year, raised questions about fighting in hockey, brain trauma, and addiction.

But it ultimately got people around the hockey world asking again, what happens to players after they leave the game? Or, in some cases, when the game leaves players behind.

"You go from being an NHL player to being home all the time, dropping your kids off at school, wondering what you're going to do with the rest of your day. The whole dynamic changes," NHLPA executive Mathieu Schneider told VICE Sports.

"The idea is that we're trying to educate players that there's a need to branch out," he said. "There's a limited number of jobs in the field of hockey post-career and what we want to do is enable guys to be able to do whatever they might want. Similar to what you probably have as a guidance counselor, whether in high school or college. Guys come in to the league particularly young and we want them to think about their life outside sport."

Schneider said a program for retired players still exists, called Life After Hockey, but is a resource not being taken advantage of by many and its seminars provide little help on how to take the next step.

"Like nothing we've ever seen before, it has to be extremely flexible and versatile," said Schneider.

The NHL and the players' association has faced criticism since the deaths of the aforementioned players, none of whom were over 35 years old. How accurate is that criticism?

"It's absolutely valid," said Schneider. "There's no question it's been neglected for a long period of time. I know there are numerous reasons, but I can say particularly from the players' association (side), we were going through years of turmoil and turnover in executive directors, and it was probably an extremely low (priority) internally with all the political struggles that were going on.

"I welcomed (the criticism) and the other ex-players on staff welcomed it and I think it allowed us to have this conversation and to really get the ball rolling on this program. That kind of criticism has been good for us in that it's really brought attention to an important issue, not only from a player's perspective but for fans and media."

The NHLPA and the league will split the initial cost of the program's first three years, each contributing a little under $1.5 million toward whatever education, mentorships, or apprenticeships are sought by players. Initial talks began during the 2012 lockout and the two sides hope to begin operations by the end of this calendar year, Schneider said.

"The sport's developed to a stage where we have to think about career length and what our players do after their careers on the ice," said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, who added that Life After Hockey, which existed prior to the yet-to-be classified new program, will continue to operate and that the two could potentially merge one day.

The program's approved budget will take partly from the player fine fund, Daly said, and administrators will decide how to allocate funds for each individual. Not every retired player deals with mental health issues, concussions, or addiction, which is why the NHLPA will look to assist players in other areas, too, such as helping them find outside interests and managing their income.

"It's still alarming to see guys that have made millions of dollars and they're in (financial) trouble," said Schneider. "Generally, people that dedicate their lives to sport at a very young age, they have to refocus what they want to do with their lives, and it's not just a hockey problem."

The NHLPA researched how sports in other countries prepared athletes for retirement. Schneider said they went as far as Australia and New Zealand to learn from pro rugby, cricket, soccer, and Australian rules football teams—where programs like these have been in place for some time—as well as the MLBPA and NFLPA.

One of the conclusions the NHLPA arrived at was that many of the athletes who participated in retirement preparation saw an uptick in their on-field performance, something that may seem logical, but that also poses crucial questions.

"That's something most people would think is common sense but there was a stigma for a long time that if you're not 100 percent focused on hockey, it was going to detract from your performance," said Schneider.

"Today we know that's absolutely not true."

How will the players who participate in this initiative be viewed by fellow teammates who look across the aisle on the plane and see a guy with his nose in a book? Will every manager and coach be encouraging? Will fans or media blame a poor performance on a player's split attention toward the game?

"I hope that's not the case," said former enforcer George Parros. "But I can certainly see (a situation where) if a guy makes a mistake in a game, maybe it'll be easy for someone to point a finger and say, 'This is why he's not producing.'"

Parros helped reignite the debate on fighting in the NHL when he slipped in a tilt with Colton Orr and was concussed.

He has since found success in retirement with his clothing line Violent Gentlemen while co-starring in the reality series Hockey Wives with his wife Tiffany. Parros also continues to closely follow the actions of the NHLPA.

"Guys have been doing things on their own time for years and years, getting their pilot's license or things like that," he said. "You have to trust that guys are professionals and will give everything they have to the team."

The way the NHLPA communicates to its players about the value of planning ahead may be particularly instrumental in the program's success.

"You're not gonna be able to tell anyone what to do, you can't do that, and it's hard not to come off sounding like that sometimes," said Parros. "I think the best thing to do, like in other walks of life, is (advertise) by word of mouth. You get some guys involved that are eager to do so and they start spreading the word about what great experiences they've had, hopefully. You can't force anyone to come to meetings and pay attention."

Do NHL players have time to spend on this much forethought, given their daily obligations?

"Having played as long as I did and knowing players' schedules, there's absolutely time," said Schneider. "You're on the road for half the year and that's when you do have down time to put some effort and thought into these kind of programs."

If the NHL and the players' association can add to the list of resources for players planning for—or wading through—retirement, all the better, said Parros.

"You're not gonna solve everyone's problems, but it's important that the program exists and that it's given its due attention because as a union you have to keep trying to help guys as best you can," said Parros. "That's what they're there for, and the NHL is supposed to be in a partnership there and it's about changing guys' lives one at a time."

Schneider himself has seen that there is life after hockey, but also that no amount of money or status in the hockey world can guarantee a player's successful transition.

"Even if you have some nest eggs, you're a rookie when you step into the real world."