Who We Are and How We Can Help

Why We Exist

Top Shelf Private Wealth was founded by Josh St. Laurent, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Certified Financial Therapist with a Master’s in Advanced Financial Life Planning.

But credentials aren’t the reason this firm exists.

It exists because too many athletes are forced to coordinate everything themselves.

Investments in one place.

Taxes are handled separately.

Insurance decisions are disconnected from the contract structure.

Estate documents built without cross-border awareness.

No one is tying it together.

When that happens, even good decisions create friction.

We built this firm to eliminate that.

Who We Serve

We work with:

• NHL and professional hockey players
  
  
• Players on entry-level contracts
  
  
• Veterans navigating extensions and trades
  
  
• Families managing cross-border complexity
  
  
• Agents and advisory teams seeking coordinated planning
  
  

Our clients are high performers who want clarity — without financial distractions during the season.

The Real-World Pressure Points We Help Solve

Cross-Border Tax Complexity

Most players file in multiple states or provinces each year. U.S.–Canada coordination adds another layer.

We ensure tax exposure is tracked and understood throughout the season — not discovered at filing time.

Trades and Relocation

When a player is traded mid-season and withholding shifts immediately, coordination starts that week — not months later.

Payroll changes. Housing decisions accelerate. Banking and tax systems adjust.

Preparation makes that manageable.

Compressed Earning Windows

Most players earn the majority of their lifetime income before age 30.

That changes how liquidity, risk, and long-term investing should be handled.

Lifestyle Creep

Rapid income growth can quietly turn into long-term fixed expenses.

We help players build flexibility first — lifestyle second.

Career Transition

Every career ends.

Planning for that reality early changes what the post-hockey years look like.

What We Actually Do

We operate using a family-office approach designed specifically for professional athletes.

That means everything connects.

Contract structure informs liquidity planning.

Liquidity planning informs investment decisions.

Investment decisions consider tax exposure.

Tax exposure connects to estate and long-term planning.

Nothing lives in isolation.

We’ve seen how quickly misalignment creates pressure during a season. Our role is to prevent that before it starts.

We coordinate with CPAs, attorneys, agents, and insurance professionals — ensuring decisions align rather than collide.

This isn’t product-driven advice.

It’s connected planning built for volatility.

What Makes Us Different

Traditional advisory firms are designed around steady income and long accumulation timelines.

Professional hockey is neither steady nor long.

We specialize in:

• Short earning cycles
  
  
• Multi-jurisdiction tax exposure
  
  
• Frequent relocation
  
  
• Mid-season disruption
  
  
• Post-career continuity
  
  

We don’t replace other professionals.

We integrate them.

No siloed decisions.

No reactive scrambling during trades.

No product agendas.

Just structure and alignment.

How We Work With Agents and Advisory Teams

Defined roles matter.

Agents lead negotiation and career strategy.

Attorneys provide legal counsel.

CPAs handle tax compliance and reporting.

We do not step into those lanes.

Our role is to translate contract structure into a financial context — so players understand the long-term implications of term length, bonus allocation, relocation, and liquidity.

We provide modeling to inform decisions, not influence negotiations.

Strong collaboration strengthens the player relationship.

It doesn’t compete with it.

How Our Process Works

We keep it deliberate.

1. Private Conversation

A confidential discussion about career stage, priorities, and complexity. Not every situation requires a family-office structure — we determine that upfront.

2. Structural Review

We evaluate current advisory coordination, liquidity positioning, tax exposure, and long-term alignment.

3. Clear Plan

If there’s a fit, we outline how coordination and structure would be implemented — with defined roles and expectations.

We encourage players and families to speak with multiple advisors before making decisions.

Professional careers deserve thoughtful partnerships.

The Objective

Professional hockey creates an extraordinary opportunity.

It also creates instability.

Our goal isn’t simply investment performance.

It’s stability across a volatile career.

Before the first contract.

During the trade.

After the final season.

A career in professional hockey is unpredictable.

The financial foundation behind it shouldn’t be.

Disclaimer: These resources are provided for educational purposes only and are not individualized financial, tax, or legal advice. Professional hockey careers involve complex and highly personal considerations. Planning decisions should always be made in coordination with qualified professionals familiar with your specific circumstances.