How a hockey player quit the sport — and became a professional bull riding champion
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
IT’S AN UNAVOIDABLE TOPIC for Nick Tetz when he’s hanging out at a bar.
He’s a professional bull rider. That’s a mechanical bull in the corner. How long can he last before flying off?
“It’s kind of like telling someone you’re a UFC fighter and having someone say, ‘Oh really? Go fight that guy.’ And you’re like, ‘Well no, I’m not going to go do that,'” said Tetz, a rising star in Professional Bull Riding PBR who competed in last year’s PBR World Finals.
To set the record straight: He could hang on a mechanical bull “probably for quite a while.”
Depending on his, ahem, mindset at the time.
“It depends on how many wobbly pops I’ve had that night,” he said. “I’ve been on a few of them. It’s a different vibe than riding a real animal. I usually stay on until my head starts spinning,”
Tetz’s head was spinning for a different reason about a decade ago. He was being pulled in different directions. One moment, he was a hockey player growing up in Calgary, seeing a path forward to juniors and then perhaps a pro career beyond that. The next moment he was hanging onto a steer at amateur rodeo tournaments around Alberta.
Eventually, he chose bucks over pucks.
“When I got to the age where I started to get on steers and bulls, it just kind of took over,” he told ESPN, days before a PBR tour stop in New York City. “I thought about the bull riding more than I thought about hockey. It switched directions completely.”
The 2018 PBR Canada Rookie of the Year and 2022 PBR Canada champion, Tetz said his hockey past has directly led to his current success in rodeo — as an athlete, as a teammate, and as someone who learned it’s the passion that ultimately makes or breaks a champion.
TETZ GREW UP in Calgary. He considers himself a Flames fan, but he grew up rooting for the Edmonton Oilers. He felt like he had to, as Ryan Smyth, a 15-year veteran of the team, was his cousin.
Sort of.
“My auntie married his uncle, so not by blood or anything. Maybe a second or third cousin? I got to meet him a couple times and hang out with him. So I still like to brag about it,” he said, laughing.
Being an Oilers fan in Calgary wasn’t as uncomfortable as one might imagine.
“Honestly, it’s harder being a Flames fan. Oilers fans are pretty crazy, and they’re all over the place,” he said. “It seems like home-ice advantage isn’t a thing at Calgary games, that’s for sure, because there are so many Oilers fans all over the place. It doesn’t matter how bad the team is. They ride or die.”
Like many Canadian kids, Tetz was surrounded by hockey players. Friends. Extended family members who played Junior A hockey and had a chance to advance to the Western Hockey League.
Tetz was skating before he was 2 years old. He was constantly playing hockey. “It was my first love. I wanted to make the NHL,” he said.
He went to a private school, Tanbridge Academy, where hockey wasn’t just a focus but was literally one of his courses. “We weren’t a big enough school to have a hockey team, so we just did practice sessions on the ice,” he said.
Tetz estimates that between school and his youth hockey teams, he was on the ice nine times a week.
He played high-level youth hockey, including the Circle K Classic tournament in Calgary. His Elite Prospects page shows four seasons of the sport, culminating with the Calgary Royals U18 AAA in 2016-17. He said he played against players such as Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres and Kirby Dach of the Montreal Canadiens back in their youth days.
Tetz’s teammates were aware of his affinity for rodeo. “But I don’t think any of them really knew how invested I truly was into it,” he said.
His love for riding was first sparked on a ranch in Arrowwood, Alberta. Duane and Judy Ashbacher were Tetz’s godparents, local stock contractors who own a family ranch and helped produce local rodeo events. Tetz would go there in the summer to work.
“The older I get, the more I can see what [my dad] was doing: I think he kind of thought I was starting to become a spoiled hockey kid and he figured I needed to learn how to work,” he said.
Tetz was around 12 years old, baling hay and learning to drive around the ranch. When his dad arrived to pick him up, he asked Tetz whether he wanted to get on a steer and ride it for the first time.
“I was scared to do it, honestly. But my dad seemed really excited about it, so I didn’t want to disappoint him,” he said. “Two years later, I was going to pro rodeos. A couple of years after that, I had made my first Canadian finals and just kept rolling from there.”
Tetz was about 15 years old when he decided bull riding was his passion. When he did, a funny thing happened on the ice.
“I was still playing hockey competitively. As soon as I realized that I didn’t really care as much about hockey as I did bull riding, all of a sudden I never really had a bad game,” he said.
He ended up earning first-pairing minutes as a defenseman, despite knowing that hockey was no longer his sport of choice.
“I never really had a bad shift after that,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh man, I should have just stopped caring a long time ago. That would have saved me and my dad a lot of arguments while driving home from the game.'”
His father, Bruce, loves hockey. He loved watching Tetz play and was invested in his son’s burgeoning career. He traveled for his job, and he would book his trips around Nick’s games — always making sure he was home on Tuesday night and again on Saturday.
Eventually, Tetz and his teammates aged out of the Royals association, which meant it was time to make the jump to Canadian junior hockey. Some of his friends moved on, including a few who would play in the NCAA instead. Tetz had his own chance to make the jump to juniors, but his heart was elsewhere.
“An amateur rodeo I had entered had its finals at the same time as the junior team’s main camp,” he said. “All I really had to do at the camp was show up and not suck [to make it].”
When his father talked about signing him up for that junior main camp, Tetz had to inform him that he had entered the Lakeland rodeo finals on the same weekend.
“I think I’m going to go to that instead,” Tetz said.
He still remembers his father getting upset in that moment.
“It was because he didn’t really know where I was at. I didn’t … I didn’t really tell him or anything,” Tetz recalled. “I’m sure at some point he kind of thought it was kind of a waste having done all of this hockey. But him and my mom always raised me to understand that if you’re going to do something, you need to be all-in and try the best you can at it. That’s what hockey was like for me [until rodeo].”
THAT “HOCKEY IS LIFE” approach was something Tetz applied to riding. He considers it a main factor behind his success.
“A lot of people don’t take it to the next level. They think it’s cool to be the bull rider, to go to the bar and brag about how you were out there,” he said. “The guys that truly love it, you don’t ever hear them talking about that kind of stuff unless somebody asks them. It’s because you gotta truly love doing it. It’s so dangerous that if you don’t love it, it’s not worth doing. You’re almost stupid for doing it if you don’t love it.”
Tetz sees the embodiment of that vibe in a current NHL player: Chicago Blackhawks rookie sensation Connor Bedard.
“That kid’s unreal. He just truly loves playing hockey. Broken wrist, shooting pucks with one hand, you know? That’s why he’s got such a good release now,” he said. “It’s just going that extra step compared to other people. Because you truly love what you do.”
Tetz said that hockey gave him the foundation he needed as a young athlete. It helped him catch up as a rider.
“I started the sport a little bit later than a lot of guys. I was always busy playing hockey and couldn’t afford to get hurt, so I was playing catch-up most rodeo seasons,” he said. “What kept me competing around everyone was my athletic ability that I had gotten from playing hockey.”
Unfortunately, hockey also gave him something else a little less beneficial to his main sport.
“When you’re a bull rider, you want to stay a little bit smaller. But I’ve got hockey player legs,” he said. “I’ve lost them a little bit, but there’s a lot of Western-style jeans that I can’t fit into because my thighs are a little bit bigger than everybody else’s.”
Casey Lane, general manager of the Arizona Ridge Riders, said Tetz’s history with hockey helped him understand the importance of preparation.
“What it means to stick to a plan, to go to the gym, to listen to what your coaches are saying,” Lane said. “To work his own individual success plan on a daily basis is something, again, is not something that’s engrained in Western sports athletes, who generally come up on their own with no coaches, no plans. They just sort of do it until they are good enough to become professional, and then they become professional.”
The PBR Team Series debuted in 2023 with eight teams. The Arizona Ridge Riders picked Tetz up as a free agent early last year.
“Nick was the diamond in the rough for me. I soon realized that he was our secret weapon,” said Colby Yates, the Ridge Riders’ head coach. “His talent speaks for itself, but Nick has an ability to maintain confidence in not only in himself but with the whole. He is a coach’s dream and the ultimate team player.”
Hockey also helped him understand his role in the locker room. Tetz quickly reverted back to his normal role.
“I wasn’t sure what my role was going to be [in PBR], but coming from hockey, I was always the energy guy. I kept the room light, messed around, let’s keep the vibes high,” he said. “The guy who high-fives everyone before we went out. Keeping the morale up.”
The “energy guys” in hockey can set the tone early with an effective shift. Tetz transferred that mindset to rodeo: In many events, he was the first one on his team to get on a bull.
“I liked it because whether I did good or bad, I still could contribute to the team. If I was the first guy out and I did great, I got the ball rolling for us. If I didn’t, I could come back and help motivate the other guy,” he said. “It reminded me a little bit of hockey. That brotherhood going into the arena, stuff like that.”
Lane said the Ridge Riders moved Tetz up the order because his team sports background helped him understand momentum.
“Regardless of whether he rode or bucked off, he still understood how important it was to get back in the dugout with the team, pump the next guy up, pulling ropes, slapping backs, really creating an energy there that helped us create a winning culture regardless of how the momentum of the game was going,” Lane said.
The Ridge Raiders finished third in the PBR team standings in 2023. One of Tetz’s career highlights came one year earlier, when he was crowned 2022 PBR Canada champion. He received a $50,000 bonus, which was quickly cycled into home renovations for him and his fiancée. Perhaps just as importantly for a bull rider, he also won a belt buckle.
“It was the first buckle I got that had my name on it,” Tetz said. “That win was pretty special for me because it gave me a lot of opportunities that I don’t think I would have gotten.”
It was the kind of accomplishment that he dreamed about as a young athlete. Only, at the time, he didn’t think it was going to be in rodeo.
“When I was a kid, it was all about getting to the NHL and winning the Stanley Cup. What’s crazy is that I’m at the NHL level for bull riding,” he said.
“The job’s not finished. But it’s cool to look back and realize what you’ve accomplished and where you came from. It’s pretty unreal.”
Just when you thought the 12-team College Football Playoff was the solution … it might be messier than ever.
Five-loss Duke can win the ACC. Three of the four power conferences will have championship games that feature rematches (and Alabama might have to beat Georgia a second time to stay in the field). If both BYU and Texas Tech are in from the Big 12, someone currently in the top 10 is out.
There also are still plenty of questions: Will the committee do anything with Ole Miss after Lane Kiffin’s departure? Does Miami gain ground on Notre Dame? Which are the true bubble teams?
How the committee votes in Tuesday night’s fifth ranking (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) will be a strong indicator of how the 12-team field will look on Selection Day, but it’s not the final answer.
Bubble Watch accounts for what we have learned from the committee so far — and historical knowledge of what it means for teams clinging to hope. Teams with Would be in status below are looking good ahead of the committee’s fifth ranking. For each Power 4 conference, we’ve also listed Still in the mix. Teams that are Out will have to wait until next year.
The conferences below are listed in order of the number of bids they would receive, ranked from the most to least, based on this week’s top 12 projection. Check back following the selection show for an updated version that will reflect the committee’s penultimate ranking.
Jump to a conference:
ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten
SEC | Independent | Group of 5
Bracket
SEC
Would be in: Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas A&M. Right now, the Crimson Tide are the last at-large team in the field. Alabama will face Georgia in the SEC championship game, but the committee could have a difficult decision if Alabama loses and finishes as a three-loss runner-up. The Tide would have defeated Georgia during the regular season but lost to the Bulldogs in the championship game — and they’re already in a precarious position. How far Alabama drops could determine if the SEC gets four or five teams in the field. Alabama could finish as the committee’s highest-ranked three-loss team and still be excluded from the playoff to make room for a conference champion — as they were last year.
A Georgia win should lock up a first-round bye and a top-four finish for the Bulldogs, while a loss should still put them in position to host a first-round game. Georgia beat Ole Miss, so it would be surprising to see them drop below the Rebels with a loss, even though the Bulldogs would have one more defeat. With a 35-10 drubbing of Texas also on its résumé, Georgia would still have a strong enough résumé to finish as the committee’s top two-loss team.
It will be interesting to see if Lane Kiffin’s departure affects the ranking of Ole Miss. CFP protocol states the committee will consider “other relevant factors such as unavailability of key players and coaches that may have affected a team’s performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason performance.” Ole Miss won’t miss the playoff because Kiffin left for another job, but it could get dinged a spot or two if the committee surmises the team won’t be the same without him.
Still in the mix: Texas. The Longhorns will earn a promotion Tuesday night, but the win against Texas A&M is unlikely to catapult them into the playoff. Texas probably will be stuck behind Miami in part because of its loss to Florida, which Miami beat. Even if Texas Tech knocks BYU out of the top 12 with a win in the Big 12 championship game, bumping up both Miami and Texas, the Longhorns would still be excluded from the field to make room for a conference champion. If BYU and Alabama were knocked out with title game losses, that still probably wouldn’t be enough for Texas to get into the field, because even if Texas reaches No. 11 by default, it would still be excluded during the seeding process for a conference champion.
Out: Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Big Ten
Would be in: Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon. Both Indiana and Ohio State are CFP locks — even if they lose in the conference title game — and the runner-up will still have a strong case for a top-four finish and a first-round bye. The loser’s only loss will be to a top-two team, but it could fall behind Georgia in the top four if the Bulldogs win the SEC, and/or Texas Tech if it wins the Big 12.
The Ducks punctuated their résumé with a respectable win at Washington and should be secure in their playoff position, probably hosting a first-round game. Oregon could get a small boost this week if Texas A&M drops behind it after losing to Texas.
Still in the mix: None.
Out: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin
Big 12
Would be in: Texas Tech. The Red Raiders will play BYU in the Big 12 title game and have a great case to be in the playoff regardless of the outcome. It’s highly unlikely the selection committee would drop the Red Raiders out of the field as a two-loss Big 12 runner-up — especially considering they would have a regular-season win against the eventual conference champion. It’s also possible Texas Tech earns a first-round bye as a top-four seed if the Red Raiders win the Big 12. The committee could move them into the top four on Tuesday night if Texas A&M falls out after its loss to Texas.
Still in the mix: BYU. If BYU doesn’t win the Big 12, it’s unlikely to earn an at-large bid as the conference runner-up because the Cougars are already on the bubble and would be eliminated during the seeding process if the playoff were today. It’s not impossible, though. If Alabama finishes as a three-loss SEC runner-up, it could at least open the door for debate. It could be as simple as No. 10 Alabama and No. 11 BYU flipping positions on Selection Day. The difference would be that BYU lost to Texas Tech twice, and Alabama would have defeated Georgia, the eventual SEC champ once — and it was on the road. If BYU wins the Big 12, it’s the ideal scenario for the conference because it would have two teams in the playoff.
Out: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, UCF, Utah, West Virginia
ACC
Would be in: TBD. The ACC championship game will feature Virginia and Duke, and if five-loss Duke wins, it’s possible the ACC is excluded from the playoff. If Virginia wins, it will represent the league in the playoff, as the two-loss Cavaliers are ranked in the top 20. And no, Miami did not play Duke or Virginia during the regular season. Duke lost to Tulane, which is the top Group of 5 playoff contender and will reach the playoff if it wins the American. Duke also lost to UConn. And it has already lost to Virginia 34-17 on Nov. 15.
Still in the mix: Miami. The Hurricanes will still be the committee’s highest-ranked ACC team on Tuesday night, but they would be excluded if the playoff were today to make room for a conference champion. That means the ACC winner could knock the league’s best team out of the playoff. The committee isn’t ignoring the Miami’s head-to-head win against Notre Dame, but it also isn’t comparing the Canes only to the Irish. Miami also needs to earn an edge against Alabama and BYU — two teams the committee has deemed better than Miami to this point. If both of those teams lose their respective conference championship games, it would open the door for Miami to possibly enter the 12-team field with Notre Dame.
Out: Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Independent
Would be in: Notre Dame. The Irish have done everything right since their 0-2 start, running the table and doing it with consistent dominance regardless of opponent. At No. 9, the Irish are safely in the field — if they can stay there through conference championship chaos. The concern would be if Alabama won the SEC and jumped Notre Dame, pushing the Irish to No. 10 — and if BYU and Texas Tech both made the playoff. If BYU wins the Big 12, both teams are highly likely to make the playoff, which means someone currently in the top 10 would have to be excluded. The Irish will watch and wait and need to hope those two results don’t unfold.
Group of 5
Would be in: Tulane. If the Green Wave win the American, it will represent the Group of 5 in the playoff. Tulane is currently the only Group of 5 team ranked by the committee, but if North Texas wins, it would be the most likely team to reach the CFP, given the overall strength of the conference this season.
Still in the mix: James Madison, North Texas. JMU has clinched the East Division and a spot in the Sun Belt Conference championship game. North Texas will face Tulane in the American, and if it wins, it’s more likely to represent the Group of 5 in the playoff than JMU because of its schedule strength. JMU could still be considered, though, if Duke wins the ACC, giving the Group of 5 two playoff teams in the 12-team field.
Bracket
Based on this week’s projection, the seeding would be:
First-round byes
No. 1 Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
No. 2 Indiana
No. 3 Georgia (SEC champ)
No. 4 Texas Tech (Big 12 champ)
First-round games
On campus, Dec. 19 and 20
No. 12 Tulane (American champ) at No. 5 Oregon
No. 11 Virginia (ACC champ) at No. 6 Texas A&M
No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Ole Miss
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
Quarterfinal games
At the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
No. 12 Tulane/No. 5 Oregon winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
No. 11 Virginia/No. 6 Texas A&M winner vs. No. 3 Georgia
No. 10 Alabama/No. 7 Ole Miss winner vs. No. 2 Indiana
No. 9 Notre Dame/No. 8 Oklahoma winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State
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