Business of Hockey Institute (BHI) to Offer Major Scholarships to Students Studying the Business of Hockey

EDMONTON, Feb. 4, 2016 /CNW/ - The Business of Hockey Institute (BHI) announced today that, in the next few months, it will award as many as 30 "Top Prospects" scholarships to students pursuing their Certified Hockey Professional (CHP) designation. The minimum amount of each scholarship is $15,000/student. However, BHI will also match donor and sponsor contributions to a maximum of $25,000, meaning that Top Prospect scholarships may be as much as $50,000 per student.

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According to BHI co-founder and board member, Brian Burke, "This is about BHI putting its money where its mouth is. We created BHI and the CHP designation to provide hockey organizations with the means to develop their off-ice talent. Until employers appreciate the value of this investment, it's up to BHI to make sure the program is accessible to the people that ought to be taking it."

BHI was created in 2014 by a group of prominent hockey executives with a mandate to improve the economic viability of professional and amateur hockey through education, research, consultancy, and advocacy. In 2015, it created the Certified Hockey Professional (CHP) designation with four inter-related objectives in mind:

1. Identify and recognize the executives and managers whose efforts make it possible for others to play and watch the most exciting sport on the planet.
2. Encourage talented executives and managers to pursue a career in the hockey business.
3. Create a pool of draft-ready managerial talent to staff hockey-related organizations.
4. Improve the economic viability of professional and amateur hockey.

The CHP is targeted at individuals working in any hockey-related organization, whether it be a professional hockey franchise, a sports equipment maker, a media conglomerate, or some other organization involved with hockey.

The CHP is offered through BHI's academic partner, Athabasca University (AU). Those with a business degree can pursue the designation on its own. Alternatively, it can be completed as part of AU's executive MBA program (www.chp.education). Athabasca University's executive MBA is delivered online making it feasible for hockey executives and managers to participate regardless of their location or travel schedule.

"This is exciting news for future students," says BHI board member (and its other co-founder), Ritch Winter. "But it's also exciting for any organization who wants to register a student in the program. If they contribute $25,000, BHI will match that amount. And if it's a Canadian organization, the Canada Jobs Grant program could end up covering all of the remaining costs. It's an incredible ROI for any team willing to invest in its office staff."

Individuals interested in benefiting from this program are encouraged to visit the Business of Hockey Institute's web site (businessofhockeyinstitute.com) as well as Athabasca University's web site (hockey.mba). As well, a short video describing the program can be found online at video.chp.education. The deadline for MBA CHP applications is March 15, 2016; for those seeking just the CHP, the deadline is June 15, 2016.

Donors, sponsors, and hockey organizations interested in creating a scholarship in their name (or anonymously), should contact BHI directly.

SOURCE Athabasca University Faculty of Business

Image with caption: "Business of Hockey Institute (CNW Group/Athabasca University Faculty of Business)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160204_C3206_PHOTO_EN_613850.jpg

Michael K. Mauws, PhD, ICD.D, Executive Director, Business of Hockey Institute, [email protected], Phone [phone], Cell 403.614.6983; Chris McLeod, MBA, Director, Marketing, Athabasca University, Faculty of Business & The Business of Hockey Institute, [email protected], Phone [phone], Cell 7809650286