From Sports Journalism to the Sens: J-School Grad Ian Mendes Rejoins Ottawa’s NHL Team
By
Dan Rubinstein
Photo Credit:
Terence Ho
Earlier this summer, digging through a box of memorabilia and keepsakes in his basement, Ian Mendes came across the nameplate that sat on his desk when he worked as the Ottawa Senators media relations manager in the early 2000s.
A graduate from Carleton University’s journalism program who went on to a very successful career as a broadcaster and sportswriter, Mendes had rejoined the Senators in August 2024 as the hockey club’s vice-president of communications.
He brought the nameplate to his office in the Canadian Tire Centre and slid it into the empty bracket on the wall outside his door.
“It was a perfect fit,” Mendes says, reenacting the moment.
“There’s something poetic about this. Maybe it was meant to be.”
Without discounting the role of hard work, there are hints of destiny throughout Mendes’ educational and professional journey.
He left Vancouver for Carleton at age 17, unsure where university would take him. Growing up, Mendes loved playing baseball but realized that the major leagues weren’t in his future. Could sports journalism be a pathway into that world?
At Carleton, he honed a passion for writing and storytelling. That led to a media relations job with the Ottawa Lynx baseball team before he graduated in 1998, followed by his first position with the Senators and then, starting in 2002, a series of high-profile gigs with Sportsnet, TSN and The Athletic.
But Mendes is humble about his accomplishments, crediting Carleton with serving as a springboard for both his career and personal life. Sonia, his wife, a freelance writer, is also a journalism school grad; they met in a second-year class. Their oldest daughter, Elissa, is starting her fourth year in the program in September and will also be The Charlatan‘s editor-in-chief.
“None of this would’ve been possible without Carleton,” says Mendes.
“I took a gamble and uprooted my life when I came to Ottawa, and this university gave me such a strong foundation. I learned how to be a good journalist and left with a ton of confidence.”
Ready for a New Challenge
Mendes wasn’t necessarily thinking about a career change when the VP opportunity with the Senators arose. But his contract with The Athletic was up for renewal and he was ready for a new challenge after more than 20 years of covering hockey, baseball, the Olympics and other sports for television, radio and both digital and print publications.
“The transition has been a difficult,” he says, “but it’s also been rewarding.”
The job is demanding — he works up to 80 hours some weeks and at one point last season worked 71 days straight. But even though there’s a structured ebb and flow to game days, most days are all over the map, dealing with the distinct personalities of athletes and coaches and collaborating with colleagues throughout the organization, from the ticketing and marketing departments to the Senators Community Foundation.
“There are so many moving parts,” says Mendes. “You really need people skills to thrive in an environment like this. That’s my favourite part of the job. I was kind of a lone wolf as a journalist, now I’m interacting with 60 or 70 people a day. I’m part of a team.”
It’s an exciting time for the Senators, who made the playoffs last season for the first time in nearly a decade and are moving towards a new downtown arena. But Mendes is conscious of trying to maintain work-life balance and be present with his wife and daughters.
“The irony or all ironies is that nobody in my house knows anything about sports,” he laughs.
“If you sat my family down and said, ‘You can win $1 million if you name six players on the Senators,’ I’m not sure if they’re getting the money. I love that. I love being able to escape at home. Nobody is asking me what’s wrong with the power play.”
A World of Opportunity
If you ask Mendes about the future of journalism, he sees a lot of opportunity, despite the dramatically shifting media landscape.
“We need passionate journalists more than ever,” he says.
“We need people to hold our institutions, governments, big banks, sports teams, you name it, to some degree of accountability.
“If you’re a young person who wants to make a difference in the world, this is one way to do it. And the skills you get at journalism school are transferable to many different fields, including teaching, law and public relations.
“Communication skills remain invaluable,” he adds.
“If you can express yourself well while speaking or in writing, you’re going to be in high demand.”
Mendes is continually inspired by the students he teaches in sports journalism classes at Carleton, many of whom sign up for foundational knowledge and skills, not because they’re interested in sports. And amid his busy schedule, he’s looking forward to an even stronger connection to the university this fall when he begins teaching in Future EDge‘s new sports leadership program.
“The more diverse experiences you have,” he says, echoing his own advice to students, “the more you can find your voice.”
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