By Eric Stann
Feb. 9, 2025
Contact: Eric Stann, StannE@missouri.edu
Photos courtesy Kimber Auerbach and USA Hockey
When the puck drops at the 2026 Winter Olympics, fans will watch the best players in the world chase gold. Just beyond the boards, Kimber Auerbach, M Ed ’24, will be focused on something less visible: the quiet, human moments that shape the athletes’ experience and help fans connect with them on a deeper level.
As one of USA Hockey’s media officers at this year’s Winter Games, Auerbach coordinates interviews and manages player access for both the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams. Every decision he makes is grounded in a simple, powerful perspective.
“The Olympics are a unique opportunity to magnify the sport by making players as human as possible,” he said. “When fans see athletes as people with routines, pride and emotions, not just as exceptional competitors, it makes their success on the world stage even more meaningful.”
That outlook comes from more than a decade spent in different roles with the NHL’s New York Islanders, combined with the skills he gained earning a master’s degree at Mizzou’s College of Education and Human Development in positive coaching and athletic leadership.
“I was already having these quiet, off-ice moments with the players, where they would talk with me about personal moments in their lives,” he said. “Mizzou helped me understand what I was seeing, and how to approach those moments more intentionally.”
At its core, Auerbach’s work is all about building relationships. Even with the Olympic schedule compressing months of NHL-style relationship-building into just a few intense weeks, his approach stays the same.
“I want to know the athletes on a personal level, because that’s where the magic happens,” he said. “Even the biggest stars are still human. Understanding their lives off the ice helps me support them in meaningful ways and lets fans connect with the person behind the jersey.”
Auerbach’s path to the Olympics began in his hometown of Morristown, New Jersey, where hockey captured his imagination as a child and drew him to the rink. Covering local teams in college sparked his interest in storytelling and eventually led him to the administrative side of professional hockey. After gaining experience with the area’s minor league team, he landed a role with the New York Islanders, where he now serves as senior vice president of communications.
“I enjoy telling stories about where players come from,” he said. “A child might connect with a professional hockey player not through the sport itself, but through a shared history — like playing Little League Baseball. That spark can inspire someone who’s never watched hockey to tune in for the first time.”
It’s a reminder that leadership often shows up in the small, unseen moments — the ones Mizzou helped him recognize and make the most of.
“I’m extremely grateful to USA Hockey, and particularly Dave Fischer, senior director of communications at USA Hockey, for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said. “It’s an honor I do not take lightly.”
