I would highly recommend to anyone with a goal of pursuing a career in professional hockey that they give serious consideration in attending the NHL Draft Career Conference which is absolutely an incredible value for the return on the investment.
Mat Billette
Sheryar Abdullah
The SMWW NHL Draft conference reenergizes you and sets you on a path for sports career success. There is a passion and enthusiasm you just don’t find in most other conferences. My network has expanded greatly since attending the conference, along with my confidence.
2021 Hockey Career Conference
Information for the 2021 conference will be updated as information becomes available. Please take a look below at our past events at the NHL Draft and what to expect for next year! The NHL has announced they will conduct the 2020 draft virtually in October and our annual NHL Draft Sports Career Conference will do the same!
If you dream of working in hockey, register now for our virtual conference featuring some of the most connected people in the sport. Every year we get the best general managers, scouts, agents, and more to come speak at our NHL Draft Career Conference – and this year will be even better and more connected than ever.
Register today for our first-ever virtual career conference! It’s going to be a special event you don’t want to miss.
Our annual NHL Draft Hockey Career Conference provides people of all ages with a desire to work in professional hockey insight and exposure they can't get anywhere else:
- Network with hockey executives
- Receive career guidance from hockey insiders
- Discover who is hiring and what you need to know to get hired
- Connect with other hockey career-minded individuals
- Learn strategies to catapult your career to the next level
- Ask questions of hockey executives, scouts, media members, and more
Why You Should Participant in the 2020 Virtual NHL Draft Career Conference
This 1-day event will offer unique panel discussions and Q&A sessions with some of the biggest names in the world of hockey. All attendees will also have the opportunity to network with hockey industry insiders who are deeply connected to the sport.
"Attending the SMWW NHL Career Conference opened doors to opportunities I wouldn't have known about otherwise," says Brittany Wong, broadcast media student at Ryerson University and conference attendee. "The wide range of industry professionals provided something for everyone — from scouting to marketing and business operations – this conference has it all."
If you want to start a career in hockey or advance your current one, attending the SMWW NHL Draft Career Conference is the move you need to make. Find out who is hiring and for what roles, network with hockey executives, and learn strategies to catapult your career to the next level.
"Our NHL Draft Career Conference provides an invaluable opportunity for attendees to learn about careers in the NHL while networking with some of the biggest names in the industry," says Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, president of Sports Management Worldwide. "Agents, GM's, directors of player personnel, and marketing executives all will be present, meeting, and speaking with attendees. This is a unique event!"
Past conference speakers have included team executives like the Calgary Flames Brian Burke and Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland, powerful sports agents like Pat Brisson and Rick Curran, media members like NHL Network Senior Reporter EJ Hradek, head coaches, personnel executives, scouts, and more.
"SMWW gets the best speakers year after year, who are all able to speak with confidence and experience regarding a wide variety of topics in the hockey industry. Every moment at the conference was time well spent," confirms Dylan Skubel, Ontario Minor Hockey Association referee and linesman.
Hockey careers start with Sports Management Worldwide, and our annual NHL Draft Career Conference is a great way to get introduced to the people behind the scenes that make the game great.
"If you are thinking about a career in hockey, SMWW is a cutting-edge program that offers you the training, skills, vital networking, mentoring, and hockey specific training that will assist you in breaking in or advancing your career in professional hockey. They have hundreds of graduates now working at all levels of the game," says Calgary Flames President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke.
2019 Featured Speakers
*Speakers are subject to change. 2020 Speakers will be announced later.
Ken Holland
Edmonton Oilers GM
Rick Curran
The Orr Hockey Group NHL Agent
Mike Johnston
WHL Portland Winterhawks General Manager & Head Coach
EJ Hradek
NHL Network & NHL.com Sr. Reporter. NHL Live Host
John Shannon
Sportsnet.ca Sportscaster
Nicole Lee
NHL Senior Director Integrated Marketing
Damian Echvarrieta
NHL Player Safety Group Vice President
George Parros
Former NHL player, NHL Director of Player Safety
Dana Clark
Vancouver Canucks Sr Director, Human Resources
Jeff Ulmer
Arizona Coyotes Coordinator, Skill Development / Assistant Director of Special Projects
Lisa Hollenbeck
WHL Portland Winterhawks Senior Director Business Operations
Mike Oke
Peterborough Petes General Manager
Patrick Burke
NHL Director of Player Safety & You Can Play President
Manny Schmidt
Link Management NHL Agent
Harkie Singh
Uptown Hockey NHLPA Agent
Dino Caputo
WHL Tri-City Americans Scout
Ella Chan
Vancouver Canucks Vice President Hospitality
Lynn Lashbrook
President & Founder of SMWW. Certified Sports Agent. Former NCAA Athletic Director.
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I would highly recommend to anyone with a goal of pursuing a career in professional hockey that they give serious consideration in attending the NHL Draft Career Conference which is absolutely an incredible value for the return on the investment.
— Patrick Edwards, International Scouting Services — Hockey Scout
Where is the SMWW Virtual NHL Draft Career Conference?
We will be virtual this year! Once registered, more information will be
emailed including the Zoom link.
Friday, June 26th, 2020 |5:00pm - 7:00pm
NHL Draft Lottery Party
Location: Zoom Virtual Conference Room
Anyone who registers to attend the NHL Draft Career Conference will be sent the information to join the NHL Draft Lottery Party for free.
October 2020 | 8:00 am - 4:00pm
SMWW'S Virtual Career Conference
Location: Zoom Virtual Conference Room
SMWW’s Industry Leading Courses Featured In:
2019 NHL Career Conference Agenda
*This is the agenda for 2019, for the 2020 agenda we will follow a similar virtual agenda.
Friday, June 19th, 2019
7:30 am - 5:00 pm SMWW Hockey Career Conference
7:00 am: Registration Open. Coffee and bagels are available.
7:45 am: Opening Remarks
Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, Sports Management Worldwide President, and Founder
8:00 am: Breakfast with Ken Holland, The Life of a GM in the NHL
Moderator: Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, Sports Management Worldwide PresidentKen Holland, Edmonton Oilers General Manager (formerly with the Detroit Red Wings for 36 years)
8:30 am: The Business of Minor League Hockey
Moderator: Dino Caputo, WHL Tri-Cities Americans ScoutMike Johnston, WHL Portland Winterhawks General Manager, and Head Coach Lisa Hollenbeck, WHL Portland Winterhawks Senior Director Hockey Operations
9:00 am: Identifying the Next Big Star
Moderator: Mike Oke, OHL Peterborough Petes General ManagerRyan Bowness, NHL Pittsburgh Penguins Professional Scout
Trace Linton, NHL Carolina Hurricanes Video Scouting Coordinator
Jeff Ulmer, NHL Arizona Coyotes Coordinator, Skill Development
10:00 am: Life of an NHL Agent
Rick Curran, Orr Hockey Group NHL Agent
10:45 am: On - Air with...
Moderator: Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, Sports Management Worldwide PresidentEJ Hradek, NHL Live! Host
John Shannon, Sportsnet Sportscaster
11:45 - 1:00 pm: Lunch with the Vancouver Canucks Senior Director of Human Resources
Everything you always wanted to ask HR
Dana Clark, NHL Vancouver Canucks Senior Director of Human Resources
1:00 pm: Sports Marketing and Hospitality
Moderator: Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, Sports Management Worldwide President
Nicole Lee, NHL Senior Director of Sports Marketing Partnerships
Ella Chan, NHL Vancouver Canucks Vice President of Hospitality
1:45 pm - The Agent's Take
Moderator: Mike Oke, OHL Peterborough Petes General ManagerHarkie Singh, Uptown Hockey NHLPA Agent
Robbie Fromm, Delorme, WHL Portland Winterhawks Forward (Draft Eligible 2020)
Manny Schmidt, Link Management Founder, NHL Agent, and SMWW Alumni
2:45 pm - Player Safety and League Operations
Moderator: Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, Sports Management Worldwide PresidentPatrick Burke, NHLPA Senior Director Player Safety
Damian Echevarrieta, NHL Group Vice President, Player Safety and Hockey Operations
George Parros, NHLPA Director Player Safety
3:45 pm - Closing remarks with Dr. Lynn Lashbrook and Mike Oke
5:00 pm - First Round of the NHL Draft & Fan Fest
Tickets included with registration!
Saturday, June 20th, 2019
10 am - 1 pm: Rounds 2-7 of the NHL Draft & Fan Fest
Tickets included with registration!
Check Out Our Photos From The 2019 Conference In Vancouver!
Past Speakers
Note: Due to team meetings, speakers are not guaranteed and will change. The closer we get to the date, the more accurate the schedule becomes as executives do not yet know their team meeting schedules. Keep coming back to this agenda to see the most recent additions all the way up to the draft day!
Scholarships for the NHL Draft Career Conference Are Available
SMWW will award a limited amount of full and partial scholarships for each SMWW Career Conference. You must be 18 years or older to be considered. If interested, fill out an application, submit your resume and a one-page letter explaining why you should receive a scholarship to info@smww.com.
Scholarships do not include lodging or airfare. Those who have completed an SMWW training program will be given preference.
Download a Copy of the
2019 NHL Draft Hockey Program Here
