From the ice to the office: Dion Phaneuf finds niche in sales job following retirement

There was a point in Dion Phaneuf’s career with the Toronto Maple Leafs where he probably felt like being an NHL captain was the only job he’d ever have to work.

But more than four years removed from his final NHL game in April 2019 with the Los Angeles Kings, Phaneuf has found himself enveloped in the business world.

Officially announcing his retirement in 2021, Phaneuf, like any other NHL player, faced speculation of where exactly he’d go in his post-hockey life. Media? Coaching? A front office gig?

For the past seven months, Phaneuf has been working a corporate sales gig in Global Partnerships with AEG Worldwide, the entertainment company that co-owns the Kings, as well as operating Coachella Music Festival and various other ventures across the world.

Though he earned upwards of $80 million in his NHL career — and is married to Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert — Phaneuf’s found his niche working in the sales world.

“I’ve really enjoyed that. It keeps me involved in sport,” Phaneuf said in an interview with Daily Hive. “I’ve always been passionate about the business side of sport and I’m really enjoying my new job.”

Phaneuf was back in Ontario this week for an appearance at a celebrity golf tournament — the Joe Carter Classic — run by a fellow Toronto sports alumni in support of the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada.

“I always love coming back to Toronto. I’ve got great memories of when I played here,” Phaneuf added. “They have an incredible, passionate fan base that has always treated me very well.”

A 2003 ninth-round pick by the Calgary Flames, Phaneuf split his 14-year career with four different franchises.

Phaneuf played 423 games for the Leafs in his career across seven seasons, before a 2016 trade sent him to the provincial rival Ottawa Senators. A bit out of the spotlight, Phaneuf was a key piece of Ottawa’s 2017 playoff run that saw them go on a shocking journey to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals before eventually falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But he knows as well as anyone the pressure and narratives around the current Leafs roster, who were able to win the franchise’s first playoff series since 2004 this past spring before falling in the second round to the Florida Panthers.

Phaneuf spoke of the challenge ahead for new Toronto general manager Brad Treliving, who — like himself — came from the Flames organization into a high-pressure role.

“They’ve built a real good team here. You know, they’re gonna have success eventually…  they’ve got a lot of great pieces here,” Phaneuf said. “I think Brad Treliving coming in, he’s going to do an incredible job. I got a lot of respect for him. He’s been around the game a long time. So I wish him the best.”

Back in January 2020, Phaneuf was spotted alongside Leafs president Brendan Shanahan at a game at Scotiabank Arena.

Though some speculated he might be pining for a front office job or something else with the Leafs, Phaneuf shut down the idea that he’ll be pursuing a high-stakes job in hockey anytime soon.

For now, he’ll simply be rooting for the team from afar while working in corporate sales.

“I’ve got a good relationship with [Shanahan],” Phaneuf said. “I wish the Toronto Maple Leafs nothing but success and I hope they have lots of success.”

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