The puck stops with Trevor Buhnai as the newly appointed CEO of Hockey Manitoba – and he couldn’t be any happier.

“Hockey’s been part of my life since I was four years old,” said Buhnai, who graduated from RRC Polytech’s Creative Communications (CreComm) program in 1990 and Business Administration program in 1994.

“Being able to combine a lifelong passion with what I believe is a skillset the organization was looking for…it’s not trite to say this is my dream job.”

Buhnai quickly took to goaltending as a kid. He’s played the position at various amateur levels, including Senior AAA Men’s, ever since. These days he’s suiting up in the Southdale Oldtimers Hockey League, still playing 48 games a year.

He takes the helm of Hockey Manitoba with more than twenty years of leadership experience spanning sport administration, hospitality, telecommunications, gaming and entertainment, corporate operations, and community organizations.

A big goal for Buhnai, along with the 9-member board and 10-member staff at Hockey Manitoba, is to help more people feel a sense of belonging within hockey community.

“One of the most exciting areas of growth in Manitoba right now is women’s and girls’ hockey. We’re seeing steady increases in registration, stronger development pathways, and more young players staying in the game longer. That tells us the environment is improving — and it reinforces how important it is to keep investing in opportunity, visibility, and leadership at every level.”

“As broad as hockey is, we want more people to feel there’s a place for them,” said Buhnai. “That includes para hockey for individuals with disabilities, newcomers to Canada who may be interested in playing but don’t know how to access the system, and anyone who wants to explore the game but isn’t sure where to start.”

“And that really excites me, because I came through the traditional hockey system,” he said. “That perspective motivates me to help broaden the game and create meaningful change.”

A Regina native, Buhnai had already spent three years studying at university when he arrived in Winnipeg and entered CreComm at age 21.

“I was the right age to really understand the opportunity in front of me in terms of developing a specific skillset, honing those skills, and bettering them over time.”

Buhnai chose the program’s advertising stream. A term position with Manitoba Telecom Services (now Bell MTS) followed graduation.

Opportunity knocked when his creative work in CreComm’s second-year annual student competition led to both Buhnai and his graphic design partner joining Palmer Jarvis, then an independent ad agency with offices across western Canada.

“Our client for the competition was The Keg restaurants. That was cool. It’s cooler to look back on it now. At the time, I was just looking for work and Palmer Jarvis hired us.”

While he enjoyed being on the creative side of the advertising business with Palmer Jarvis, he found himself drawn to working directly with clients in account-manager types of roles.

Coupled with his pursuit of a Business Administration education through night courses at RRC Polytech, this shift in career focus led to marketing roles with some of Manitoba’s top companies, including Bell MTS, IG Wealth Management, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, and Canad Inns.

“In every organization I’ve worked with, whether it was consumer-facing or manufacturing, there are common problems and common solutions. You always have some type of customer; you’re always trying to fill some type of need for those customers.”

In 2021, Buhnai went back to Saskatchewan to become Chief Operating Officer of the Regina Pats. A return to Winnipeg a couple of years later reaffirmed that the Manitoba capital is home.

“I’m the biggest supporter of Winnipeg. Leaving the city again will only be for vacations and business. And I’ll do everything I can to help the business community grow in this city as well.”

The Winnipeg pride includes his affinity for RRC Polytech. He’s been back in the CreComm classroom more than once to share his insights as an industry professional. He recognizes the program as a pipeline for creative talent and appreciates the community that forms among classmates and fellow program graduates.

“My foundational skill is communication. And that comes through when writing a business plan, doing an interview, or doing public relations or branding work. How do you develop an organization’s story? For me it all started at Red River.”

Articulating Hockey Manitoba’s story means developing a strong team and capacity within the organization. After all, it’s a story that involves more than 23,000 registered participants, along with officials, coaches, volunteers, families, and corporate partners that, together, number more than 10,000 strong.

“It’s important to stay connected to the broader hockey community. That can mean travelling to meetings, attending events, or engaging directly with partners, volunteers, and families. Those conversations ground the work and remind me that behind every decision are people who care deeply about the sport.”

“It’s exciting to be involved at a time when Hockey Manitoba has a real opportunity to evolve, strengthen trust, and ensure hockey stays accessible, welcoming, and sustainable for the next generation.”

Profile by Randy Matthes (Creative Communications, 1993).