The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League needed a fresh spark after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That led to a change in commissioners and, with him, a new direction in the league’s marketing and partnerships.
Enter Jacob Faith.
Faith, now 28, answered an ad for a marketing intern while finishing his Sport and Recreation Management programme at the University of Regina. He began his internship in the summer of 2021, and his passion, character, and creativity shone through immediately.
“As an intern, I did a lot of the day-to-day tasks that I still do today,” Faith says.
“That internship helped me get a good grasp of the people in the league and build trust, and the timing was just perfect. When my internship ended, the league office offered to keep me on, unpaid, for the second half of the season, and I was happy to do so.”
The hiring of Kyle McIntyre as commissioner, with the long-serving Bill Chow stepping down that next off-season, and the departure of Logan Fraser, then the Director of Marketing, opened up the job.
One of McIntyre’s first duties was to fill that void, and Faith was eager to throw his name in the hat.
After much deliberation and numerous interviews, Jacob was hired as the director of marketing and partnerships for the 2022-23 season and has thrived in the role since.
“First and foremost, Jacob is a great teammate,” says McIntyre.
“He is passionate about the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and has done an exceptional job marketing our league and building lasting relationships with our teams and sponsors. He is reflective and collaborative and wants to do well.
“In many ways, Jacob is a Golden Retriever – he is intelligent, loyal, friendly, and has very high energy. He has not only become a trusted colleague but has become a very good friend.”
Faith was born in Flin Flon but grew up in Regina from infancy. A goaltender by trade, he played minor hockey in the provincial capital and spent his Grade 9 year playing U15 at the College of Notre Dame in Wilcox.
He went on to finish his schooling at Dr. Martin Leboldus High School, and in both those venues, he cultivated friendships with numerous SJHL players. As a result, his awareness and appreciation for the league grew.
Faith, a natural salesman, worked in auto sales, electrical wholesale, and as a bartender at a local Regina steakhouse while finishing his university degree. The same determination and energy that helped him thrive in those areas have served him well in his current gig.
“A big part of the sports industry, especially the business of sports, I don’t want to say there’s a lot of nepotism, but I didn’t have much beyond my work ethic to show for myself,” Faith says.
“If my name is my only asset, then it better be a solid one with a solid track record. Without playing in the SJHL or high-level hockey, people in the league don’t know who I am, so I have to go above and beyond to demonstrate my work ethic, value, and worth. I believe that doing all those extra things, even working unpaid for six to eight months because of my passion for the league and the value I see in hard work, has paid off for me. So, I have no regrets about that.”
Faith mentions that he derived his drive from his father, Bert, who worked in sales his whole life. Bert’s success enabled the elder Faith to retire in Las Vegas, NV, where Jacob visits as much as possible and dreams of one day working for the NHL’s Golden Knights.
Under Jacob’s watch, and in partnership with the league’s many great partners, Commissioner Kyle and IKS Media – the production company the league has contracted to execute its media and communications – the SJHL has put out a plethora of deliverables like the two weekly talk and recap shows, a series on the rink burgers of the league, and a written series on players in the league involved in agriculture in partnership with Canterra Seeds; and many others.
The SJHL believes it is the best-marketed junior league in Canada, and Faith has much to do with it.
“As we approach the end of our third full season together (as a staff), it feels like we’ve become a well-oiled machine,” Faith says, always humble and willing to pass off credit.
“We don’t have as many unexpected challenges every day or week. Sure, things always come up, but overall, our relationship is just running smoothly.
“I’m incredibly grateful for Kyle trusting me in this role. I think the league is in a great position because of Kyle’s and everyone’s hard work, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Faith’s enthusiasm and passion for the league are genuine. He mentions that the first time he was genuinely all-in for the SJHL in the long run was in the 2022 SJHL Final.
“People were telling me stories about what (the Whitney Forum in Flin Flon is like in the finals),” he says.
“I said, ‘Yeah, sure, I just returned from Vegas. How is this going to stack up?’ it blew my mind! It completely shattered any expectations I had. At that moment, I realized how much this was what we were doing for work. It was a ‘pinch-me’ moment, and I remember thinking, “Wow, this is what we’re doing for work right now!”
“That was an eye-opening experience, and every time I’m (in one of those wild, packed SJHL rinks), I just love it.
“The best part about this job is the people we work with,” he adds.
“They’re so passionate about it, too. If you’re not passionate about it, sponsors, viewers, or fans can see through it. People in this province care so much about this league, and I love it.”
Faith is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys fishing or snowmobiling whenever possible at his family’s property near Choiceland, SK.
Whether it’s for his passion, his big smile, all the great work he’s done for the league this decade and beyond, but primarily just for who he is, Jacob Faith is undoubtedly one of Saskatchewan’s Finest.
