Professional athletes are role-models and people to aspire to and cheer for, but what most people don’t know is what happens after they hang up their skates, cleats, pads or gloves.

For Jim Kyte, 17 years in Professional hockey, 14 of which in the NHL, moving on from hockey entirely was his way of retirement. Not helped by a car accident he suffered in 1998.

“That chapter of my life was over,” says Kyte. “I had to move on. I couldn’t play anymore. I just focused on my own health.”

His career in sports was not to be left behind though as Kyte then began writing for the Ottawa Citizen, a column called The Point Man.

Kyte’s style of play in the NHL was one of intensity and toughness, taking on the likes of Marty McSorley and Dave Brown to defend his teammates and he attributes that to his work ethic in his post-professional hockey career.

Returning to school in 2010 to obtain a Masters, Jim Kyte Graduated in 2012 with an M.B.A with a specialization in Executive Management.

Education has always played an important role in his life.

“My parents were very big on education,” says Kyte. “I couldn’t play my competitive sports unless I did well in school so that was always a priority.”

In 2002 Kyte helped to create the Sport Management post-graduate program at Algonquin College and shortly after became the Academic Chair of the Marketing and Management studies Department. Last year, Kyte became the Dean of the Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts.

Guys like Sydney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin will never have to worry about money again, these guys will be the face of hockey for a long time to come. But for guys like Jim Kyte, the NHL isn’t the lifelong career that people strive for. Some players have to take on another career after playing and for Kyte that turned out pretty well.