JT Brown, a Seattle Kraken TV analyst and former NHL forward, moderated the discussion.
Afterward, the attendees made their way through an informational session with representatives from 11 NHL teams (the Blackhawks, Ducks, Kraken, Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals), the League office and business partners.
"I'm here to find myself in the NHL," said Rayshawn Meiser, a 22-year-old who recently earned a bachelor's degree in sports management as a graduate of Allen University, a Historically Black College in Columbia, South Carolina. "Coming from an HBCU, we're really not informed on what the NHL can provide and the opportunities that are there. Coming here and getting that knowledge is going to be really beneficial."
Peterson, who became the first Black assistant general manager in the NHL in November 2020 told the attendees that working in hockey is not a 9-to-5 job.
"[It's] 24/7, 365," he said. "It's not a job, it's a passion. You're going to be called upon to do things you might not be able to do, you've got to figure it out. That's kind of constantly. The biggest misconception is approaching this industry as a job when it's a passion and it's a culture."
Tam, whose parents came to the United States from China, said he was able to parlay being a rink rat as a youth into working on the business side for the Blackhawks. He told the attendees that one key to working in hockey is being flexible.
"I'm constantly exposed to experts in the field of PR and culture, finance, from the Asian community, and that's something I never thought was going to be part of my job," he said. "I thought it was, 'Hey, make sure the ice doesn't melt and make sure you're putting on programs correctly, making sure you're making in the community and giving people an opportunity to play.' But that's really a small part of my day."
Galasso stressed that candidates shouldn't worry about not coming from a hockey background.
"Do not be deterred if you're not a player, if you don't have familiarity (with the sport) or if you didn't grow up in cold weather, if you're not Canadian," she said. "Whatever the barrier is, just no that no barrier exists here, and we're here to make that difference together."
The summit resonated with Sidney Edwards, a 22-year-old gay man from central Florida who wants to shift from working as a barista to a job in hockey.
"I learned a lot about how not everybody here had a set path in working in hockey and the NHL," Edwards said. "That gives me a lot of hope because I haven't had a set path forward in my career, so I always thought I was running behind. But I realize now that not everyone works on the same timeline."
