I came to the sad realization long ago that I wasn’t good enough to play in the National Hockey League. Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t born with Sidney Crosby’s playmaking abilities, Alex Ovechkin’s slap shot or the puck stopping reflexes of Andrei Vasilevskiy. As soon as I hung up my skates I turned my attention instead to a career on the other side of the glass.
I’ve seen “help wanted ads” for every hockey job possible, from Zamboni driver to back up mascot. Obviously being a hockey fan doesn’t necessarily qualify you for half of these positions. After all, no matter how much you love hockey, you might not be the best for “payroll accountant for the Anaheim Ducks”. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just get paid to watch hockey? You know just crack open a few brews with friends and collect a nice paycheck for it? Well, thanks to the amazing people at Budweiser Canada, one lucky soul will be able to.
Yes, you heard that right. From the mouth of one of the legends of the game Paul Bissonnette himself. One lucky soul will be crowned “Chief Hockey Officer” and make a cool $50,000 Canadian dollars (roughly $38,000 USD) to travel and watch their favorite team until April 2020. I thought replacing Gary Bettman was my dream job until I saw this.
Unfortunately, there are a few restrictions. While I was getting my hockey watching résumé ready at the speed of light, I sadly realized the contest is only open to Canadian residents. This might be the only time being a resident of the good old U.S.A. has worked against me. If you’re a Canadian resident, go ahead and shoot your shot at the hockey fan’s experience of a lifetime. If anyone from Budweiser USA is reading, I’d love to apply.
The contest is open until September 25th. Among the job requirements are being over 21, the legal drinking age in the United States, and having a valid passport for travel. In addition to the contest winner, they’re allowed to bring three friends along, so it’s sure to be a wild ride. Just don’t expect me not to be jealous of whoever wins.