Option 2:

Agents are a huge part of the sporting business. They deal with the all of the finer details of a player's life so they only have to worry about playing. They are an integral part of a player's life, which is surprising to me that lately a lot of younger players have chosen to forgo having an agent and handle things themselves. While I understand wanting to be in control of your own life, I've found having an agent there to help has been amazing.

My agent is a long time friend of mine who rose through the ranks in sports business at the same time I've been rising through the professional hockey ranks. We've been connected through these journeys since the beginning and we've developed a level of friendship and trust that you need to make a relationship like this work. I trust him to have my best interests at heart and to control the chaos of the business side while I can focus on hockey. He handles contract negotiations, media appearances, sponsorship deals, basically anything business related. It's been a great pairing and one that will continue as I take the step into the SHL this upcoming season.

(200 words)