ThereB次元官网网址檚 plenty happening near Matt PettingerB次元官网网址檚 downtown Victoria office, where the din of power tools, teetering construction cranes and traffic detours offer signs that things arenB次元官网网址檛 about to calm down any time soon.

Step outside the View Street headquarters of B次元官网网址檚 commercial real estate brokerage firm, and youB次元官网网址檒l walk past a smorgasbord of new restaurants, fashionable boutiques and specialty shops of all shapes and flavours. Stick around for a moment, Pettinger says, and youB次元官网网址檙e bound to meet a familiar face or two.

Pettinger isnB次元官网网址檛 one to sit idle. At 15 years of age, he hit the ice for the first time with the Victoria Salsa hockey club. The young left winger rapidly rose through the junior ranks. By the 2000-01 season, heB次元官网网址檇 turned pro and was playing among the worldB次元官网网址檚 best with the National Hockey LeagueB次元官网网址檚 . Pettinger went on to play with the Tampa Bay Lightning and before finishing his career in Europe.

Hockey played a prominent role in molding his strong will, a sense of dedication and unrelenting work ethic. Life in professional hockey, he adds, requires a strong sense of self, a keen resolve and, perhaps surprisingly, strong relationship skills. Nobody likes a bad seed, and bad blood among players can easily sink the most talent-laden teams.

B次元官网网址淎t the minor and junior league level, I was usually one of the better players on the team, but at the National Hockey League level there are a lot of guys who can do the same things you can do and so the question becomes: B次元官网网址榟ow do you differentiate yourself?B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 about working hard and not getting discouraged and coming back from adversity. A deal goes south for whatever reason in my line of work now and itB次元官网网址檚 crucial to pick yourself up and be ready for the next opportunity,B次元官网网址� he says.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e only been [in real estate] for two and a half years, but thereB次元官网网址檚 no deal thatB次元官网网址檚 the same, and thatB次元官网网址檚 no different than in hockey. You come in as a rookie and learn from different situations and different environments. You learn constantly, and it translates into the world of commercial real estate. IB次元官网网址檓 always gaining market knowledge.B次元官网网址�

PettingerB次元官网网址檚 penchant for taking walks around the neighbourhood, however, is something he credits to his father, Rick Pettinger, a partner and president of NKF Devencore who has established himself as a well-known and top-producing commercial realtor over the past 25 years.

It was Rick who offered his son the pragmatic piece of advice early on in his career.

B次元官网网址淢y dad always tells me, B次元官网网址業f youB次元官网网址檙e ever in the office and have nothing to do, go for a walk, because you never know who youB次元官网网址檙e going to run into on the street.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e definitely taken that message and used it. You go for a coffee and, next thing you know, you run into someone who wants to sell a building or is looking for office or retail space to lease.B次元官网网址�

Regardless of your field, itB次元官网网址檚 a smart piece of advice in a town where networking is often as simple as walking down the block. For Pettinger, the opportunity to carry out a rewarding post-hockey career and settle down with his spouse, Chelsea, and the coupleB次元官网网址檚 two young children, is what makes coming back home so sweet.

B次元官网网址淭he amount of hotel rooms IB次元官网网址檝e stayed in over the years playing hockey is ridiculous,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淲here else would you rather live than Victoria, British Columbia? IB次元官网网址檝e been to lots of places around the world and been to a lot of beautiful places in Europe but when I tell them where IB次元官网网址檓 from, whether itB次元官网网址檚 Vancouver or Victoria, they gush about it. WeB次元官网网址檙e very fortunate on that end. ItB次元官网网址檚 nice to be from Victoria and itB次元官网网址檚 a good spot to call home.B次元官网网址�

He may have spent much of his childhood at the rink, but heB次元官网网址檇 always find time to visit the resort overlooking TofinoB次元官网网址檚 Cox Bay created by his grandparents Bill and Joan in 1973. The beach has become synonymous with CanadaB次元官网网址檚 gnarly cold-water surfing culture and some of the countryB次元官网网址檚 best hotels, including the and the Resort. The Pettinger family sold their 41-acre in early 2015.

B次元官网网址淚t was, and still is, a special piece of property for our family, but my father and his two brothers felt it was the right time to move on.B次元官网网址�

The sale hasnB次元官网网址檛 weakened MattB次元官网网址檚 bonds to the region. Firmly settled on the West Coast, far from the worries and headaches associated with uncertainties of looming trade deadlines, moves across the continent and living out of hotel rooms, Pettinger is concentrating on replicating the fond memories of youth for his own children.

He keeps in shape by playing casual drop-in hockey with friends at EsquimaltB次元官网网址檚 and, as an avid golfer, concedes that he enjoys spending time at the links at the when gets a break from dad duty.

B次元官网网址淚 try to get out and play golf as much as I can but when you have young kids your life revolves around themB次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淔ree time is sort of limited right now, but I enjoy every minute of being a dad .B次元官网网址�

He may no longer be rubbing elbows with Alexander Ovechkin and Roberto Luongo or playing with CanadaB次元官网网址檚 best at the World Junior Championship, but heB次元官网网址檚 glad and proud to be up early to drive his kids to school, get his daughter to dance class on time, accompany the family on the birthday party circuit or just head out for a nice long walk.

- Story by Sean McIntyre/Photographs by Lia Crowe/Boulevard Magazine

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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