[sureLoss]

kind of overlooked in Friedman's 30 thoughts

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/3...ttles-nhl-bid/

Eric Nystrom knew what he wanted to do when his playing career was over.

“I told Red Berenson that I wanted to replace him and coach Michigan hockey for 30 years,” Nystrom laughs on Tuesday. “He said, ‘Take a number, there’s a long list.’”

After nine seasons and 593 NHL games, Nystrom is eyeing that next phase. Father Bob, who won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, made it an early priority.

“My father made a much better living post-hockey, setting up a successful business. He was on me, would drive me crazy: ‘What are you going to do next?’ What are you going to do next?’

“My roommate at Michigan was Reilly Olson. He didn’t have as successful a pro career, but Red was always telling us how proud he was of Reilly. He finished his education and made the transition.”

Eric Nystrom has a liberal arts degree. Now, he’s taking online courses with the Business of Hockey Institute, working towards its Certified Hockey Professional (CHP) designation. Think of it as an Executive MBA specifically tailored to the sport.

As Nystrom jokes, he’s “the guinea pig,” the first player to try the program.

It’s intense, beginning with core business courses. He’s completed Strategic Management and Human Resources Management. The current focus is Finance and Managerial Accounting — for which he recently submitted a 3,000-word essay. Each course involves an approximately eight-week online commitment. The hockey stuff comes later, with a focus on both on-ice and business operations.

For someone like Nystrom, who’s also considered becoming an Athletic Director, there’s an opportunity to discover which path he prefers, learning both along the way. He credits Michelle Kennedy, Executive Vice-President, General Counsel and CFO of the Nashville Predators, for helping.