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The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

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Old 09-17-2008, 03:29 PM   #25
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Re: The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

I really like this man, keep it up.
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Old 09-17-2008, 06:30 PM   #26
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Re: The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

good job Bhurst, I really like this BAP alot
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Old 09-18-2008, 03:37 PM   #27
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Re: The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

This is one of the best that I had followed here and you have not even played a game yet. Can't wait to see your videos and recaps like in your F1 Dynasty.
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Old 09-19-2008, 12:05 AM   #28
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Re: The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

July 18, 2008

How is it I am sitting here seriously thinking about putting my future in the hands of a man I thought I was an idiot less than three weeks ago?

Since I was drafted at the end of June by the Chicago Blackhawks in the eighth round, Pete Satt, an agent, has phoned me every second day, offering advice on what I can expect as a minor leaguer with the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs.

That's the same Pete Satt who seemed to have trouble remembering my name on the
day I was drafted.

But if Satt is one thing, it is that he is persistent. I also haven't forgotten that in the days leading up to the draft he was the only agent who called me and the only agent who was willing to provide me with information.

My dad wanted to make sure someone looked over the contract that was being offered by Chicago. It was what is called a two-way contract offering the NHL minimum of $500,000 if I played in the NHL and $35,000 -- just above the $30,000 American Hockey League minimum -- playing for the IceHogs.

I mentioned it to Satt during one of his phone calls and he asked if he could give a presentation at my house with my family present. I figured I didn't need an agent to negotiate the deal since I was willing to sign the contact but what did I have to lose if I listened to Satt? I figured I might learn something before we kicked Satt out of the house.

Satt arrived the next day and it turns out I have seriously underestimated him.

He came to the house with a DVD that started with highlights of my junior career and morphed into a presentation of the NHL collective bargaining agreement and off-ice things I had to be aware of it.

Satt said he thought that he could get me a small increase in the AHL salary the Blackhawks were offering if he was my agent. He said as my agent he would charge five per cent as his fee and seven per cent if I wanted him to manage all my financial affairs.

I figured any agent could probably get me a slight increase in salary.

But Satt had more. He sat at our kitchen table and told us he put on a series of seminars for his clients during the course of the year. These were seminars that little to do with the game of hockey.

There were seminars on avoiding drug and alcohol abuse. He started telling stories about how many players careers had been derailed by alcohol. I had seen that problem first hand in the Ontario Hockey League but I wasn't concerned.

My dad, however, was listening attentively like a patient in a doctor's office. He thought it was a terrific idea.

There were seminars on women. I laughed at that one; I knew all about puck bunnies. But Satt insisted there were women out there who I had to be very wary about it. That there were players out there who were financially destroyed from paying child support.

"That's a great idea," said my sister. "You've got to be very careful." Where did that come from I wondered as my sister, pointed her finger in my direction. What kind of girls did my sister know?

There were seminars on preparing for a life after hockey.

"I just want to play hockey," I told Satt. "Everything else will take care of itself."

That's when mom spoke.

"You need to think about your future if hockey doesn't work out," she said. "I don't want you destitute."

Satt had done it. He had won over my family and I have to say even I was impressed by the detail in his presentation.

Satt said I only had to have him as an agent as long as I wanted. That he would take his fee from the bonus he would negotiate and that I could fire him at any point before my next contract. It sounded like a no-lose situation.

Satt left an agency agreement at my home and encouraged me to have a lawyer look over it before I left for Rockford in two days. I said I would but it was clear when he left our home that Satt, the same man I wanted to kill three weeks ago, was going to be my agent.
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Old 09-19-2008, 03:28 PM   #29
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Re: The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

nice update man, really enjoying this
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Old 09-20-2008, 11:06 AM   #30
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Re: The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

Aug. 1, 2008

I don't know whether I should be amazed or alarmed.

I met today with Rockford IceHogs general manager Tom Rowe. He invited me into his office to discuss his goals for the upcoming season.

I went into his office this morning at 8:30 am, still a little sleepy. It has been a long two weeks of finding an apartment, moving and meetings with assistant coaches.

The office is not much to look at. Above Rowe's desk there's a picture taken inside the sold-out MetroCentre arena of opening night last season -- Rockford's first in the American Hockey League. It sits above a desk that is cluttered with newspapers, hockey magazines and hand-written notes. There is a plant in the corner that looks like it hasn't been watered since the spring. The branches are leaning over the faded green pot, looking like they want to escape.

I sit in one of the two metal chairs in front of the desk and I brush my hand and feel something soft beneath the arm rest. I feel it's texture and realize it's somebody's discarded gum stuck there.

"You have potential," Rowe starts. "But you've got to work hard. This isn't the Ontario Hockey League. You can't take shifts off. You have to know your defensive responsibilities. You can play hard or you cannot play at all."

I was wide awake now. I thought we were going to talk about the team's goals but this was more personal.

"Your value to this organization will be as a playmaker. We've got guys who can put the puck in the net. You're job is to get them that puck."

"I'll do whatever I can to help this --" I started.

"Bryan, shut up and listen. I don't want any of that team raw-raw bull right now."

I froze in my chair.

"Here's our goals for you this year." He reached into the chaos that was his desk and pulled out a three-ring binder. He flipped it open and read.

"We expect you to score 60 assists."

My mouth dropped to the floor. Sixty assists! I only scored 20 goals and 65 assists in my final year of junior hockey and this man was expecting 60 assists in my first season of professional hockey.

"We expect you to score 10 goals."

Okay, that was more realistic.

"We expect you to score 70 points."

Thanks. I knew 10 goals and 60 assists equaled 70 points.

"We expect you to take 157 shots."

That was a bit of curious goal but it was certainly attainable.

"Now get out there and remember to always give us maximum effort. I won't except anything less."

I left the room without saying a word. Frankly, I didn't know what to say to him that wouldn't be misinterpreted.

Seventy points! Who expects 70 points out of an eighth-round pick?

Should I be amazed that they think enough of me that they think I can score that many points? Or maybe this is why the Blackhawks haven't made the playoffs since dinosaurs roamed the Earth: The entire organization has its head in the sky.
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Old 09-20-2008, 04:10 PM   #31
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Re: The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

wow 60 assists, you'll probably get all 70 points.
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Old 10-02-2008, 10:55 PM   #32
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Re: The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

Sept. 20, 2008

I'm starting to wonder if Rockford's general manager has ever talked to Rockford's coach.

It was another strange day as a first-year pro in the Blackhawks organization.

I guess I shouldn't worry about it. If I play well on the ice everything else should take care of itself.

It seems like we have been waiting an eternity for the season to start and players are starting to get restless at training camp. A fight almost broke out today between Bryan Bickell and Petri Kontiolla after they were jostling for a puck in the corner and neither one of them is a fighter.

A lot of veteran players are upset that they were cut from the Chicago Blackhawks camp and have been assigned to the American League farm team. A lot of the young players are sick of the two-a-day practises, the meetings, the weight training, the video sessions -- we just want to play somebody.

The practises start to wear you down mentally. We've had practises on the ice where there is no puck -- do you believe that? It's just the coaches going over various forechecking schemes and defensive coverages in our own end.

I spent a few hours with the team doctor yesterday doing baseline tests in the event that I get a concussion. They measure stuff like an a player's memory, vision, attention span and coordination. If I get a concussion they'll retest me and compare the results with yesterday's test.

Who knew hockey could be so boring?

The long wait for the season does gives us a chance to bond as a team. As rookies we are one step above an ant on the food chain.

While I was conducting my tests, Colin Fraser came into the room, grabbed a chart, looked like he was reading it intently, looked at me seriously and says:

"Bad news rookie, you have incurable stupidity. Good news is you can't get a concussion if you don't have a brain."

He exited the door before I even had a chance to respond.

It has been an odd mixture of tedium, bonding and learning. That is until I went into head coach Bill Peters office today.

"Bryan, I've watched your hard work at camp," Peters said. "You've had a decent camp for a rookie. I decided that you will start the season on the third line."

I couldn't believe it. Just a few weeks ago the GM had told me the organization expected me to score 70 points. How was I going to do that on the third line?

Last year only one player on this team, Martin St. Pierre, cracked 70 points and you better believe he was on the first line. How am I going to do that when the first and second lines are going to receive most of the ice time?

"You're going to get a chance to anchor the second power play unit," he continued.

Had Peters even talked to the GM? It's going to take a maracle to crack 50 points with that little ice time.

"You'll be the number one centre on the penalty killing unit."

Obviously, Peters didn't believe I had any scoring ability. He was going to use me in a checking role -- a role I had no experience playing in junior. They might as well have just put me in net for all the good I was going to do there.

"You're going to be our second shooter in shootouts."

Peters was a certifiable nut. I was furious. I'm not a good enough scorer to play on the top two lines but come the shootout, I am the second guy.

I left Peters office angry but I was smart enough as rookie not to say anything stupid. It was going to be a long season once it began and this wasn't the time or place to get into a war of words with my first professional coach.

I would show them starting in October that I was better than his lowly opinion.

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Last edited by bhurst99; 10-02-2008 at 11:02 PM.
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