Real-Life Paper

Hockey is a game of both passion and skill. If you talk to anyone who is dedicated to the sport at any level, you will quickly be able to learn that there is a real uniqueness to it. It requires countless hours of practice, both on and off the ice, and the lifestyle and culture associated with the game that is very special. For Justin Cait, a Quinnipiac alumnus, this passion for the game took off at a young age, and he is still living the dream today. However, his dream does not consist of his scoring goals on the NHL Stage, but allows him to apply his skills in communications and media to the game’s biggest stage: The National Hockey League

“I am coordinator for the Digital Asset Archive, which collects, identifies and archives all media going through the league,” Cait said of his duties. “I primarily review and catalog nightly game footage, historic photo collections and other media from third-parties.”

However, this did not just happen overnight. Cait was able to strive towards his goal of working in hockey by becoming heavily involved with student media at Quinnipiac. He was a crucial member of The Quinnipiac Chronicle, serving as the sports editor for both his sophomore and junior years, before becoming the web director of the club during his fourth and final year as a Bobcat. Cait was also the beat writer for the Quinnipiac men’s hockey team, a national powerhouse on the highest stage in college hockey. And then, during his senior year, he saw a job posting by the NHL on LinkedIn, applied, and the rest is history.

“Student media as a whole provides students with a legitimate platform to gain accountability, practice and concurrently gain exposure,” Cait said of his experiences at Quinnipiac. “It helps a student bolster a resume to get looks for internships and ultimately a job. The academics in the classroom set the foundation for a time to practice within student media before taking that experience into the sports workforce.”

Cait’s ability to act on his passion has certainly put him in a good position for success. Just in his first few months of working for the league, he has already seen the benefits of this great opportunity. Cait described working in hockey, even in an entry level position, as “a reward in itself.” Even with this early success, there is still much to learn.

“My biggest failure so far has been making small mistakes when learning on the fly,” Cait said of his early challenges. “The specifics that go into the quality control of digital content before it is accessible to the NHL Video Library is detail-oriented and takes some trial and error before developing a muscle memory of sorts.”

While the job itself has been an adjustment, so has living in New York City, where the league office is located. Changing from the college routine to working a 9-5 job in less than a few months can be a daunting task, but Cait actually favors this professional lifestyle.

“While I do miss the hands-on experience I had in school, I like working full-time more because of the ability to focus in on a specific field I’m interested in as a career, while also learning if it is a fit. Getting paid to do so in the process is great too…”

At 22 years old, Cait has put himself in a great position for success. While his skills in media have certainly gotten him to this position, he also feels as though there is a vital importance in relationship building when it comes to this type of work.

“While working at a corporate level can be intimidating at times, and focusing on work is required, but it is also really important to form relationships and socialize with coworkers,” Cait said.

The sky's the limit for Justin Cait. To be less than a year out of college and already succeeding with an iconic organization like the NHL is an accomplishment in itself, so it will be interesting to see where his talents take him in the future. For now, he will keep learning, as he continues to live his dream of working in hockey.