Moving on from a life that you’ve always lived can be difficult.
As former NHL agitator Sean Avery explained Thursday in his latest post for The Players’ Tribune, moving on from hockey has its challenges.
“At the end of every season, professional athletes have two realities: we’re either celebrating a championship, or we’re saying, ‘wait until next season,'” Avery said. “But there eventually comes a third reality called ‘Transition Season.’ You hang up your skates, and call it a day. There won’t be another season. There’s just the rest of your life.”
It’s different for every NHL player. Avery decided to ease his transition into the real world by traveling coach on a flight to New Zealand and doing an internship at Vogue during one off-season.
Download it FREE now: iOS | Android | Windows
Avery explained the pressures that come with being an NHL player and the high expectations from coaches and fans can be taxing. The 35-year-old, who retired in 2012, also said he put on a face while playing to get opponents to dislike him.
“I needed people to hate me,” Avery said. “I needed players to come after me in order to stay motivated. Because honestly, playing in the NHL can become stagnant after a few years, especially if you have intellectual interests outside the rink.”
Avery played 580 NHL games in his career and collected 1,533 penalty minutes and 247 points.
The article also encourages fellow players to go back to school after retiring.
