Through the Power Player program, the NHL has given a voice to our younger generation.
I recently traveled to Toronto, Canada for the NHL All Star Weekend. It was an amazing weekend and an incredible experience that I will never forget. However, I was not your regular fan that wanted to see some All Star hockey. I was representing the NHL Power Player program.
As a Power Player, I serve as a youth advisor for the NHL. Per the NHL, “NHL Power Players™ is an initiative focused on selecting young hockey fans to help advise the League on hockey-related topics important to their generation. Our goal is to attract more youth to the game of hockey, and for the past five seasons qualified applicants between the ages of 13-17 were chosen to be NHL Power Players. These young fans have the opportunity to have their voice heard directly by the NHL, learn about the business side of sports, and develop lasting friendships with board members.”
Being a Floridian, it’s a true honor to be a Power Player because it is especially important to increase fandom among my younger generation, especially here in Florida. Hockey is an incredible sport, but there is still a ton of action needed to bring together young hockey fans.
Luckily, the Power Player program allows people like me to have a voice. The NHL trusts us and uses our feedback to make the NHL even better.
For example, Heidi Browning, who is the chief marketing officer of the NHL, sits in on every Power Player Zoom call which happens monthly. Heidi fought for this pioneer program in major league sports. Not only has she given a voice to the younger generation, but she instills her trust in teenagers, because she knows how it can benefit the growth of the game.
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Heidi Browning (left) and Isaac Edelman (right) in Toronto at the NHL All Star Fan Fair. Brittany Zukowski is another crucial piece of the Power Player program as she manages and organizes every single meeting and event. When it came to my trip to Toronto, Brittany truly spent an incredible amount of time working tirelessly so that the Power Player program ran productively and successfully. Whether it was sending tickets to the families or organizing a schedule for meeting times, Brittany made sure every Power Player had a successful All Star Weekend.
I surely did. When I arrived in Toronto on Thursday, I went straight to the NHL All Star Red Carpet. Of course, Brittany got all of the Power Players VIP passes. It was a special opportunity in which I was able to get pictures and autographs from the top players, including Mitch Marner, Matthew Barzal, William Nylander, Jack Hughes, and many other stars. Later that night, I attended the NHL All Star Player Draft and the PWHL 3-on-3 Showcase at Scotiabank Arena, the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors.
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Isaac Edelman next to the Stanley Cup Trophy. On Friday, I had more fun at the NHL All Star Skills Challenge. The next day, I met up with all of the other Power Players to take a picture in front of the Stanley Cup Trophy at the NHL Fan Fair. If you are wondering, there are 26 total Power Players ranging from Hawaii all the way to Newfoundland. I then attended the main event – the NHL All Star Game – on Saturday night. During second intermission, I witnessed a magnificent performance from Canadian singer Tate McRae, who has been #1 on global Spotify for her song “Greedy”.
Overall, it was a fantastic weekend, and it couldn’t have been done without the NHL and their Power Players program. I can’t wait to continue to share creative ideas with the NHL as it relates to my local communities, the sport in general, social media, and fan-driven content.
