The Will Sports Group
CBA-Driven Advocates

US/Russia

$466M

Key Facts

Also known as: WSG; Will Sports Group; Pulver Sports Inc.
Founded: 2006, when Ian Craig Pulver founded Pulver Sports Inc., which evolved into The Will Sports Group.
Headquarters: Not publicly listed; current public agency listing does not show a city base.
Other offices: WSG lists consultants/strategic partnerships in Ontario, Quebec, the Mid-West USA, Northeast USA, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Russia.
Agency type: Large hockey agency
Ownership: Privately held; founded by Ian Craig Pulver.
Primary markets: NHL, AHL, NCAA, OHL/CHL, European leagues, NHL Draft advising, financial/tax planning, branding, and European placement.
Players (Total value: $466M active NHL contract value): 120+ total clients; NHL clients: 31. PuckPedia lists The Will Sports Group with 50 active NHL contracts worth $466.83M and $89.85M in active cap hit.
Key agents: Ian Craig Pulver, John Walters, Vince Pedrie, Igor Larionov; WSG also lists Brett Valliquette, Adam Panacci, Jonathan Lachance, Mika Backman, Juha Ylonen, Tomas Orr, and Danny Tolensky in advisory/counsel roles.
Languages: English; Finnish, Swedish, German, Russian, and French-market capability inferred from WSG’s listed global consultant network.
Contact email: Contact form only; no direct email clearly published.
Website: https://willsportsgroup.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willsportsgroup/

About The Will Sports Group

The Will Sports Group is a hockey representation agency that grew out of Pulver Sports Inc., founded by Ian Craig Pulver in 2006. Pulver’s background is unusually CBA-heavy: before becoming an agent, he worked for the NHLPA for 15 years and helped negotiate, draft, and enforce the 1992, 1994, and 2004 NHL collective bargaining agreements. WSG presents that NHLPA legal background as a major differentiator, especially for contract negotiation and player advocacy.

The agency says it has represented first-, second-, and third-overall NHL draft picks, undrafted NHL players, NHL All-Stars, AHL All-Stars, and NCAA All-Americans. Its public current-player page includes Tyler Seguin, Miro Heiskanen, Carter Verhaeghe, K’Andre Miller, Beckett Sennecke, Devon Levi, Tristan Luneau, Scott Perunovich, Jett Luchanko, Sacha Boisvert, and other NHL/AHL prospects. The current public agency listing shows 120 total clients, 31 NHL clients, and 37 NHL-drafted clients as of May 8, 2026. WSG’s contract book is led by major long-term NHL deals for Tyler Seguin, Miro Heiskanen, Carter Verhaeghe, and Thomas Chabot-type work noted on its services page. PuckPedia currently lists 50 active NHL contracts for the agency with $466.83M in active value.

The agency’s development model covers contract negotiation, player development, NHL Draft preparation, financial/tax planning, branding, and European placement. Its international network is especially useful for players moving between North America and Europe, with listed ties in Finland, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Russia. WSG is best described as a CBA-smart, NHL-first agency with a strong junior-draft pipeline and enough European infrastructure to support both elite prospects and later-career moves.

Client Roster

Top players / NHL players

Contract figures below use public PuckPedia records where available.

• Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars) – F – Canada – Jan. 31, 1992 – NHL contract: 8 years, $78.8M total, $9.85M AAV, full NMC.

• Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars) – D – Finland – July 18, 1999 – NHL contract: 8 years, $67.6M total, $8.45M AAV, NMC in later years.

• Carter Verhaeghe (Florida Panthers) – F – Canada – Aug. 14, 1995 – NHL contract: 8 years, $56M total, $7M AAV.

• Devon Levi (Rochester Americans / Buffalo Sabres) – G – Canada – Dec. 27, 2001 – NHL contract: 2 years, $1.625M total, $812.5K AAV.

• Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks) – F – Canada – Jan. 28, 2006 – NHL ELC: 3 years, $2.8275M total, $942.5K cap hit, bonuses listed publicly.

• Sacha Boisvert (Chicago Blackhawks) – F – Canada – Mar. 17, 2006 – NHL ELC: 3 years, $2.900001M total, $966,667 cap hit.

• Scott Perunovich (Tucson Roadrunners / Utah Mammoth) – D – United States – Aug. 18, 1998 – NHL contract: 1 year, $775K, $500K guaranteed.

• Tristan Luneau (San Diego Gulls / Anaheim Ducks) – D – Canada – Jan. 12, 2004 – NHL ELC: 3 years, $2.595M total, $865K cap hit.

• Nail Yakupov (Avangard Omsk) – F – Russia – Oct. 6, 1993 – KHL contract listed through June 30, 2027; salary not public.

• Nikolai Goldobin (SKA St. Petersburg) – F – Russia – Oct. 7, 1995 – European/KHL salary not publicly disclosed; current public agency listing shows 2026-27 SKA St. Petersburg.

• Marco Kasper (Detroit Red Wings) – F – Austria – Apr. 8, 2004 – current WSG player; NHL contract details public via PuckPedia.

• Matias Maccelli (Toronto Maple Leafs) – F – Finland – Oct. 14, 2000 – current WSG player and named by WSG among record-setting contract clients.

Prospects & young talents

• Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks) – F – Canada – Jan. 28, 2006 – 2024 No. 3 overall pick; three-year ELC.

• Sacha Boisvert (Chicago Blackhawks) – F – Canada – Mar. 17, 2006 – 2024 first-round pick; signed ELC in March 2026.

• Jett Luchanko (Philadelphia Flyers) – F – Canada – Aug. 21, 2006 – current WSG player and NHL first-round pick.

• Ben Danford (Toronto Maple Leafs system) – D – Canada – Feb. 6, 2006 – current WSG player.

• Kevin He (Winnipeg Jets system) – F – China/Canada – July 4, 2006 – current WSG player.

• Rasmus Kumpulainen (Minnesota Wild system) – F – Finland – Aug. 8, 2005 – current WSG player.

• Alexsei Medvedev (NHL prospect) – G – Russia – current WSG player.

Goalies

• Devon Levi (Rochester Americans / Buffalo Sabres) – G – Canada – Dec. 27, 2001.

• Yaniv Perets (NHL/AHL system) – G – Canada/Israel – Mar. 4, 2000 – current WSG player.

• Alexsei Medvedev – G – Russia – current WSG player.

Coaches/Staff represented

• No current coach-client list was publicly verified.

Notable former clients

• Rick DiPietro – former NHL goalie and first-overall pick; latest listed playing season was 2013-14, so inactive/retired under the active-player rule.

• Mike Cammalleri – former NHL forward; listed by WSG as a notable represented/advised player.

• Olli Jokinen – former NHL forward; listed by WSG as a notable represented/advised player.

• Scott Gomez – former NHL forward; listed by WSG as a notable represented/advised player.

• David Savard – listed by WSG among alumni.

Highlights

• Negotiation style: CBA-literate, legal-first representation shaped by Ian Pulver’s former NHLPA senior lawyer background.

• NHLPA/CBA expertise: Pulver helped shape three NHL CBAs before founding the agency.

• Network strengths: Ontario, Quebec, U.S., Finland, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Russia.

• Development pipeline: WSG says it had four first-round picks in the 2024 NHL Draft and emphasizes NHL Combine/draft preparation.

• Commercial capability: WSG lists branding, endorsements, player marketing, financial planning, and tax support as services.

• European placement: WSG says it has built strategic partnerships with European agents and clubs.

Agency Snapshot

Origin story

• Ian Pulver founded Pulver Sports Inc. in September 2006 after 15 years as an NHLPA labor attorney.

• Pulver Sports later evolved into The Will Sports Group.

• The agency’s first identity was high-end contract and CBA advocacy, later expanding into draft, development, branding, and international placement.

Milestones

• 2006 – Ian Pulver founded Pulver Sports Inc., which evolved into WSG.

• 2018 – Tyler Seguin signed an eight-year, $78.8M extension with Dallas.

• 2021 – Miro Heiskanen signed an eight-year, $67.6M extension with Dallas.

• 2024 – Beckett Sennecke was selected No. 3 overall and signed his Anaheim ELC.

• 2024 – Carter Verhaeghe signed an eight-year, $56M Florida extension.

• 2026 – Sacha Boisvert signed a three-year ELC with Chicago.

Network strengths

• North America: NHL, AHL, NCAA, OHL/CHL, NHL Draft and NHL Combine preparation.

• Europe: Finland, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, and European club-placement partnerships.

• Specialty lanes: CBA/legal advocacy, first-round draft prep, Finnish/Russian/European placement, undrafted NHL pathways, and branding.

Support Team / Partners

• Contract/cap specialist: Ian Craig Pulver, NHLPA Certified Agent and former NHLPA senior lawyer.

• Immigration/visa counsel: not publicly named.

• Litigation/agent-law counsel: Danny Tolensky is listed as counsel emeritus.

• Marketing/brand partnerships: WSG says it works with industry leaders in brand development and player marketing.

• PR/media training: not separately named.

• Skills coaches / skating coaches / goalie coaches: WSG says it gives players access to top trainers on and off the ice; specific providers are not publicly named.

• Analytics/scouting support: not publicly named.

• Financial advisors/tax partners: WSG says it works with several firms across Canada, the U.S., and Finland for tax and business advice.

Notable Deals Led by The Will Sports Group

• 2018 – Tyler Seguin: Dallas Stars – UFA extension – 8 years – $78.8M total – $9.85M AAV – full NMC.

• 2021 – Miro Heiskanen: Dallas Stars – RFA extension – 8 years – $67.6M total – $8.45M AAV – later-year NMC.

• 2024 – Carter Verhaeghe: Florida Panthers – UFA extension – 8 years – $56M total – $7M AAV.

• 2024 – Beckett Sennecke: Anaheim Ducks – ELC – 3 years – $2.8275M total – $942.5K cap hit – performance bonuses included.

• 2025 – Devon Levi: Buffalo Sabres – RFA contract – 2 years – $1.625M total – $812.5K AAV.

• 2025 – Scott Perunovich: Utah Mammoth – UFA/no-QO signing – 1 year – $775K total – $775K AAV – $500K guaranteed.

• 2026 – Sacha Boisvert: Chicago Blackhawks – ELC – 3 years – $2.900001M total – $966,667 cap hit.

• 2023 – Tristan Luneau: Anaheim Ducks – ELC – 3 years – $2.595M total – $865K cap hit.

Track Record (Last 3 Seasons)

• NHL contracts signed / active book: 50 active NHL contracts in PuckPedia’s current WSG agency table.

• Total value signed / active NHL value (USD): $466.83M active NHL contract value.

• Total AAV represented (USD): $89.85M active NHL cap hit.

• Extensions/renewals: recent public examples include Carter Verhaeghe, Devon Levi, Scott Perunovich, and Sacha Boisvert.

• ELCs signed: public examples include Beckett Sennecke, Sacha Boisvert, Tristan Luneau, and additional prospects in WSG’s current contract book.

• RFA outcomes: Devon Levi’s two-year RFA deal and earlier K’Andre Miller bridge deal are public examples.

• Arbitration cases: none publicly verified in reviewed sources.

• Europe transfers: not fully quantifiable from public sources; WSG lists European placement as a core service.

• Aggregate client market value: $466.83M active NHL contract value, excluding European salaries not publicly disclosed.

Compliance & Accreditation

• NHLPA certification status: Ian Craig Pulver and John Walters are publicly listed as NHLPA Certified Agents by WSG.

• National federation registrations: Mika Backman and Juha Ylonen are listed with FHPA/WSG Finland roles.

• Professional liability insurance: not publicly stated.

• Ethics/compliance notes: no public disciplinary issues found in reviewed sources.

Testimonials

• WSG – agency positioning: “informed, educated, and empowered.”

• Jim Nill – Dallas Stars GM, on Tyler Seguin: “a world-class player.”

• Jim Nill – Dallas Stars GM, on Miro Heiskanen: “part of a collection of young, rising stars.”

• Beckett Sennecke – Anaheim Ducks prospect: “I’m planning to live up to that.”

Press, Awards & Recognition

• 2006 – Ian Pulver founded Pulver Sports Inc., the predecessor to WSG.

• 2018 – Tyler Seguin signed an eight-year, $78.8M Stars extension.

• 2021 – Miro Heiskanen signed an eight-year, $67.6M Stars extension.

• 2024 – WSG says it secured four first-round picks in the NHL Entry Draft.

• 2024 – Beckett Sennecke signed his Anaheim Ducks ELC after going third overall.

• 2026 – Sacha Boisvert signed a three-year ELC with Chicago.