NEWCASTLE, UK – At first glance the signings of Canadians Jason Gorrie and Daniel Calitri by Wightlink Raiders and Invicta Dynamos respectively, may not appear to have any link. However by delving a little under the surface, they have one common denominator.
Twenty nine year old Gareth Chalmers is based in the North East of England, hundreds of miles from both the Isle of Wight and Gillingham (where the Raiders and Dynamos reside), yet he is the man who provides the link in the chain between these outposts in the south of England and the two talented forwards from across the ocean in Canada.
Jason Gorrie (Steinhaus Fotographie)
You see Mr Chalmers is the founder and Managing Director of 9 Hockey Management, a Newcastle based agency set up in 2007. Like most good ideas, Chalmers stumbled upon this line of work by chance. A conversation with current Whitley Warriors coach Simon Leach, who at the time asked Chalmers for assistance in finding him some imports to go to Australia with the Adelaide Avalanche, opened Chalmers mind to the world of being a hockey agent.
He sat his exams with the Professional Hockey Players Association and began to build on his existing contacts in the game, which was undoubtedly helped by his 12 or so years working in and around senior hockey teams out of Newcastle. His first official client turned out to be forward Ales Parez, and after brokering a deal to send the Czech to Milton Keynes Lightning, the business has grown year on year.
Most hockey fans would expect agents to be involved at the very top of the UK game, but it may come as a surprise to some that agencies are involved at English National League level. Chalmers says that he touches most levels of the UK game in his role.
“Every single team whether it’s the Elite League, EPL or ENL use an agent somewhere down the line when recruiting imports” Chalmers explained. “However a lot of guys sometimes do their own deals, the hockey world is a small place; a lot of guys know each other so you tend to find that some head coaches recruit on the basis of recommendation from players they already have in their team,
“I know a lot of fans frown on this and think at times it’s unprofessional but a major aspect for a Head Coach when recruiting is getting the right guy for the dressing room. Just look at Belfast this season, there are a lot of players in that team who are friends, with the major sell of the NHL game that’s enabled Doug (Christiansen) to recruit a powerhouse team this season”
9 Hockey Management have fifty players on their books at present and that list is growing. Their client list includes a number of Elite league stars. They are one of the up and coming hockey agencies in the world but Chalmers points out that 9 Hockey Management are not the only show in the UK game and competition is tough:
“Every single agent operating is competition is some shape or form to me” says Chalmers. “I would probably say my major competition is from David Imonti of 37 Hockey Management. He places a lot guys into the UK, Holland, France and Italy which is predominately the markets I work in. However I respect David as when I started out he helped me a great deal in terms of passing guys to me and giving me advise, not many people would do that but I certainly respect him for that”
The stereotype of a sports agent often depicts an overweight, fast talking, cigar smoking, and middle-aged man with a list of demands not only for his client but also for himself. Agents get a bad rep, but Chalmers maintains that far from being glamorous, his line of work is not an endless orgy of parties and perks:
“The majority of my time is spent talking to teams” he explains. “I have over one thousand contacts throughout the world so I e-mail them or talk to them on a daily basis, its very time consuming,
“There are some nights where I can be up until two or three in the morning especially to contacts in North America trying to sort deals out. However it’s something I love doing, I have been a hockey fan since a young age, so if you’re not a player this is the closest thing you can get to it. Being honest though I am more suited to being in an off-ice role and it’s something I enjoy every single day”
Ask any hockey management team about the pressures and ordeals of looking after hockey players and the colourful anecdotes will not take long to rise. A strange breed almost globally, hockey players are generally unique specimens. Whilst fake CV’s and diva-esque demands may be common in other areas of the sports and entertainment industry, those are not problems that have yet surfaced for Chalmers.
%22My contract says Stella Artois not Carlsberg%22
“In my experiences hockey players are pretty grounded” he explains. “I have never really had any out of the norm requests. The majority of guys are realistic in what they can get and understand that it’s a very difficult market right now,
“Overall, sports like football are a totally different beast to the world of hockey at the level I operate in, I am sure there are guys in the likes of the NHL, Extraliga, Eliteserien who are a little more cavalier with their demands but I haven’t come across anyone like this right yet”
So agents are here in UK hockey, and what’s more they seem to be expanding their business. One thing is clear though and that is the lack of a link up, between operating agents and the sport’s governing bodies. As far as he is concerned though, Chalmers doesn’t think it’s a problem.
“I have very little to do with Ice Hockey UK (IHUK) or the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA), and I am registered with the Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA)” he explains. “At the present time IHUK don’t have contact with any agents and I don’t think there is any need to. The clubs liaise direct with IHUK for ITC’s (International Transfer Cards) and work permits so there really isn’t a requirement for an agent to become involved with that at any time during the process”
With the English National League season due to start in a week’s time and the other leagues shortly afterwards, Chalmers and his rivals will be busy trying to hook up out of contract players with teams desperate to finalise their rosters.
For more information on 9 Hockey Management and to see their client list, visit: http://www.9management.co.uk/hockey.php
Contact the author: david.carr@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.