LOS ANGELES
Wasserman Reinforces Position as Industry Leader in Hockey Representation Business
Global sports, music, and entertainment company Wasserman has joined forces with KO Sports, announced today by President, Global Talent Representation Jason Ranne. As part of the new relationship, KO Sports owner Kurt Overhardt will become an Executive Vice President in Wasserman’s hockey division, partnering with Wasserman’s other top hockey agents.
“KO successfully represented elite talent as one of the premier boutique hockey agencies in the world for multiple decades. Kurt’s experience and commitment to player advocacy are among the industry’s best, and we are excited he agreed to join Wasserman Hockey,” said Ranne. “Together, we will continue to find ways to raise the standard of excellence in global hockey representation.”
Established in 1992, KO Sports, based in Denver, represents players on all levels across Canada, Sweden, and the United States. Its roster of clients features Andrew Copp, Mattias Ekholm, Joel Farabee, Cutter Gauthier, John Gibson, Filip Gustavsson, Nick Schmaltz, Jaccob Slavin, Troy Terry, and Jacob Trouba, among others, who will join Wasserman Hockey. Joe Oliver, Shawn Hunwick, Brian Schoelzel, and Derek Langlois will also be joining Kurt at Wasserman Hockey.
“Having represented NHL players for over thirty years, I am very excited to join Wasserman Hockey and its global platform, which will benefit our clients for years to come,” said Overhardt. “The professionalism and integrity of the people at Wasserman Hockey are a perfect fit for our clients and group. We look forward to leveraging our clients’ careers and continuing to advocate for the best athletes and people in our sport. I am thankful for our clients, our group, and this industry-changing opportunity at Wasserman.”
This new relationship with KO Sports solidifies Wasserman Hockey as the preeminent representation firm in the sport. Wasserman Hockey was launched in 2018 with the addition of Orr Hockey Group. Later that year, the group augmented its practice by hiring agent Judd Moldaver, and in 2020, it expanded across North America and into Europe with the acquisition of global hockey agency ACME World Sports. In 2021, the team added geographic strength in Western Canada by acquiring Vancouver-based PointsWest Hockey and hiring its founder, Rich Evans. In 2024, the group formed a strategic partnership with Momentum Hockey and their owners, Olivier Fortier and Charles-Olivier Roussel, which continued Wasserman’s commitment to global growth.
With clients including Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Kyle Connor, Alex DeBrincat, Nick Suzuki, and Roman Josi, Wasserman Hockey continues to represent the game’s best and the game’s future.
Beyond hockey, Wasserman’s industry-leading sports talent representation practice represents some of the biggest names in sports, including Nolan Arenado, Paige Bueckers, Maxx Crosby, Billy Donovan, Jagger Eaton, Tyler Glasnow, Brittney Griner, Nelly Korda, Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel, Weston McKennie, Evan Mobley, Alex Morgan, Nneka Ogwumike, Domantas Sabonis, Geno Smith, Sophia Wilson, Giancarlo Stanton, Diana Taurasi, Klay Thompson, Mike Tirico, Jamie Vardy, Lilia Vu and Tracy Wolfson.
This alliance with KO Sports reflects Wasserman’s ambitious growth strategy over the last 20+ years and its ongoing commitment to becoming a leading representation, marketing, and sales business that provides an end-to-end suite of services to talent, brands, properties, and rights holders globally.
About Wasserman
Wasserman operates at the epicenter of sports, music, entertainment and culture, serving talent, brands and properties on a global scale. Wasserman works with iconic sports and media figures across the world in every major sport, utilizing our extensive influence to maximize negotiations and create meaningful opportunities for our clients across teams, leagues, brands, content and live events.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Wasserman’s presence spans 28 countries and more than 70 cities, including New York, London, Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Madrid, Mexico City, Toronto, Paris and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.teamwass.com.
