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Roc Nation Sports Ready To Drop The Mitts And Fight For Clients In The NHL

The following is a guest contribution from Matt Tympanick, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth School of Law Class of 2015. Salve Regina University Class of 2012.

roc nationAccording to Sports Business Journal, Roc Nation Sports, a full service Sports Management Agency founded by Shawn “Jay Z” Carter is likely about dive into the final big four sport, hockey. The word came down from Michael Yormark who is the company’s President and chief of branding strategy. Roc Nation Sports already represents athletes in baseball, basketball, and football. It would seem hockey is the final piece of the Grand Slam of Sports Representation and allows Jay Z to proclaim that he is one of the few agents who has major clients in all four major sports.

Roc Nation sports already represents the likes of Robinson Cano, Victor Cruz, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, and Rusney Castillo who just recently signed a 7 year, $72.5 Million contract with the Boston Red Sox. Kevin Durant, on the other hand, was reportedly offered a 10 year, $265 Million deal with Under Armour.

Jay Z’s representation of New York Jets Quarterback Geno Smith raised some eyebrows around the 2013 NFL Draft, because in order to be a certified NFL agent, according to the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, one must have some kind of graduate degree, which Jay Z does not. Thus, he hired Kim Miale to serve in that role. The NHL collective bargaining agreement so far as I can tell does not have such provision.

Roc Nation Sports credits no hockey players on its roster. Thus, the question remains, who would Jay Z want to represent? As far back as April of 2013, it was reported that Roc Nation Sports wanted to represent Nashville Predators Defensemen Seth Jones who at the time was rumored to be in consideration to be the 1st African-American to be selected with the number #1 overall pick. Seth Jones, however, was not selected one overall, but slid to the Predators at #4. Seth Jones was in consideration for the Team USA Men’s Olympic team, but was not selected based on his relative inexperience. It is also possible Roc Nation Sports would target New York Islanders Center and Captain Jonathan Tavares. Tavares who is the midst of a six year $33 million extension he signed in September 2011 will be only 27 when he is eligible to be a free agent after the 2017-2018 season. With the Islanders moving their home games to the Barclays Center beginning with the 2015-2016 seasons it will be interesting to see if Jay Z, who once owned a minority stake in the Brooklyn Nets, tries to convince Tavares to switch representation.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.