Creating converts to the "coolest game on
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t may appear that for Bryant McBride '88, geography is destiny. He grew up in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, a city known for its sub-zero temperatures and record snowfalls, and the 35 native sons who skated their way into the National Hockey League (NHL). Today McBride is the director of new business development for the NHL. But he believes that his love of sports and his desire to "make a difference," not geography, led him to a career in what he describes as the ultimate team sport.
contends, is to make it more accessible to the public. "One of the greatest impediments to the growth of hockey in the United States is the lack of ice rinks," said McBride, who works out of the NHL5 New York City offices. In Canada, where the sport is not only .the national pastime but also something of a religion, the counuy's 29 million residents can skate in 5,500 ice rinks. The same number of people living in California have only 61 rinks. To expose more people to the excitement of hockey, the
for example, of which McBride is a member, helps to recruit new players and assists innercity hockey progran1s in raising money by allowing the use of the NHL logo in fundraising efforts. A common denominator
As someone who still manages to play hockey once a week, McBride is convinced of the physical benefits and characterbuilding value of the game, especially for children. "Hockey is a huge common denominator for kids," he believes. "It doesn't
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Bryant McBride '88 with hockey legend Bobby Orr
In his role, McBride supports an ambitious overall NHL marketing initiative aimed at increasing the sport's fan base through greater television exposure, merchandising, grassroots involvement, and other initiatives. One important way to make hockey more popular, he
NHL will construct prototype ice-skating facilities with an inline skating component to encourage roller-bladers to venture out onto the ice, he said. The NHL also has other ventures underway to attract more fans. The league's Task Force for Diversity in Hockey,
matter if you are a wise guy or fat. It puts everyone on equal footing very quickly. To score a goal, you need to be reliant on your teammates." McBride, who was born in Chicago and moved to Canada at the age of five, knows firsthand that hockey has the power
to transform a person's life. After moving to Ontario, he stepped out onto the ice quickly, honed his talents, and in high school was recruited to play for the U.S. Military 路Academy at West Point. Before 路formally entering the academy in 1984, he spent one year at Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts studying American history and becoming acclimated to life in the United States. Despite doing well and being elected the academy's first African-American class president, McBride spent only one and one-half years there. "West Point is a trade school where you learn how to be the best Army officer in the world. My interests lay elsewhere," he said of his reason for leaving. While exploring schools with good academic reputations where he could continue to play hockey, McBride was asked to come to Trinity by the College's hockey coach, John Dunham, who had seen him skate in Massachusetts. "Bryant has a tremendous amount of talent. He gave our team strength and depth," Dunham said. McBride was a defenseman for Trinity's championship hockey team during its 1986-1988 reign at the top of the ECAC North-South Held. "He's a wonderful human being with boundless energy to do what has to be done," Dunham said of McBride. For McBride doing what has to be done still involves Trinity. A member of the executive committee of the College's National Alumni Association, McBride remains involved in Trinity's academic and athletic activities. This year, for example, after running an NHL tournament in Finland to showcase that country's homegrown