Do you think this is possible

First of all for this to make sense, I am an 18 yr. old senior in highschool. I talked to CP about and early internship with the pens or baby pens, he said it wasn't possible. I decided the next best thing would be Wheeeling, so i just sent an email to the Nailers headcoach about being able to see the day to day operations of a professional hockey team. I am now waiting for a response.


The second thing is this... Can anyone help me through contacts or what not about getting an assistant coaching job with a hockey team (Roller hockey or Ice, i have only played Roller and am very inexperienced, but i feel i have a great understanding of the game and people) Thanks for Listening and any help you guys can give me

How were you in contact with CP?
I would love that too...

[QUOTE=starkouklos]How were you in contact with CP?


I saw him at the pens practice at the arena, i knew he didn't want to talk, but i had one chance i couldn't pass it up, i also took the oppertunity to talk to him about Fleury Progress. It was nice of him to answer my questions.

You blew it.

You can't go up to guys like that in a situation at a practice open to other fans, run into him, and then ask him like "Hey can I be an intern?" He gets too much of that a day.

Try to be more forceful in a progressive setting. Go to the arena, or wherever the Pens' brass has their offices. Go to a lower man or woman on the totem pole, maybe Human Resourses or Public Relations or something. Wear a suit and take a resume. Then sell. Do try to mail your resume first with a nice cover letter explaining your situation, followed up with a nice call to gauge interest. Calls are cool because I've found some people will give you at least 10 minutes of their time. Some don't however. I tried this with David Falk(Michael Jordan's agent), I couldn't even get past his secretary. Anyway, once there, profess your passion for hockey and the organization. Convince them you are serious and dedicated and intelligent, not any old fan. Not often does an asset such as yourself come along willing to work for free.

There's a real gray area here. Are you charming? Do you usually convince girls to give you a shot, etc? I always try to attack women when I go for an internship because I feel I can use other weapons such as voice and eye contact and appearance more effectively with a woman. Women will tend to listen a bit more and such. Easier to persaude.

Hey, don't try it if your game's bad. If you have bad posture and you stutter and you have a face full of acne, she's not going to take you seriously. You'll be some 13 year old to her. If you are ugly and I've insulted you in some way, too bad. If it's a first it won't be a last. Remember, she won't be your mother.

Anyway, practice your responses to their denials. In your situation, get them to verbally commit that they'd be fools to not take on free help from a dedicated, bright, and articualate young man, or some tactic such as that.

Once you are in the door, you're not done. Impress by actually being what you said you would be. Maybe CP will even remember your face. Tell him you got that intership you talked about, with a sly smile. Don't remind him he called it "impossible" though. You should know by now "impossible" means "improbable." Take CP out to lunch or something (on you). As an 18 year old kid taking CP out to lunch (and he'll go if he knows of you as the impressive young go getter working for nothing down in the mailroom) you will show him maturity and desire. Pick his brain. Take other brass, too.

Keep contacts with these guys after the intership. After your schooling maybe they'll remeber you and remember you're a proven commodity.

What I've laid out above never works for 95% of people and only works some of the time for the other 5%. Don't waste your time or their's if you're not in the 5%.

You blew it.

You can't go up to guys like that in a situation at a practice open to other fans, run into him, and then ask him like "Hey can I be an intern?" He gets too much of that a day.

Try to be more forceful in a progressive setting. Go to the arena, or wherever the Pens' brass has their offices. Go to a lower man or woman on the totem pole, maybe Human Resourses or Public Relations or something. Wear a suit and take a resume. Then sell. Do try to mail your resume first with a nice cover letter explaining your situation, followed up with a nice call to gauge interest. Calls are cool because I've found some people will give you at least 10 minutes of their time. Some don't however. I tried this with David Falk(Michael Jordan's agent), I couldn't even get past his secretary. Anyway, once there, profess your passion for hockey and the organization. Convince them you are serious and dedicated and intelligent, not any old fan. Not often does an asset such as yourself come along willing to work for free.

There's a real gray area here. Are you charming? Do you usually convince girls to give you a shot, etc? I always try to attack women when I go for an internship because I feel I can use other weapons such as voice and eye contact and appearance more effectively with a woman. Women will tend to listen a bit more and such. Easier to persaude.

Hey, don't try it if your game's bad. If you have bad posture and you stutter and you have a face full of acne, she's not going to take you seriously. You'll be some 13 year old to her. If you are ugly and I've insulted you in some way, too bad. If it's a first it won't be a last. Remember, she won't be your mother.

Anyway, practice your responses to their denials. In your situation, get them to verbally commit that they'd be fools to not take on free help from a dedicated, bright, and articualate young man, or some tactic such as that.

Once you are in the door, you're not done. Impress by actually being what you said you would be. Maybe CP will even remember your face. Tell him you got that intership you talked about, with a sly smile. Don't remind him he called it "impossible" though. You should know by now "impossible" means "improbable." Take CP out to lunch or something (on you). As an 18 year old kid taking CP out to lunch (and he'll go if he knows of you as the impressive young go getter working for nothing down in the mailroom) you will show him maturity and desire. Pick his brain. Take other brass, too.

Keep contacts with these guys after the intership. After your schooling maybe they'll remeber you and remember you're a proven commodity.

What I've laid out above never works for 95% of people and only works some of the time for the other 5%. Don't waste your time or their's if you're not in the 5%.


Thanks Louie... Last year i talked to PR/Human Resources and they said it wasn't possible, i knew the only way to get in was to talk to CP (or Mario) I probably did stutter it was a sper of the moment thing. I understand what you mean. The only thing is this, how do you get one someone like him to go to lunch, if there is one thing I DO KNOW it is how valuable there time is. The one person i would love to talk to is the great Edzo as he knows what is like not having experience and he might help me out. ANYWAY THANKS FOR EVERYTHING and no feelings were hurt :bow:

Oh no, I just reread your initial post. You already accepted "no" as a definate answer and went on to the "next best thing" in Wheeling. Ouch kid, you gotta grow some thicker skin. There's no such thing as "no."

You're 18, so maybe you/ve learned in sex-ed "no" means "no" and that crap. Listen, "no" means "furthur convince me."

When you are with a girl and you are ready to go, you know, physically, and she says "no," your first thought before any cognitive process is "I don't accept your no as an answer, you've got to be kidding." Then you pull out the big guns and furthur convince her then that this is the right thing to do. Please don't think I'm advocating **** here or anything, but 9 times out of ten you can get that answer changed with a bit of phychological trickery. In that situation, you don't accept "no" right away, do you?

Anyway, guys don't because it's a primitive reaction. Humans weren't built to be told "no" to. When a person wants something, they go get it, when they get it, they want something more. It's what drives our species.

When you coach, do you tell the team to accept defeat?

No, the big guys, take them to lunch when you're in. I don't know much about the way they do things in Pittsburgh, but I've never heard of an organization saying it was impossible for a young guy to get an internship.

I'm more apt to believe that they get 1,000 guys like you a year and their first test is to cut that number down a bit by saying it's impossible.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a rebuilding team. It has become a necessity for that organization to recognize young talent as potential assets and develop those assets to be contributors to the future of this storied and successful franchise.

This effort need not end on the ice. In the Pittsburgh area alone, there are young, intelligent, aggressive, and dedicated individuals that have a passion for the sport of hockey. And while their contributions cannot be measured on the ice, these young adults poccess the skills to contribute in ways far beyond breathtaking goals and spectacular saves.

And to prove their commitment, they are willing to work relentlessly for just the pleasure of being a part of the organization, the gratification of living their dreams, and the experience of a lifetime. Who can say no to that?

sorry if I didn't make this clear, but he said they do have internships but it is for schooling credit only (college students) I will continue to pursue the pens, but in while waiting to talk to them again i didn't feel it would be bad to go to wheeling. Gotta start somewhere.

I don't think they time was right when i asked and i did ask about WBS maybe down in Wheeling I could prove myself and work my way up to the pens :rolly: I agree they do get alot of requests i am sure, the one thing i need to work on is making a big impact quickly, i am prove my worth overtime, but that doesn't help much on interviews. Thanks again Louie

I don't think they time was right when i asked and i did ask about WBS maybe down in Wheeling I could prove myself and work my way up to the pens :rolly: I agree they do get alot of requests i am sure, the one thing i need to work on is making a big impact quickly, i am prove my worth overtime, but that doesn't help much on interviews. Thanks again Louie

Awesome posts louisleftwing :)

beechboy... How about first enquiring about taking a job on the ice (i.e. setting up the ice, fixing the glass, maintenance, etc.). Get your foot in the door from the bottom.

And get your face known around the arena. Gain access to the backrooms... And CP will likely be more willing to talk to you if you are in an arena maintenance uniform (already belonging to the organization). You no longer become just another nameless, faceless fan asking for advice / a favour / a chance.

My buddy is one here in Vancouver. He gets to talk to the Van players, refs, and management all the time. He also gets to meet the big stars when he sets up concerts... Pretty cool job in itself...

I think your best bet would be to start coaching a youth team in your area to first see if you are a capable coach. Work your way up. If you are successful in your area, apply for a job with a junior team. Find a few people around the area that are involved in hockey(fellow coaches, referees, league officials) to give you a good reference.

You can't jump in feet first to an NHL coaching job with no NHL experience in any capacity or any major coaching experience. That will just never happen. You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. Only way to go.

As far as the internships. Those are handed out to Sports Management students in colleges. I know this because it was the major I was going to select. A good friend of my family gained one of these about 12 years ago, during the Pens 1991 Cup season. After 2 seasons here, he got a job in Dallas, and now in Phoenix. Go to college for sports management or something along those lines if you want to work on the hockey world.

I think your best bet would be to start coaching a youth team in your area to first see if you are a capable coach. Work your way up. If you are successful in your area, apply for a job with a junior team. Find a few people around the area that are involved in hockey(fellow coaches, referees, league officials) to give you a good reference.

You can't jump in feet first to an NHL coaching job with no NHL experience in any capacity or any major coaching experience. That will just never happen. You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. Only way to go.

As far as the internships. Those are handed out to Sports Management students in colleges. I know this because it was the major I was going to select. A good friend of my family gained one of these about 12 years ago, during the Pens 1991 Cup season. After 2 seasons here, he got a job in Dallas, and now in Phoenix. Go to college for sports management or something along those lines if you want to work on the hockey world.



yeah, i have applied at RMU (robert morris) because they are trying to go Div. I hockey. Also i am looking for youth teams to coach. I am having a problem there also. I have been in contact with the pens and pirates about it and they both said to get back to them when i can get credit for it

yeah, i have applied at RMU (robert morris) because they are trying to go Div. I hockey. Also i am looking for youth teams to coach. I am having a problem there also. I have been in contact with the pens and pirates about it and they both said to get back to them when i can get credit for it

I was thinking of going sports management. Slippery Rock's program isn't too bad. I was looking at Pitt though for it. You should have gotten your coach's certification over the summer. Then signed up with a local amateur league to coach a young team, Mites or Squirts. I was an assistant coach under my dad and under my ex gf's dad for a few years.

I've heard some bad things about pitts sportsmanagement. Slippery Rock is ok but i have heard from my teacher that it wasn't tooo great. I know RMU has a tremendous program and it is pretty close to home which is a plus. I have time to decide. I am thinking to get a USA hockey coaching license soon. Thanks for your help