Making the leap from agent to team leader: Pat Brisson isn’t closing the door

Normally, when an agent works with field hockey players, he or she doesn’t jump the fence. They stay with their clients and try to represent their interests to the 32 NHL teams.

There are exceptions, however. Pierre Lacroix with the Nordiques and Avalanche… Émilie Castonguay with the Canucks… Jeff Jackson with the Oilers… Kent Hughes with the Canadiens…

Obviously, it’s a big decision – especially for a veteran. Kent Hughes, when he took the job in Montreal, parted ways with his agency, so it was a big decision.

After all, if he hadn’t done the job in Montreal, he wouldn’t have been able to simply return to his old loves with ease.

All this to say that the bigger an agent is, the bigger the process of potentially changing vocation to become an executive. That said, because they are masters of negotiation, the names of the big agents often come up.

And if there’s one name that comes up a lot, it’s Pat Brisson. You can feel it when there’s an opening, but Daniel Brière says it too, so it’s not exactly a myth.

That said, since he’s the head of a huge company and his agency has a hundred NHL clients, it would be a huge logistical challenge, we agree.

That said, the man himself wouldn’t rule out such a challenge one day, as we heard on 98.5 Sports last night with Yanick Bouchard as host.

🏒🕴️‍♂️🖊️ Interview with Pat Brisson, NHL player agent for Sidney Crosby, Cole Caufield and Nathan MacKinnon.

He explains the inner workings of being an NHL player agent.

Listen here with @ybouchardRDS ▶️ https://t.co/4xvjKIcsBs pic.twitter.com/qbTZV0Atxn

– 98,5 Sports (@985Sports) August 23, 2023

Is he saying he’s going to jump the fence? No, that’s not what he’s saying.

However, it’s normal, when you’re offered the opportunity to think about taking on a big challenge as president of field hockey operations or GM of a club, to think about it.

Of course, I often question myself when these decisions may be more interesting than others (…) For the future, you never know. – Pat Brisson

Be careful: I still have the feeling that someone who says he’s very good at his job will never make the leap. He’s at the top of his profession right now, and I think he knows it.

He makes lots and lots of money from commissions on the contracts he negotiates, and his job security is attractive. He sees himself potentially doing this for the rest of his life with a team he loves.

I get the feeling, listening to him talk, that he simply doesn’t want to close any doors. While he has no intention of becoming president of field hockey operations, he can listen to what’s on offer, can’t he?

So don’t expect to see him leave his agency any time soon, but if the right club (which won’t be the CH, which already has people in place) calls for the Los Angeles-based man, who knows….

Gossip

– Evan Bouchard and the Oilers get along.

– It’s a good fit.

– William Nylander wants to stay in Toronto.

– Oh well.

– Tim Stutzle is excited.