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Fmr. Gophers Star Builds Business By Critiquing NHL Teams

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- P.J. Atherton won a national title and made a name as a hard-hitting defenseman for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. It taught him much.

"Taking the time to break down every zone entry is a lot," Atherton said.

He still works in hockey, developing his own occupation. He has seven NHL clients.

His job? Look at every game they play on video and offer a critique that he emails back.

P.J. Atherton
P.J. Atherton (credit: CBS)

One of his prize pupils is a fellow Edina star, Anders Lee. He just recorded a 34-goal season for the New York Islanders. He is a student looking for an edge.

"It's razor-thin, you know, that separates the guys who maybe aren't playing one night to the guys who are playing in the top six or top-four defense," Atherton said. "They're all extremely-talented players."

So he spends countless hours a day downloading and dissecting shifts.

"[It] challenged me of learning about the game," he said. "I don't know much about anything else."

Teaching and, just as important, encouraging.

"I'm pretty positive. You know, even the things that are errors or mistakes, I try to frame in ways that we could be better," he said.

When millions of dollars are at stake, everyone wants a leg up.

"That comes with a lot of pressure and a lot of added things, and trying to provide guys the clarity to have confidence," Atherton said. "I think [it's] a valuable thing."

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