NHL Breakaway

NHL Breakaway is one of the projects I'm most proud of.

When I joined, we weren't just building another digital collectibles platform. We had the opportunity to imagine what collecting could feel like if it were designed for today's sports fan instead of copied from physical cards.

My role sat at the intersection of product, game design, creative direction, and fan experience. I helped define many of the core systems that shaped the platform, from the collectibles themselves to progression, quests, pack openings, LiveOps, and the programs that connected everything together.

This page isn't meant to document every feature we shipped. It's a record of the parts of the experience that I was responsible for defining, leading, or creating.

Next Generation Collectibles

One of my biggest responsibilities was defining what an NHL Breakaway collectible actually was.

That included designing the collectible program structure, rarity tiers, pack contents, set architecture, and the broader collectible economy that connected everything together. Instead of treating collectibles as static assets, I wanted every set to have its own identity and purpose within the larger experience.

I also worked directly with Travis Howe, the son of hockey legend Gordie Howe, to develop set concepts inspired by the history of the game and the stories that make hockey special.

Cinematic Collecting

Opening a pack should feel exciting.

Receiving a legendary collectible should feel memorable.

I partnered directly with a movie trailer production studio to establish the visual language for our next generation collectibles and worked with an interactive web studio to create a pack opening experience that felt cinematic from beginning to end.

We treated every reveal as an opportunity to build anticipation and emotion instead of simply displaying the contents of a pack.

Progression & Quests

Collecting alone wasn't enough.

I wanted fans to have reasons to come back every week, whether they were buying packs or not.

I designed Signature Quests as a long-term progression system that rewarded participation across the platform. Later we expanded that philosophy with Signature Edition crafting and Rally Quest, where fans could combine highlights from goals scored by their favorite team to create new exclusive collectibles.

Those systems connected live NHL moments with collecting in a way that felt active instead of passive.

The Play Hub

The Play Hub became the home for progression.

I designed the quest structure, set completion systems, reward flows, and progression experience that gave fans clear goals to work toward over time.

Rather than asking people to simply collect more, the platform encouraged them to complete sets, finish challenges, unlock rewards, and continue building their collection throughout the season.

Set Identity

Every set deserved its own personality.

I helped create the brands, identities, themes, naming, and structure behind many of the collectible sets so they felt like distinct experiences instead of different versions of the same product.

That work became an important part of giving the platform its own identity.

Live Programs

Launching the platform was only the beginning.

I designed recurring programs that kept the experience connected to the NHL season, including NHL Hockey Night Quests and Breakaway Bags, which combined digital participation with physical rewards.

Those programs helped make the product feel alive instead of static.

Sharing the Vision

Before launch, I joined The First Mint podcast with Travis Howe to talk about the product, the vision behind it, and where we thought digital collecting could go next.

Helping communicate the ideas behind the platform was just as important as building the features themselves.

What I'm Proud Of

Looking back, I'm proud of more than any individual feature.

I'm proud that the platform felt like a complete experience.

The collectibles, progression systems, quests, pack openings, LiveOps, and seasonal programs all supported one another. None of them were designed in isolation.

More than anything, this project reinforced something I've come back to throughout my career. The products I enjoy building most aren't collections of features. They're systems where every part works together to create an experience that feels bigger than any one mechanic.