Professional hockey experience. Direct client relationships.

Some people choose hockey. For Rick, hockey chose him — again and again.

Rick played hockey in small-town Saskatchewan from the age of six. His career really began, though, far from the rink — launching a farm supply business at just 20 years old. What began as a hands-on operation quickly scaled into a thriving enterprise with a retail division and more than 100 employees. By his mid-twenties, he had already built and sold two successful companies — Northland Agro and Parkland Petroleum — proving he could spot opportunity and turn it into growth.

Then hockey came calling.

He joined the Prince Albert Raiders on the business side — and within a year, he was running the entire organization as General Manager, CEO, and Governor. He loved building success from the front office, pushing the club forward, working closely with the league's most powerful decision-makers, and gaining firsthand insight into the real engine of the sport: the players and the people who represent them.

But in a publicly owned organization, too many voices diluted the vision. The shine wore off. He knew he needed a change — one driven by passion, not politics. After years dealing with player agents, he felt drawn to the role. So he stepped away, turned down other hockey executive offers, and — briefly — explored a career as a financial advisor. The suit-and-tie life lasted just long enough to make one thing clear: he belonged in the game.

He called an agent he trusted and said, "I'm ready."

He joined the hockey division of Allan Walsh's agency (the Beverly Hills Sports Council) — later acquired into the Octagon powerhouse — and never looked back. Since 2003, Mr. Valette has been an NHLPA Certified Agent, representing 29+ professional clients across North America and Europe, including many top prospects and established NHL talent. His European practice spans every major hockey market — Russia, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Germany — negotiating high-stakes deals in the world's most competitive leagues.

His commitment to athletes extends beyond the ice. He has negotiated major broadcasting contracts with TSN, Sportsnet, and Fox Sports, elevating some of Canada's most recognizable sports media personalities. He has invested in and guided companies through growth and transformation, including Advance-Tek Consulting, which expanded successfully into the tech sector after his leadership.

Despite never attending university early in life, his belief is that leaders never stop learning. He has since completed advanced education including:

• Certificate of Law — Queen's University
• Business Law & Contract Management — Mount Royal University
• Negotiation Mastery — Harvard University
• Canadian Securities Course

Because when you negotiate the futures of athletes, you owe them mastery.

Today, Mr. Valette brings the full force of his business intelligence, hockey experience, global negotiating expertise, and relentless athlete-first philosophy into every contract and every career he shapes. He doesn't just represent players — he protects their value, builds their opportunity, and helps them rise as leaders in the sport they love.

From the farm, to the front office, to the world's biggest hockey stages — his story proves one thing: players succeed when the person behind them knows what it means to build something from nothing.