The NHL is celebrating women in hockey, and every week this season, NHL.com will highlight a woman from each of the 32 teams. Today, a look at Boston Bruins manager of team services & hockey administration Laurenne Mercier:
Job title: Boston Bruins manager of team services & hockey administration
Education (Please list post-secondary institutions and degree/s): Honours Degree in Sociology; St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia; Sports Management Post-Graduate Certificate; Durham College, Oshawa, Ontario
Years of hockey experience (Include on- and off-ice hockey-related experience):
I played minor hockey up until Grade 12 in Okotoks, Alberta; After my Post-Grad certificate, I started as an Intern in the Community Relations department with the Nashville Predators in 2016-17; Transitioned into Coordinator of Hockey Programming & Alumni Relations for the Edmonton Oilers the following season; From there, I moved back to Calgary and owned my own Sports Marketing Agency, Treadstone Sports Agency, from 2019 to 2022 where I assisted athletes in building their brand (specifically philanthropic presence) outside of the team they played for; I started with the Bruins ahead of the 2022-23 season
Describe your job in 2-3 sentences:
I manage the players and their families, both from a concierge perspective (anything they need at home whether it be assisting with housing, vehicles, relocation, dinner reservations, etc.), as well as assisting with the management and logistics of our team travel and operations. This includes our hotels, flights, buses, meals, etc. while on the road.
What was your first-ever job, and did it prepare you for the work you do today?
I worked in a small-town coffee shop as a barista. I think this has helped me immensely with this career specifically in the building of genuine relationships. I loved getting to know people at the coffee shop, hearing their stories, remembering their orders, especially my regulars. I liked being someone they looked forward to talking to. I believe that experience has really transitioned into this role as I build relationships not just with our players, but with their families, including extended families, our travel party, our staff, other teams, hotel staff, etc.
What career advice can you give others?
It is so important to network and to do so in a genuine way. You never know who you’re going to meet and what that person might mean to you down the road. But it’s not just about what they can do for you. It’s important to keep in touch and to build genuine, true relationships. And to pay it forward when others want to get to know you too. I would never have been where I am now without the help from others in my journey.
If you weren’t working in hockey, what would you be doing?
I’d own my own small town coffee shop. I’d want it to be a place for people to gather and look forward to. Somewhere that you’d know your regulars and they’d make a part of their daily routine.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Switzerland. I just booked a trip to Switzerland, and it’s been the number one place on my bucket list for several years
What’s your favorite book?
Harry Potter series. I loved the whole Harry Potter series. They’re the only books I have read more than once.
One thing you can’t live without:
My backpack
Do you collect anything?
Ticket Stubs. I used to collect my ticket stubs to everything – flights, concerts, sporting events. It’s tougher now that everything has transitioned to digital.
What is your hobby outside of work?
Hiking & back-country camping
