There are plenty of stories out there involving former professional athletes struggling to find their way once they retire.  Some cite a lack of formal education, money, or desire to begin the transition from their playing career. However, there are others who find success right out of the gate.  Following a 12-year pro career, Derek Bekar, is one of those players.  And as he is currently involved with three different business ventures, Bekar is offering to help other former players by providing mentorship and support as well as extending employment opportunities through the PHPA Alumni Network.

Bekar was born and raised in Burnaby, BC and though he enjoyed playing minor hockey in Western Canada, he made the decision to play college hockey at the University of New Hampshire (UNH).  Playing NCAA hockey was always the plan for him.

“I went on a visit to UNH and immediately fell in love with the campus,” said Bekar.  “I had a good feeling with the coach and it ended up being a great decision. I have nothing but good memories from my time there, whether it was the new rink or their great fans.”

1995 was a big year for Bekar, as not only did he begin his college hockey career at UNH where he majored in Business, he was also drafted by the St. Louis Blues who kept a close eye on him throughout his college career.

Bekar had an outstanding showing during his third season with UNH, producing 60 points in 35 games. St. Louis then signed him to his first professional contract and assigned him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Worcester IceCats the following season.

“St. Louis thought I was ready to turn professional and leave early, as I still had another year of NCAA eligibility. I wasn’t looking to leave early because everything was going amazing at UNH, but they made me a great offer.”

Bekar got off to a hot start in his rookie AHL campaign before breaking his leg 18 games into the year.  Despite the injury, he still collected 36 points in 51 AHL games that season.  Throughout his first professional experience, he seemed unfazed by the transition yet still noticed subtle differences between the NCAA and AHL.

“It was tough living and shopping on your own.  At school you had the dining hall. You also have to adapt to longer seasons; going from 35 games to almost 100 with exhibition and playoffs. Learning how to take care of your body is also tough, especially factoring in the long bus rides.  But I had a fantastic year and played with some really good players.”

During the 1999-00 season, his second at the pro level, Bekar’s dream came true when he was called up by the St. Louis Blues to play his first NHL game.  He still remembers the experience, including how he found out he was being called up.

“We were on the bus coming back from Portland when as soon as we got back, our coach Greg Gilbert called me into his office, said that I’m getting called up and that my flight out is at 7am.  I remember being extremely nervous and not sleeping.”

“I sat out the first game against San Jose, which was good because I was on no sleep. We played against Nashville the next game and I got into the lineup, getting the opportunity to share the ice with players like Chris Pronger, Al McInnis, and Pierre Turgeon.  I didn’t really play how I wanted because I was so nervous.”

After five more seasons split between the AHL and NHL, Bekar made the decision to continue his career overseas, joining EHC Chur in Switzerland. While it may originally have been a short-term plan, five years later he was still playing in Europe.

“I had heard a lot of good things from other players about playing overseas. My agent got me an offer in Switzerland and it looked pretty nice. I was just married and my wife agreed we could do it for one year only, but the experience was so good that five years went by and she was begging me to stay.”

After playing in Scotland, Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, and Holland, Bekar returned to North America in 2008 to play for the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL affiliate at the time, the Springfield Falcons.

“Edmonton was looking for a veteran AHL player as they had a lot of prospects coming in that year. They made a good offer I wasn’t expecting. It was fun. I was 31 at the time playing with 19 and 20-year-old kids, so it was a different role for me. I was the guy that competes every night and provides a veteran presence in the locker room. It was a different AHL experience for sure.

In 2010, after one more season playing in Europe, Bekar retired from professional hockey finishing with 490 AHL games, 11 NHL games, and 153 games played in Europe. While it was tough to walk away from the game, he knew the timing was right.

“My strength was my speed and I knew it was time to retire when I wasn’t the fastest guy out there anymore. I was having trouble playing my game. I was healthy, but I lost some of my drive. Mentally and physically, I knew it was time to move on.”

Fortunately, Bekar leveraged his education from the University of New Hampshire as well as his network of contacts he made while playing hockey to somewhat easily transition to a post hockey career.

“A friend of mine that I played college and European hockey with, Eric Nickulas, had approached me with an opportunity in the energy industry. He grew up with some guys that were working in this industry as well. Being in New Hampshire at the time, it was a new market for them, so I listened to what he had to say and it ended up working out.  We formed Energy Auction House four years later.”

Energy Auction House is a company that aims to provide customers with the lowest possible electricity and natural gas prices. They function through an online auction platform and strive to offer customers transparency in the prices available to them.

While Bekar may have had an easier transition than some players, he recognizes that others may struggle and need help catching their break.  As a player, he had been in regular communication with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) which is the union that represents AHL and ECHL players, for assistance with insurance or taking advantage of marketing partnership programs.  But when he found out the PHPA recently launched an Alumni Network, he immediately reached out offering to help.

“I remember the PHPA was always very helpful to me with any number of random life things during my playing career, so when I heard they were launching a formal Alumni Network, I thought it was an amazing idea and reached out right away as a means to help give back. I have been able to have success in sales because about 90% of my contacts made during my hockey career are used for my job today. It really has come down to who you know. I couldn’t tell you how many deals I have closed in the New Hampshire area alone because I played hockey for the university plus the Manchester Monarchs.”

Today, Bekar is involved with other organizations besides Energy Auction House.  His wife is a real estate agent, and together they own and manage 28 rental units ranging from single family homes to condos to waterfront cottages.   

He also runs a sports agency business he co-founded called Higher Hockey Management, which helps in guiding players who aim to start or continue their hockey careers in Europe. Founded with fellow UNH teammate and PHPA Alumni Jason Krog, they currently represent over 60 players looking to compete overseas.

Bekar is always looking to grow his businesses and welcomes the idea of extending opportunities to former hockey players like himself.

“With Energy Auction House, there are opportunities in the sales department, which also opens up consulting jobs and referral programs. That is where former players can leverage their contacts from their careers. Within Higher Hockey Management, we are always looking for people to join our team and we have had people come on recently. They refer people to our company and we compensate them.”

Bekar hopes he can be of assistance to players that are seeking a post hockey career. He has used his hockey journey to learn qualities that he uses today, hoping that others begin to do the same.

“Start planning ahead; don’t wait for your career to end. You never expect a career-ending injury or that season where you can’t get a contract. Start making some phone calls and look around before the time comes so it is not a last-minute panic. Starting the process early is vital.”

While the transition out of hockey can be tumultuous for some, it is encouraging to know that players such as Bekar have transitioned well, and on top of that, are offering to help prepare other current and former players to do the same.