And I stayed in there, and the first thing I did is I just turned the lights out. NHL , full transparency, one of the later professional leagues to integrate.
people were event people; people who actually shaped these things, themed them, organized them for a living every day, 24/7. Radio City got in on that very, very early. When the NHL came calling, they were outsourcing all of that. So in 19-, it was the '91-'92 season, where they actually decided to have an event department of their own. They had a meetingplanner and an assistant. I came in to help bring all of the events that they do, whether it's the All-Star game, you see some of the entertainment that we had done--
And I stayed in there, and the first thing I did is I just turned the lights out. The NHL All-Star game was in Chicago.
And that's a reoccurring theme, a reoccurring answer. And the NHL didn't even want me to have this footage.
Have you ever been upset with yourself for saving money? There's an NHL player who won an award and he said something amazing.
And then our second guest is Andrew Ference. Andrew is a former NHL player. Played for 16 seasons, including on the 2011 Bruins Stanley Cup team.
and to this day still play other sports. So the NHL to me was always like this lottery ticket. You know, you work really hard, you do everything you can, but even at that there's so much that's out of your control.
and who they want to be. And these are professional NHL players, like, I don't want to play tennis.
So let's stay on that theme, and we're going to transition a bit over and speak to a living legend, Mr. O'Ree, who in 1958 became the first black NHL player. Mr. O'Ree, clearly you were featured in the film.
This guy's won three Stanley Cups. This was on the NHL Sirius XM channel. And he said, I don't think this thing's over, because, he goes, I didn't get nervous or intimidated in many buildings, but the Shark Tank was one that I did.
in this case. Great. Don't watch the NHL Network, even though I'm going to be on it later today, and they don't want hear what I said.
So Frank, I want to kick things off with you, because you have your new book, "What To Do When Things Go Wrong." With years of experience in the NHL , NFL, I would expect you to be writing a book about all these amazing events that went right. But why did you decide to write a book about all the times it went wrong?
I think you said you left in high school to go play at a prep team. So when did you know that the NHL was kind of a realistic expectation or possibility? It was late in the game.
Like, it felt real. So talk a little bit about your NHL career. What was the highlight?
and who they want to be. We have a great team at the NHL .
in this case. Great. because you played in the NHL doesn't mean you know how to teach.
Yeah, well people actually started calling them Mon-satan, so... And reports of Roundup users getting diagnosed with NHL were popping up more frequently.
if that's what you want to call it-- that's where the value was. The value wasn't necessarily getting to the NHL . And now I look at those in the NHL today, and close peers, and they're people.
The value wasn't necessarily getting to the NHL . And now I look at those in the NHL today, and close peers, and they're people. They're people like I am, like we all are, and especially like the incredible people in this room.
Played for 16 seasons, including on the 2011 Bruins Stanley Cup team. Andrew is currently the Director of Social Impact at the NHL , and he's the father to his two daughters, Ava and Stella. So, welcome.
And I stayed in there, and the first thing I did is I just turned the lights out. I need to be with this group of people from the NHL to help grow the game.
We had a couple of programs that we felt really were great legacy, back to your question. Then I was in charge of events for the NHL for 13 years, then the NFL for 10.
The most famous goal in Shark history, Jamie scored, which was to knock out Detroit in a big game a few years ago. Jamie played 10 years, NHL . Played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Nordiques-- they started his career-- and then, obviously, with the Sharks a couple of times--
been involved with some of the most prestigious and high-profile events that you guys see every year, both in the US and internationally. In addition to the NFL, he's worked with organizations such as Radio City Music Hall and the NHL . And he's produced events ranging from the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, the NFL Draft, and the international series that gets played in London. And he's also produced events like the NHL All-Star Weekend, the NHL Draft, the Stanley Cup Finals, and even such events as the Bicentennial of the US Constitution, the
create a television show out of it and now it's on ESPN and NFL Network and it's the highest rated non-sports event on ESPN every year. So that's coming around again in April. We also did an award shows at the NHL . This one, I think that's Nickelback, if I remember right, in that particular year. Michael: A lot of Canadian bands.
But from 14 to 17, 18, 19 years old, I wasn't listening to that. I was listening to everyone else that told me I was going to be an NHL player. So that's why I went back to it.
Have you ever been upset with yourself for saving money? And I'll tell you, the NHL is far more advanced in that.
We have living history right next to him, Mr. Willie O'Ree, who was the first black player in the NHL . We have Anson Carter, who is a former NHL player, including many teams like the Capitals, Bruins, Rangers. Local. Yes. Yep. Yep.
So amongst other things, certainly we're going to talk about "Soul on Ince" today. But we're also going to talk about the evolution of the NHL , particularly as it relates to black folks. And I will tell you, in full transparency and honesty, I'm not the biggest hockey fan that sits in front of you.
And I stayed in there, and the first thing I did is I just turned the lights out. Thank you. And on behalf of the NHL , thank you for hosting this.
And I stayed in there, and the first thing I did is I just turned the lights out. But to answer your question, the NHL has been-- and probably a lot of people don't know it-- has been working on diversity initiatives for more
And I stayed in there, and the first thing I did is I just turned the lights out. But if we want to change the demographic of who's playing on the NHL on our stage, and we all know the saying,
in this case. Great. Have you ever thought or would like to be a head coach in the NHL .
get the players back out there. So, what they also did, what the NHL also did, was start to enhance their draft. And they looked at the NBA and the NFL, what they were doing on television. And what the NHL did was made it a bigger live event. So what you see there, at the NHL Draft, which is really intriguing and very different from what we do at the NFL, you see all those table that are kind of go from right to left, that's a media riser.
Michael: Very cool. Frank: And people could download it from the iTunes store for free. just before the lockout; the NHL lockout. And I was actually up in Toronto as the director of operations for the World Cup of hockey at the time. And it was just an incredible
and who they want to be. Like I said, creating the next NHLers is not a priority at all.
Yeah, well people actually started calling them Mon-satan, so... and then both he and his dog developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, or NHL , a type of cancer targeting the lymphatic system, and he died in late 2015.
Yeah, well people actually started calling them Mon-satan, so... Soon, lawyers were overwhelmed with calls from cancer patients who used Roundup and got diagnosed with NHL .
OK, hold on there. It also makes me think a little bit, as someone who watches the NHL a lot, the Stanley Cup playoffs. When the cup's in the building, it's a lot harder to win.
put on a game, the amount of value I put on hockey was unfortunate if you think about it. And the only person that had the voice of reason and rational thought in chasing this NHL dream was my mom. But from 14 to 17, 18, 19 years old, I wasn't listening to that.
because, in soccer, if this is the field, a midfield player plays here. And I was asking recently when a friend of mine-- because we both are watching the NHL -- and I was asking like,
And when I saw those guys make it, I was like, I can play against those guys, so maybe there's a chance, right? But you know, I was probably three years into my NHL career before I felt like, oh, actually I belong here. Like, it felt real.
and who they want to be. Exciting. And Andrew, you work for the NHL ?
the sport, but understanding the evolution of the sport and understanding the culture within the sport. But even more so, the many things that the NHL is doing in terms of diversity and continuing to grow the sport overall. So let's go ahead and start with you, Kwame.
And George Laraque was a great guy that I had known in Edmonton. So he was the first person, one of the first NHL guys that I was able to shoot. And I already had shot Mr. Herb Carnegie.
That is incredible. So not only you had the kind of weight of being pulled up with the Bruins after they had some injuries, being the first black player in the NHL , you had sight only in one eye this entire time, which was an additional load on top of you at the same time.
And I stayed in there, and the first thing I did is I just turned the lights out. Like, what would your pitch to say, join NHL .
And I stayed in there, and the first thing I did is I just turned the lights out. And once those numbers start to increase, your base increases because when you're playing at NHL levels, it's a pyramid, so you have the best of the best playing.
One of the parents turned out to be an executive with the National Hockey League. He said to Todd, could you come in and coach our players in the NHL ? One of the parents who was in attendance was a senior leader within the Canadian government.
in this case. Great. But no, you're not going to intimidate anybody at the NHL level.