Three of Nick Spina’s life goals are as follows: work in the National Hockey League, win an Emmy and own a giant couch.
In 2025, Spina — a 2023 Marist graduate with a degree in media studies and production — accomplished his first goal when the Carolina Hurricanes hired him as a video producer. Months later, he and his team were nominated for an Emmy. Then, the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in June.
“Just a dream come true all around. I never really thought I would be in this position, let alone this early in my career,” said Spina. “I’m definitely very grateful and appreciative of the opportunities I’ve had so far.”
Growing up in Hartford, Connecticut, Spina primarily played basketball and swam but never laced up the skates himself. He was born three months early at only one pound and 13 ounces, which caused his parents to keep him away from some heavy contact sports. Despite never playing hockey, Spina grew up a New York Rangers fan.
Sports are one of Spina’s passions, but another is movies and film. As Spina grew up, combining his love for both into a career became his focus.
“I think as I grew up and I discovered what I wanted my life to look like, my career to look like, it was always, ‘Okay, well I love making videos, and I love sports, and then once I discovered that I could do both of those things and do it for a living, I was like, I want to do that,”’ said Spina.
In middle school and early high school, Spina started pursuing his career by editing hype videos for racers, athletes and teams as a hobby on social media. During his time at Marist, Spina dabbled with both club and Division I sports; in particular, the club hockey team.
In his only year shooting with the team, Spina produced two episodes of his hockey documentary, “The Future is Now | All Access with Marist Hockey.”
“I had a great experience with them,” said Spina. “That’s when I really started to fall in love with being the team guy, being around the players, working with them and telling their stories.”
In his senior year, Spina transitioned to Division I sports. During his internship with Marist Athletics, he worked with the social media team and filmed games for football, basketball and lacrosse. The Marist Athletics staff gave him full access to creating the best content possible. From there, Spina looked to get to the next level: professional sports.
As a senior trying to break into the industry, Spina interviewed with several NFL teams but did not get any offers. Despite the disappointment, that didn’t deter him away from his goals.
“I remember a couple of teams I got to the finals for, I was so bummed, because my goal was just to go to the pros. I was itching to go to the pros straight out of college,” said Spina.
His first experience working in professional sports came with the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League, the minor league affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. Like many professional athletes, he had to develop in the minors before making it to the big leagues.
“At the minor league level, you’re wearing a lot of hats and there’s not that many of you. I’m the only content guy at every practice or on a game day…For that whole first year, it was me and our team photographer,” said Spina.
From 2023-2025, Spina was videographer/social media coordinator for the Comets. Utica gave him the opportunity to work in professional hockey, and a clear path to his goal of the NHL.
“I couldn’t have got where I am without going to the AHL,” said Spina. “That time in Utica was so pivotal for me just to learn and make mistakes.”
The Comets not only gave Spina professional sports experience, but a place where he made genuine connections with staff and players.
Spina connected with goaltenders Nico Daws and Isaac Poulter, and Daws helped give him his first taste of NHL hockey. Throughout the 2023-24 season, Spina helped produce, “The Path: A Nico Daws Documentary.” This allowed Spina to see NHL action up close, and it was also the first piece of content the Comets and Devils ever collaborated on.
After all of Spina’s hard work with the Comets, he got his call up to the NHL. In March 2025, the Carolina Hurricanes hired him as a video producer; Spina finally broke through.
“I was definitely really nervous, really scared, but I was ready and I was excited because it’s something that I’ve dreamed of for a long time,” said Spina.
Spina joined right before the NHL Playoffs and jumped right into action for the Hurricanes’ postseason run. The Hurricanes ultimately fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals, but it’s an experience Spina will always cherish.
“That first playoff run was kind of like a pinch me moment,” said Spina. “You go from shooting at a 4,000-seat arena to an 18,000-seat arena. I remember coming here and just walking into the bowl and being like, ‘I’m looking at an NHL logo on the ice,”’ said Spina.
Despite Carolina losing in the playoffs, Spina and the production team got a win of their own. They were nominated for a 2025 Emmy in the long form content category for their video project, “Cinematic Recap: Round 2 vs. Washington,” for the Hurricanes’ social media platforms.
During the offseason, Spina and the production team birthed the start of their new video project: “Behind the Storm | Season 1.” The Hurricanes’ new season long documentary, the series highlighted the team with game and behind-the-scenes content. Spina spent the entire summer putting together the first episode.
The first season lasted 12 episodes, and with how the season went, it could not have been a better time to introduce the mini-series. The Hurricanes finished second atop the NHL Standings with championship aspirations. After traveling for only a handful of road trips during his first year, Spina was able to follow the team up close for his second season.
“[I was] trying to document that season with the launch of our new show Behind the Storm and take all those things I learned in Marist with the club hockey guys and shooting interviews and working around players, coaches and all that, doing my best to apply that here,” said Spina.
Heading into the playoffs in April, Spina was only scheduled to travel for the Hurricanes’ first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. However, Carolina casually skated to the Stanley Cup Final, going 12-1 and sweeping their first two matchups. After being on the sideline for the second round and conference finals, Spina got the green light for the biggest series in hockey.
“It came to the final and they were like ‘we think you’ve earned it with the work you’ve done this year. You’re back in.’ Yes! It was cool just to be on the road for the Final… just to experience that whole run was nuts,” said Spina.
The Hurricanes battled the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final and took down the Knights in six games for the Stanley Cup.
Spina traveled for the third and fourth games in Las Vegas, but was in Raleigh, North Carolina at the watch party for the clinching game. Despite not being in Vegas for the Cup moment, he was able to cover nearly 30,000 Canes fans at home between the sold-out Lenovo Center and the outside fan section.
Winning the Stanley Cup and being a part of the ride is incredible in itself, but to Spina, it’s documenting the moment, and how much it means to the players who’ve worked their whole life to get their name on Lord Stanley.
“You think the parade and the game, that’s like the pinnacle. But honestly, the best part has been after celebrating and documenting everybody’s Cup days, doing the Cup tour,” said Spina.
In the offseason, every player gets their “Day with the Cup.” Spina traveled for forward Seth Jarvis, Jordan Martinook and defenseman Jalen Chatfield. At Jarvis’s Cup Day, Spina reunited with Poulter in Winnipeg, Canada.
“It’s been cool to see the impact the Cup has and how much it means,” said Spina. “It’s such a historical piece and be able to share it with everybody too. To see these guys share it with their family, share with their communities, and it’s just been so fun.”
Spina loves storytelling — it’s the backbone to his passion.
“I love watching documentaries, people’s stories. I think being able to take a day, like Seth Jarvis’s Cup day, a day that he will never forget, I have the opportunity to document that and l tell that story for him. That’s what I like doing. That’s what I feel like fulfills me,” said Spina.
The documentary has been a huge success so far with not only fans, but Hurricanes players and families, who also watched.
The season was such a special and unique experience for Spina, and one that is rare. Looking ahead to the future, he hopes to continue to produce top notch content for the Hurricanes and to build a home in Raleigh.
“I would love to build a home here in Carolina and continue to be a part of this group,” said Spina. “It’s so fun working here…I think just finding my footing a little bit more, and kind of settling in, I think is kind of where I’m looking towards.”
The past year was a whirlwind and something Spina will never forget. As for the future, not much could top the journey — until he gets that giant couch.
Edited by Hayden Shapiro and Max Rosen
Graphic by Xavier Angel
Photo courtesy of Nick Spina
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