|
|
Hello Athletes, Agents, Parents, Trainers, & others,
With January wrapped up, we enter the heart of the season, where we separate the men and women from the boys and girls (as they say). While you’re in grind mode pushing your body to the brink in hopes of improving your playoff picture, remember how incredibly lucky you are to be doing something you love – soak it all up because it goes fast ! And let me tell you, life does not slow down from here on out; if you want to be successful off the ice, don’t wait to get started, the time is now and we are here to help.
In this Issue:
- Isaac Poulter
- Jack Finley
- Owen Sillinger
- Sudden Wealth Syndrome
- Escrow Cancelled
- Mental Health for Pro Hockey Players
- Hide & DeepSeek – Ready or Not
- Nvidia’s Loss in Perspective
| |
|
Isaac Poulter
Isaac Poulter, the talented young goaltender from the New Jersey Devils organization, received an exciting call-up to the NHL this month. At just 23 years old, Poulter’s dedication and hard work have paid off, earning him the opportunity to showcase his skills on the big stage. Recently, Poulter has been a standout performer with the AHL’s Utica Comets, posting impressive numbers with a .960 save percentage or better in his last three starts. Although his overall record this season stands at 8-7-3 with a .897 save percentage, his recent form has caught the attention of the Devils’ coaching staff.
Poulter’s journey to the NHL has been marked by perseverance. He joined the Devils organization in 2022 as an undrafted free agent out of the Western Hockey League’s Swift Current Broncos. Over the past three seasons, he has played 60 AHL games, recording a 2.90 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. This call-up is a significant milestone for Poulter, who has been recalled multiple times under emergency conditions but has yet to play in an NHL game.
The call-up is a testament to Poulter’s dedication; his hard work and determination have finally brought him to this pivotal moment in his career, and we’re eager to see him continue to shine on the ice.
Congrats & Keep at it Poults !
|
|
Jack Finley
Jack Finley’s Tuesday started like any other day with his Syracuse Crunch teammates in the AHL, but it quickly turned extraordinary. During practice, the team announced that the Kelowna, BC native Finley was being called up for his first NHL game. The 22-year-old center, drafted by Tampa Bay in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, flew to Boston for the game against the Bruins.
In his debut, Finley recorded one shot on goal, one hit, and won three of five faceoffs in 8 minutes and 25 seconds of ice time. Despite the Lightning’s 6-2 loss, Finley described the experience as “unbelievable” and a dream come true. And how cool is it that his father, Jeff Finley, a former NHL defenseman, was present to witness his son’s debut! (Cue “Big Leagues – Springsteen”)
His first NHL game was a learning experience, highlighting the importance of team battles and the physicality of the league. Finley was particularly impressed by how the Tampa Bay team supported each other, which he believes is key to their success.
Huge Accomplishment & Here’s to Many More Jack !
|
|
|
Owen Sillinger, at 27 years and 108 days old, made his NHL debut for the Blue Jackets in a 6-2 win over Seattle at Nationwide Arena. This milestone made him the eighth-oldest player in team history to debut in the NHL. Despite the long journey compared to his brother Cole, who entered the league at 18, Owen never doubted his ability to reach the highest level. Ironically, his call-up came due to his brother Cole’s illness and Sean Monahan’s injury, leading to a whirlwind day of travel and preparation.
Owen’s path to the NHL included three high-scoring seasons with Penticton of the BCHL, four years at Bemidji State, and four seasons with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. His all-around play earned him an NHL contract with the Blue Jackets this summer. Despite being returned to Cleveland after his debut, Owen’s performance showed he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level, making his family proud.
Couldn’t be Happier for you Owen, You’re an Inspiration to Many !
|
|
|
Sudden Wealth Syndrome
Signing a new contract & becoming a multimillionaire “overnight” sounds like a dream, but for many, it leads to unexpected emotional turmoil. Of course we know success doesn’t happen overnight, but the often the income tap does turn on overnight for professional athletes moving you from famine to feast.
Here are the Top 5 Psychological Challenges.
- Identity Crisis
- Financial Imposter Syndrome
- Behavioral Changes and Emotional Challenges
- Honeymoon Period and Emotional Comedown
- Guilt, Anxiety, and Relationship Strains
We found this to be a very insightful article going into further detail on how acquiring large amounts of wealth can affect your life. Give it a read, what’s the worst that could happen?
| | |
|
Good News Fellas – NHL Escrow Cancelled !
After years of having a portion of your hard-earned salary drained by a league-mandated vampire (not going to name names, image above…), the NHL has finally put an end to escrow. No more deductions, no more waiting to see how the league’s revenues shake out—just your full paycheck, as promised 😉
What Was Escrow Again?
If you’ve been blocking out the pain, let’s recap. Escrow was the league’s way of making sure players and owners split revenues 50/50. A percentage of your salary—often north of 10%—was withheld each season and dumped into an escrow account. At the end of the year, if league revenues fell short of projections, owners grabbed part (or all) of your escrow. If revenues exceeded projections, you’d get some of it back.
Why Is Escrow Gone?
The league’s financial situation has improved significantly in recent years, thanks to booming broadcast deals, stronger sponsorships, and stable revenues. With more cash flowing into the league, the need for escrow has disappeared.
But let’s not forget the pressure from the NHLPA. Players have been calling for escrow’s elimination since day one, and the league finally listened. It’s about time. No one likes seeing a piece of their salary vanish, especially when they’ve already given their all on the ice.
Why Does It Matter to Current & Hopeful NHL Players?
For starters, you’ll now take home the full amount on your contract. That’s more predictability for you and your family and fewer surprises come tax season.
But it’s also about the bigger picture. The end of escrow shows the league is in a strong financial position, which benefits everyone. A healthy league means bigger contracts, better facilities, and more opportunities to grow the game.
So, enjoy the win. Escrow is officially benched, and your paychecks are safe. Now you can focus on the real business: winning games, scoring goals, and maybe treating yourself to custom fit Sitka hunting gear (that’s what I would spend it on).
| |
Mental Health Training for Professional Hockey Players
The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) have launched the FIRST LINE Mental Health Training program.
FIRST LINE Mental Health Training program’s key points:
- Enhanced Mental Health Awareness and Skills: The program educates players about common mental health issues and equips them with peer support skills to aid their teammates effectively.
- Combatting Stigma and Promoting Advocacy: By addressing the stigma associated with mental illness, the program empowers players to become advocates for mental health within their community.
- Certification and Recognition: Players receive certification upon completing the program, acknowledging their commitment to fostering a supportive mental health environment in professional hockey.
Reach out to your respective association (PHPA or NHLPA) assigned representative to enroll in the program !
| Hide & DeepSeek – Ready or Not Here Comes Disruption | |
Incase you missed some of the recent news regarding DeepSeek, and the US market volatility that ensued, we thought it would be useful to break this down further and lay out some of the lessons we can learn from this.
Who is DeepSeek & What Happened?
DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company that has recently made waves in the tech world. Imagine a new player in a video game who suddenly becomes really good and starts winning against all the top players. That’s kind of what DeepSeek is doing in the AI market. They have developed AI technology that is very powerful but much cheaper to produce than what other big companies, like Nvidia, have been making. DeepSeek’s success stems from its innovative approach to AI development. Unlike traditional models that require extensive computing power and expensive hardware, DeepSeek utilized a technique called “mixture of experts”, which activates only the necessary computing resources for a given task, making the system more efficient and cost-effective. By employing this strategy, DeepSeek was able to train its AI model using fewer and less powerful chips, significantly reducing development costs
Why Does this Matter?
The emergence of DeepSeek has had immediate financial repercussions for U.S. tech companies, especially Nvidia, a leading manufacturer of advanced chips used in AI applications. Investors are concerned that DeepSeek’s cost-effective methods could reduce the demand for high-end chips, which are central to Nvidia’s business model. As a result, Nvidia’s stock experienced a significant decline, losing about 17% of its market value in a single day—a record one-day loss for any company.
Other tech giants, including Microsoft and Alphabet (Google’s parent company), also saw their stock prices fall due to fears that DeepSeek’s efficient AI models might disrupt the current market dynamics. The overall tech sector faced a substantial downturn, with more than $1 trillion wiped off American stocks.
Summary
DeepSeek’s innovative approach to AI development has not only showcased a new method of building powerful AI systems more affordably but has also prompted a reevaluation of the strategies employed by established tech companies. The financial markets have reacted strongly to this disruption, highlighting the potential for significant shifts in the competitive landscape of the tech industry.
|
|
|
Nvidia’s One Day Loss in Perspective
Nvidia’s one-day market loss of approximately 17%, equates to a staggering $589 billion decrease in its market capitalization.
To put this immense figure into perspective, I wondered what you could buy for $589 billion dollars… and had a little fun with it. The results blew my mind:
1. Buy Every Single NFL, NBA, and MLB Team—Twice!
- The total value of all NFL teams combined: ~$163 billion
- The total value of all NBA teams combined: ~$98 billion
- The total value of all MLB teams combined: ~$66 billion
- Total: $327 billion
- You’d still have $262 billion left, meaning you could buy all of them again and still have money left over for a few Formula 1 teams.
2. Build Your Own Space Colony & Still Rival NASA’s Budget
- NASA’s entire annual budget (2024): $25 billion
- Cost to build a moon base: ~$100 billion
- Cost to build a Mars base: ~$300 billion
- Cost to fund SpaceX for the next 100 years: ~$200 billion
With $589B, you could outspend NASA and SpaceX combined, build a private colony on the Moon or Mars, and still have billions left to name a planet after yourself.
3. Buy Every Human on Earth a Supercar (and Have Spare Change)
- Global population: 8 billion people
- Cost of a brand-new Lamborghini Huracán: ~$250,000
- Total cost: $2 quadrillion (not feasible)
- But, you could still buy everyone in America (330 million people) a Lamborghini AND a mansion—or buy a brand-new Ferrari SF90 (~$500K) for half the planet.
| |
|
We know you have a lot of “dumb” questions because we have them too… and they’re probably not as dumb as you think! This is your opportunity to ask them in a non-judgmental space, always strictly confidential.
Financial stress does not allow you to achieve your full potential, we are here to help. Book a time below & let’s chat.
| | | | |
