A great resume can often be the first step toward being hired, and when that resume leads to a 90-minute conversation with a National Hockey League assistant general manager - well, that's definitely a positive sign.
That's exactly what happened to Sydney Daniels, the newest college scout for the Winnipeg Jets.
The 27-year-old former assistant coach of the NCAA's Harvard Crimson women's hockey team is one of three new scouts announced on Wednesday, with NHL veterans Jari Kekalainen and Tony Martino joining the amateur scouting staff led by Mark Hillier.
Daniels thrilled to be part of additions to Jets scouting staff
"She's passionate about the game and she's really passionate about the opportunity to work for the Jets."
Daniels describes her conversation with Larry Simmons, the assistant general manager of the Jets, as something she'll never forget.
"That 90 minutes might have made him late, but it definitely changed my life, whether I ended up in this position or not," she said. "I left thinking this is something I really want to pursue. Not only was it Larry himself, it was listening to him talk about the values of this organization and the values of what he wants the culture here to be - that was resonating to me."
Simmons remembers his first meeting with Daniels, which came in a coffee shop just outside of Boston.
"The first opportunity to meet her was really just supposed to be an informal and quick sit-down," Simmons said. "It probably could have kept going if not for a game that I had to get to. She's really easy to talk to and really passionate about the game."
After all, the game has been part of her family - and her life - for as long as she can remember.
Besides coaching at Harvard, Daniels played for the Crimson for four seasons between 2013 and 2017, wearing the captain's 'C' in 2016-17. She played one year of pro hockey, for the National Women's Hockey League's Boston Pride, in 2017-18, before returning to Harvard to coach to start the 2018-19 campaign.
On top of all that, her father Scott played 149 games in the NHL (with Hartford, Philadelphia, and New Jersey), and she honed her skills as a kid in Saskatchewan at her grandfather's farm in Leask, Saskatchewan.
"Her experiences in the game as a player and as a teacher are somewhat similar to that of Mark White and Brian Renfrew who have been in this position for us previously," said Simmons. "She's passionate about the game and she's really passionate about the opportunity to work for the Jets. She has Canadian roots, so I think the opportunity to work for a Canadian team is extra special for her."
She's a dual citizen, who grew up in Southwick, Massachusetts, and won gold with the USA's U18 team in 2011. That same year, she earned a gold medal at the National Aboriginal Youth Championships.
Daniels will be joining a pro scouting staff that includes Director Pete Ratchuk, Jack Birch, Danny Richmond, Ryan Caldwell, Jari Gronstrand, and Mark White.
On the amateur side, Kekalainen has been a European scout at the NHL level since 2002, and has spent the last five seasons as the Director of European Scouting for the Florida Panthers.
"We're excited to add somebody with his experience," Simmons said of Kekalainen, whose brother Jarmo is the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets. "He's really well connected all over Europe and has great experience and deep knowledge of the players."
Back on this side of the Atlantic Ocean is where Martino will work. He served as an amateur scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs for the last seven years while also being a goaltending coach for Lake Forest College.
"He's an interesting guy, he speaks several languages and has a background in goaltending as well. He brings a different perspective from that side of things," said Simmons. "He's another guy who came to us very highly recommended. He's in a really good spot in Chicago. Both of these guys hit the ground running, and Tony is well situated to take over for Max Giese who left for a different opportunity."
There is always an excitement to a new season, especially with new faces joining the club and the anticipation of the puck dropping on the 2022-23 season in a few short weeks.
It doesn't matter if a staff member has been in the NHL for 20 years like Kekalainen, or is gearing up for a first season like Daniels.
The excitement of the game has that effect on everyone.
In fact, Daniels has already started in her role. She met up with Ratchuk in Buffalo this past weekend.
"It's very dialed in on players we're looking for and things we're looking for," said Daniels. "I'm just excited to work and figure out those demands and try to fill those as best I can, in the vision of what we're trying to build here in Winnipeg."
