2012 PHATS/SPHEM Annual Meeting Meeting Agenda
Transcription
2012 PHATS/SPHEM Annual Meeting Meeting Agenda
PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY ATHLETIC TRAINERS SOCIETY SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY EQUIPMENT MANAGERS Newsletter Fall 2011 2012 PHATS/SPHEM Annual Meeting Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa June 21-25, 2011 Florida and the Harbor Beach Marriott is a great destination for both members and vendors alike. The hotel and staff has always been so welcoming and accommodating to our group so it makes it easy to return to sunny Florida and the beautiful beaches. You can’t beat the Harbor Beach Marriott for its close proximity to the airport, easy flight access and a great destination for the whole family… especially after a very long hockey season! Meeting Agenda Thursday, June 21st: 8:00-5:00 pm: 1:00-5:00 pm: 1:00-5:00 pm: 7:00-9:00 pm: Saturday, June 23rd: PHATS Medical Course (optional) Executive Committee Meetings Member and FOMA Registration Gatorade Reception 8:00-12:00 pm: Educational sessions 8:00-12:00 pm: Exhibitor Set Up Continued 1:00-5:00 pm: Exhibit Hall Open 7:00 pm: Hall of Fame Reception 8:00 pm: Hall of Fame Dinner Friday, June 22nd: Sunday, June 24th: 8:00 am: Opening General Session 8:00-5:00 pm: Educational Sessions 1:00-5:00 pm: Exhibitor Registration 3:00-6:00 pm: Exhibitor Set Up 7:00 pm: Welcome Reception for Members/FOMA/ Exhibitors 8:00-12:00 pm: Educational Sessions 1:00-5:00 pm: Exhibit Hall Open 5:00 pm: Exhibit Tear Down Free Night Monday, June 25th: 8:00-12:00 pm: Educational Sessions and NHL Meetings 1 Meeting Overview Hotel Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa Room rate: $195 Cutoff date for Reservations: May 28th, 2012 Hotel reservations can be made via the website, www.phats-sphem.com or by calling the hotel directly at 954-525-4000 or reservations at 800-228-9290. Ask for the PHATS group rate. Meeting Registration Registration will not take place until mid February. An email will be sent inviting you to register. More information will be provided on the PHATS/SPHEM website, www.phats-sphem.com Attire Business Casual Exhibitors: Exhibit booths: $1200 All booths are 8x10 Space is limited this year due to the size of the exhibit hall. All booths are first come first serve, so please register as soon as registration opens in February to make sure you secure a booth at the show. Medical Vendors: Contact the PHATS office at 888-460-9003 if you are interested in speaking directly to the PHATS members. $1500 for a 30 minute session. Equipment Vendors: Contact Pete Rogers if you are interested in presenting to the Equipment Managers, rates and times vary. [email protected] 2 Dear PHATS members, contact either myself or Anita for further details. Great to see all of you this past summer in Phoenix. We had quite the agenda and I appreciate all of the effort from each of you to attend and be involved. Thanks to the vendors who continue to show support for PHATS. We have already begun the education process for next summer. Please contact Anita if you would like to help the education committee or have a topic/doctor/procedure that you think would be appropriate for the group. As the norm each year, please encourage any new vendors to exhibit at our annual meetings. We have found some great resources through individual member relationships. We continue to welcome new members each and every year. Please take a minute during your season and reach out to one another. Communicating with each other during the season is a great opportunity to share ideas and experiences. I would like to give a big thank you to our education committee and our emergency medicine group for all of the organization that goes into the meetings. Only with your continual feedback will we be able to grow our clinical symposium into an extremely valuable learning asset. With that said, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have and question, concerns or hot topics that our society needs to discuss. The growth of this group continues to amaze me each and every year. We had a very good turnout from our members to discuss some hot topics. I believe that our society will greatly benefit from the passion that our members have shown. With that being said, I would encourage everyone to continue to discuss the concussion protocol and the current NHL policy pertaining to prescription medication with your medical directors and among ourselves. Thanks to Anita for all of her hard work and dedication to our society. Lastly, this is the final stretch for my term. I can hear the “about time” comments already! This year’s meeting is an election year so please take a moment to consider taking your turn at this position. Whether it is yourself or a member you think would be interested, we need new blood to make a positive impact on all of the hard work each of you do every day. I would be remiss if I did not mention and thank the many sponsors who continue to support our society. Gatorade, PowerBar and Sutton Medical remain staunch supporters of our meetings, year in and year out. Please take a moment to thank them if you see them during your travels. I appreciate the feedback on the Sutton Medical (AHMS) program and we continue to utilize all of the features and benefits of electronic record keeping. Thanks for your attention and good luck to all of you this season! Ray Tufts PHATS President Head Athletic Trainer, San Jose Sharks We are currently looking for a volunteer who would be interested in taking the lead for a Hockey Hall of Fame project. Please please feel free to contact your respective league rep and forward those to us. Our meetings last June in Phoenix were a great success thanks to all of our members who attended and our many loyal vendors who made our exhibit hall the largest to date! It is my understanding that all leagues were very productive conducting their business in their breakout meetings. The exhibit hall was bustling and a great way to network, do business and catch up with old friends. I think both the members and vendors felt it was our best show yet! This will be the third year of our Enhanced Education Program. We are once again asking our vendors to assist us in educating all of our members on the how’s and why’s of their products and services. If you have any ideas of what you might find interesting to learn or a company you would like to hear from, please contact Pete Rogers (Nashville Predators) or your league rep so we can seek out a vendor to properly educate us on it. Best of luck to everyone, have a great season and travel safely. Paul Boyer SPHEM President Head Equipment Manager, Detroit Red Wings Planning has already started for this June in Ft. Lauderdale. The success of our annual convention comes from all the members. If you have any suggestions or ideas to make the conference better 3 By Mark Brennan PHATS/SPHEM Alumni Chairperson Before I begin this article, let’s understand the rules. For one, I am not as young as I used to be. Second, gray hairs have replaced the lack of gray brain cells. Three, we are only going by first hand recognition and some things have changed perspective over the years. (Yes, I tend to forget details at times) Four, if I get the names or spelling wrong, just go with it and enjoy the perspective of the article. And five, it was roughly half my lifetime ago. (FOMA) from the NHL teams. They conducted their own business meetings alongside the PHATS/SPHEM Meeting. Members and Suppliers enjoy four days of good quality, hands-on educational sessions, vendor sessions, enhanced education, receptions, Hall of Fame Dinner, daily coffee breaks and lunches…not to mention the Exhibit Hall. We owe it to our many loyal exhibitors who attend year after year and continue to support us. We also thank those companies that sponsor the catering events throughout the week to allow us all to enjoy a first rate conference. Without their support, we may still be down in the basement with only a handful of members attending our meetings. My… how things have changed over the years! Younger members probably cannot fathom how different the meetings were twenty-five years ago. Just to give some history, I had just come off a Calder Cup victory with the Adirondack Red Wings in 1986. As part of the reward, Detroit offered to send me to the PHATS meeting that May. Yes, the meetings were earlier, besides; there were only twenty-six teams in the league. Who would have thought that there would be teams in Florida? Also, SPHEM was not in existence at this time. Equipment managers didn’t get equal representation until 1996. Yes it was twenty-five years ago that I attended my first meeting. Booth space in the Exhibit Hall was limited as well back then. If there were twenty booths sold that would have been a stretch. Two or three were medical companies and equipment companies made out the rest of the space. Back then, the booths were represented by Bauer ( Jim Geary), Cooper (Warren Lamb), yes they were separate and not owned at one time by Nike. Of course that has all changed. CCM and Koho and JOFA (Phil Langlois), again separate companies as well. Guspro (Charlie Gualtieri) was there as well as Maska, Louisville (Graham Watson) and Sherwood (Claude LaRose). Other companies that have gone the way of change were Doaust Skates and Victoriaville, just to name a few. In 2011, we had 135 exhibit booths, the most to date! Due to lack of exhibit space we even turned companies away who really wanted to be a part of the show. Every year our numbers increase and this is based purely on word of mouth. Both the exhibitor and member get so much out of this particular show. It is a great venue for networking and educational courses and CEUS. This gives you some idea how things have changed and grown and if there are errors refer back to the first paragraph and the rules of the article. The meetings that year were held in Las Vegas. It was my first time in Vegas as well as my first meeting. Yes, I can talk about it! At that time, the Executive Board was made up of Skip Thayer (President), Larry Ashley (Vice President) and John Doolan (Secretary and Treasurer). There were no Anita’s, Lisa’s or Dom’s to take care of us. They did their own meetings and registration with John Doolan sitting there and handing out agendas for the three days. That year, there were about seventy members that attended the meeting. Only NHL and AHL trainers and equipment managers were represented. Of that, some of the minor teams did not send their staff to the meeting. There were no annual dues but, then again, there was no welcome reception, no break out food and beverages, equipment or medical sponsored meals or lunches, and no hospitality room or welcome gifts. Actually, the hospitality room or rooms were in one of the vendor’s rooms and they filled the tub with beer and we spent time there at the end of the night. Compare that to the 2011 meeting in Phoenix this year…250 members attended the meeting from all the professional hockey leagues in addition to the NCAA and Canadian Hockey Leagues. Also in attendance was the Facility Operations Managers This past summer, Pete Demers, (Former President of PHATS) and I (Former President and Treasure of SHEM) were asked to meet with the current executive boards of PHATS/SPHEM in Phoenix Arizona. My goodness was it hot! Both of us were extremely pleased to attend at their request and cannot express our gratitude enough to them and Anita, Dom and Lisa for the great hospitality we received. As for the actual meeting themselves, anyone that was there continued on page 7 4 Keith Robinson, Head Equipment Manager, Boston Bruins SPHEM: You have been with the Boston Bruins for 23 years now. You started as a locker room assistant, then to assistant equipment manager and now head equipment manager. No doubt you have grown over the years, but how has the team grown and changed over the years? KR: The biggest change I feel was moving from the old Boston Garden to the TDGarden .My first several years working in the old garden definitely created a lot of fond memories. I consider myself very lucky to have witnessed a lot of great hockey, concerts ,etc…in such a historic arena. I guess I can say that the TDGarden has provided some great memories more recently and is starting to feel like home. I have worked for twelve coaches and four GM’s, all of which made some changes to our organization, but never anything real major, just some adjustments to the day to day operations. Overall, I think the big changes from when I started to now are the same for all teams-- the way we travel from the hotels to the planes and trucks and the amount of equipment we carry. SPHEM: What is the advantage of staying with one team the entire time versus moving around the league? KR: I know in sports the opportunity to work for the hometown team is pretty rare. I am fortunate and honored to have this position in Boston, although there are a few other cities I could have seen myself enjoying a job like this. SPHEM: The 2010-2011 season proved to be worth the wait. The Bruins win the Stanley Cup. Tell us about that experience. KR: The 2011 playoffs was like the ultimate roller coaster ride! Going through two game 7’s in early rounds I thought would prepare us(me) for just about anything. But I was wrong. As the finals went on, the level of intensity continued to rise, reaching its max at the end of game 6. What came after that lived up to all that I dreamed it would be and more. SPHEM: Did you feel all your hard work paid off and did you change how you did things post season leading up to the Stanley Cup game? KR: Beets, Matt and myself along with the rest of the staff took on the “whatever it takes” mentality in the finals. Personally, I just tried to pay attention to all the possible emergency scenarios like broken goalie masks, skates etc… thankfully, nothing unusual came up. SPHEM: Going back to your longevity with the Bruins, it sounds as if you had a lot of on the job training, starting out as a locker room assistant, which led to a head equipment manager position in pro hockey. Is this the best way to get started and what do you recommend to others who would like to get into pro hockey and what skills should they have to help them be successful? KR: I guess there are many different paths that may lead to these positions, but I would say be willing to start wherever you can get a foot in the door. Being around and getting “on the job training” is invaluable even if the position doesn’t pay what you think it should. You have to be available and ready to work to prove you can succeed in this unique environment. SPHEM: We know it is important to have a good relationship with your vendors. Why is that and what are some things you to do stay current with your vendors/products and build on that relationship? KR: I think vendors and equipment managers have the same common goal-- to make sure players are using products they are confident in. In order to accomplish this, it requires all parties to communicate and work well together. SPHEM: What do you want your NHL peers to know about you that they don’t already know? KR: I think one of the things that might come as a surprise is that as a teenager I modeled tuxedos and suits on the runway for wedding expo’s. Needless to say, this hockey business has taken its toll on me! SPHEM: Who have been your mentors over the years that have inspired you? continued on page 6 5 By Mark Brennan, Alumni Chairperson Well, just sitting here in Portland, Oregon, enjoying the darkness at 4:30 pm, the rain and a fine glass of Oregon Pinot Noir, (sorry Pierre Gervais), but just wanted to bring everyone up to speed. Hope this newsletter from PHATS/SPHEM and the Alumni finds you all well and in good health. This past year has been a busy one here for reasons other than working on the Alumni Association. Spent the last year working with Pete Demers and the current board members of PHATS/SPHEM on a special project. I was invited to attend the meeting this past summer in Phoenix to present our findings. Hope to have information to share in the next newsletter about our meeting and the progress that has come forward from Phoenix. As for attending the meetings, my how things have changed. Please be sure to read the retrospect on how things have changed in twenty-five years in this newsletter. This past month, the PHATS/SPHEM Alumni received great news from Mr. Jim Darby at Easton Sports. Jim has been a long time friend and supporter of both PHATS and SPHEM, and our shared history goes back more years than I care to remember. We spoke of this last summer in Phoenix and he was glad to see the old guys, especially Pete Demers and myself. We spoke of the Alumni and wanted to know how he can get involved in support of having more past members attend the annual convention. To that end, we talked about bringing past members to the meetings and he has graciously sponsored that cause. Right now it is in the planning stages and we will be letting the membership know in the coming newsletter who will attend on the behalf of the Alumni Association next year in Fort Lauderdale. We look forward to working with Darb’s, the executive board and Anita over the next year. The PHATS/ SPHEM Alumni Association can not express the gratitude and thanks to Jim Darby and Easton. All Alumni Articles will now be in the PHATS/SPHEM Newsletter. My goal this winter is to update and add names to our Alumni List. We are asking current and retired members, if at all possible, to assist in adding to the listings. If there is anyone out there that we need to add or changes that need to be done, please feel free to email either our office, Anita or Dom with additions or changes. I recently spent some time speaking with Skip Thayer and enjoyed talking with an old friend of ours. Be sure to take time to read the “Where are they now” column in this newsletter. Other than that, would really appreciate hearing from members of our alumni and adding information in upcoming newsletters. Please keep in touch and let me know if there is anything that needs to be done going forward from this end. Take care, all the best to past members and safe travels for all active members, Regards to all, Mark “Peaches” Brennan Alumni Chair the membership from year one to present. should be able to realize how much has changed in twentyfive years. Compare the Las Vegas meeting with what was experienced in Phoenix. Trainers and Equipment managers are equally represented. Both Executive Boards were formed in 1996, just 10 years after that first meeting of mine in Vegas. Welcome receptions, luncheons, hospitality room, welcome gifts, every minor and amateur leagues represented (NCAA and Major Junior), foreign teams represented and the most professional support staff in Anita, Lisa, Dom. Rollin and his guidance and the Executive Boards have taken the meeting to where I could have never imagined. But, it also should be said that the meeting could have never got to this point if not for the hard work and dedication of all those that chose to serve If anything can be taken from this article, it is that THANKS need to be given to the Larry’s, Woody’s, and Pete’s. Skips, Rip’s, Dools, Smittys, Sups, Eddies, and Sluggo’s as well as the Danny’s, Geary’s, Watson’s, Staffs, Lefties, and anyone over fifty with a nick name. It is their dedication to the sport of hockey, foresight and commitment level that has helped to grow our association over the years and make it what it is today. Now I know I may have left out some names but congratulations and thanks to those who have taken over and made PHATS/SPHEM so much more than we could have ever envisioned just twenty five short years ago! 6 By Mark Brennan, Alumni Chairperson Skip Thayer, former NHL Athletic Trainer Just got off the phone with Skip Thayer, former NHL athletic trainer and 2001 PHATS/ SPHEM Hall of Fame Inductee. It was a very interesting call and added more to the history of PHATS of which most of this article will cover. It would be great to bring back the original members at some time and let them see what has happened over the years since the original idea of starting something akin to PHATS in 1971. accident years ago and Lefty passed away a few years ago. They met for the first time as an organized group in Baltimore in 1972. That first year they called themselves the “NHL Trainers Association”. Unfortunately, the NHL could not be used without permission and the following meetings they were know as the “Hockey Trainers Association”. But, to that end, they had to change names again to a “Hockey Trainers Society” for legal reasons and we are still known as a Society to this day. Finally, many years later, the NHL and NHLPA, formally recognized the “Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society”. Skip remembers when he first got in the league, he was fresh out of college and really didn’t know that much about the game. He can recall those first few years that teams had to carry their own supplies, such as oranges, coffee, tape, hydrocolators, medical supplies and tape. He began his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, then went to Pittsburgh to the Penguins in 1988 and finished his twenty-nine year career with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The first board of PHATS was made up of or appointed to the position by the members present as follows: Ross “Lefty” Wilson (President), Dan “Grinder” Canney (Vice President), Dan “Olie” Olesevich (Secretary/Treasurer) and Skip Thayer (Member of Board). Special mention has to be given to Tom Woodcock, even though he did not serve on the first board, as Skip stated, “Tommy was the force behind the formation of the association. It was his forethought that made the trainers work towards getting organized for the first time. He met with me after I was hired in Chicago and since I was the first Trainer with a Masters Degree, he said that it would add validity to our group.” Skip is still residing in Maine and is probably one of the few Yankee fans in the area. He was the first President that I met in Las Vegas and remember that first meeting to this day. I needed a room in the hotel when there was no reservation for me. Skip came up and asked what was the problem. I told him I was here for the hockey convention and did not seem to have a reservation. He said, “let me look into it, we take care of our own in hockey”. He did get me a room and to this day I am grateful and still believe we take care of our own. It should be mentioned that all these gentlemen are PHATS/ SPHEM Hall of Fame Inductees. Two of which have since passed away. Danny Olesevich was killed in an automobile KR: That’s easy. It was my honor and pleasure to work for Ken Fleger. He was a true old school hockey guy. He taught me a lot about repairs, skates, etc…and how to survive in pro hockey in general. It would be silly to try to list all of the others but the guys in the Adams division were in town so much I got to know them pretty well. Who knows what is to come after hockey… if the economy improved, maybe build some houses or open a tavern. SPHEM: What do you do to keep busy in the off season? KR: I spend a lot of time working around the house, there is always a project waiting. I have two boys that keep me very busy. They want to fish almost every day and if we’re not fishing we are on some other adventure. I also find time to squeeze in a round of golf or two with friends. SPHEM: You have won a Stanley Cup? Now what? What do you want to do after hockey? KR: Winning the Cup was a dream come true! But I know there is a lot of room for improvement on the equipment side of things here so that will take some time and energy. 7 PHATS: To work into June, beyond the regular season is what it is all about but how do things change from a trainer’s perspective during those few months? (i.e., travel, hours, focus, media, expectations by management and players) Don DelNegro, Head Athletic Trainer, Boston Bruins PHATS: You have been with the same team, the Boston Bruins since 1993. What did you do prior to working the Bruins? DD: Well everything gets “ramped up” a bit. Attention to detail is probably foremost. I found it hard to fall asleep, or stay asleep at night. You are always thinking, and checking and rechecking that you thought of every possible thing you may need, or need to do. DD: Before I came to the Bruins, I was the Director of Sports Medicine at Williams College in MA. A small private, liberal arts college. Prior to that I was an Assistant Athletic Trainer at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY. During that time I was fortunate enough to work as an AT for: 2 US Olympic Festivals, Pan-Am Games in Cuba, 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and travel all around Europe working various World Cup, and World Championships for: US Bobsled, Wrestling, Luge, Team Handball, Swimming & Diving, and Hockey. I even worked for 6 weeks with the Harlem Globetrotters while they trained for their European Tour The travel for us going to Vancouver was not too bad. The games were scheduled at 5pm PT that was an 8pm ET start for our body clocks. So, I don’t think that was detrimental to our performance. The increase in media attention is noticeable, but mostly it affected the players and not us. The one advantage of “Playoff ” hockey for the medical staff is that you don’t have to manage an injury so it doesn’t get worse. You’re not saving your players for the playoffs, because you’re already there. They either “can play, or can’t play”. So the medical decisions get a little easier to make. PHATS: The 2010-2011 season was a big year for you and the Bruins. What was it like to win the Stanley Cup? Was it everything you had imagined? PHATS: You have done work with USA Hockey in the past, tell us about that. DD: I have been fortunate enough to work for USA Hockey on 4 different occasions, 3 World Championships, and 2006 Olympics in Torino. It is kind of bitter sweet, because it usually means your team is not in the playoffs. But, getting the opportunity to travel to Europe and work with other NHL players is a great experience. I highly recommend everyone try to go on one of the trips at some point in their career. DD: Winning the Stanley Cup has certainly been the pinnacle of my career. We all know the work, the hours, the commitment we put in; it just felt really great to finally reap the reward. Getting the opportunity to have the Stanley Cup for a day was incredible. What an amazing benefit the NHL gives us by allowing staff members to have it as well as the players. It is a chance for us to pay back, and thank your family and friends for their love and support for the crazy life we lead. PHATS: In your years with the Bruins, how has athletic training changed in pro hockey? Winning it was awesome; the intensity of the final two rounds is incredible. You are just living Day to Day, Game to Game. It is surreal when it finally happens. We were very fortunate to be relatively healthy during the whole playoffs series, so our work load in the training room was actually minimal. Our staff seemed to be able to really enjoy the ride. DD: When I first came in ’93. Most teams had only 1 AT and usually someone at home doing rehab. Now most teams have 2-3 AT’s/PT’s, massage therapist, Strength Coach, Nutritional consultants, Psychologists, sleep experts, etc. It’s amazing, but the volume of personal attention players want has grown dramatically. Continued on next page 8 Also, the amount of administrative work that is needed for team management, the NHL, the PA, insurance companies, drug testing is increasing yearly as well. So I spend a larger portion of my day in front of the computer instead of in front of the players DD: If I wasn’t an Athletic Trainer, I would have been a drummer with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band touring across America using your locker rooms for my post concert parties. This, of course would delay the visiting team from hanging up their gear!! PHATS: What would you like to see less? PHATS: Who have been your mentors over the years that have inspired you? DD: I would like to see less paperwork, computer work and doing things that don’t make any sense. DD: Most of my mentors where not hockey related per se. I learned a lot from all of the AT’s that I worked under along the way. But, Kevin Moody the head at the USOTC in Lake Placid was a big influence in my career. Rich Pierce at Westfield State University was my first mentor, so he is high on the list in my formative years as an AT student. My relationship with other PHATS members like, Rammer, Mulligan, Kingsley, McCrae, Barile, and Ray Tufts are incredibly helpful throughout the season. PHATS: What skills set should all pro hockey athletic trainers bring to the table to benefit the player and management alike? DD: I think anyone looking to get into Athletic Training in professional hockey needs to bring additional skill sets to the table. You definitely would need a Masters’, or PT degree. I would augment that with a Massage therapy, Physician’s assistant, or strength and conditioning degree as well. I know most teams that are hiring assistants are looking for someone with multiple skills. PHATS: Now that you have won a Stanley Cup, what else is out there for you to attain? What are you future goals and aspirations? DD: This question is a layup, another Stanley Cup of course! PHATS: You are long standing member of PHATS and on the PHATS executive committee for many years. Why is it important for you to be a part of this group? PHATS: Although the off season was short for you this year, what do you do to keep busy in the off season? DD: I believe everyone should be on the Executive Committee at some point during their career in the NHL. It is our association and no one is going to care about our concerns except us. When I first came in Pete Demers and Larry Ashley were leading the charge for all of the benefits we have today. If we don’t continue in the same manner, we as an organization will remain stagnant. I think PHATS is a very strong and vocal association that is well respected by the league. Ray Barile and Ray Tufts have done a tremendous job in continuing to increase PHATS presence within the NHL and the NHLPA. DD: In the off season I go to Lake Placid, NY where I have had a home since ’86 and spend time re-introducing myself to my family and friends. It is a great get away, because the players know that I am there and they tend not to bother me unless it is real important. I am really able to recharge my batteries and get ready for the next season. I think it has helped keep me from burning out to soon. I spend a lot of time golfing, boating, hiking and just spending time with the people that mean the most to me. PHATS: What do you want your NHL peers to know about you that they don’t already know? 9 Damien Hess, Athletic Trainer, Connecticut Whale The American Hockey League begins its 76th season in 2011-12 with 30 teams beginning their journey towards hoisting the Calder Cup. I would first like to take this opportunity to congratulate Tom Severance, Glen Kinney, and the entire Binghamton Senators staff on capturing the title last season with an emotional win while their assistant coach, Steve Stirling, was recovering from emergency heart surgery. Coach Stirling is back behind the bench as this season gets underway. Albany – Steve Bratspis (equipment manager), Bridgeport – Matt Bain (athletic trainer), Portland – Mike Booi (athletic trainer) and John Krouse (equipment manager, from San Antonio), St. John’s – Alain Chabbert (athletic trainer) and Ian Cox (equipment manager), and Syracuse – Joe Guilmet (equipment manager). In the Western conference: Abbotsford – Chris Linder (athletic trainer) and Peter Bureaux (equipment manager, from Rochester), Grand Rapids – John Bernal (athletic trainer), Rochester – Rob Frost (athletic trainer, from Portland) and Ben Laing (equipment manager, from Portland), San Antonio – Chris Walker (athletic trainer) and Steve Passineau (equipment manger). The AHL All Star Game and Skills Competition will be held at historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ on January 29th and 30th this season. It marks the first time in the history of the AHL event that a non-league city will play host. Historic Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Boardwalk should make for an excellent backdrop to this year’s event. The AHL and its members have been working hard over the past few months on improving the standards by which we operate to make it as close to NHL quality as we can. On the medical side, we have been working with Sutton Medical Technologies on reaching an agreement to put AHL contracted players on the AHMS injury tracking system. While we do not have an agreement in place yet, significant progress was made this past summer. We are working hard to gain the full support of all 30 member clubs so that we can try to make this a reality by the beginning of next season. In addition, on the equipment side, we have been working to update and get approval for a standardized list of supplies that home teams provide for visiting teams in the AHL. We are asking all AHL members to help push these ideas with your team’s management so that we can try to put them in front of the Board of Governors for a vote at the All Star break BOG meeting. The AHL has seen quite a bit of change over the summer. We have a team back in St. John’s, Newfoundland, who will be the AHL affiliate to the new Winnipeg Jets and will be playing in the Eastern conference. Charlotte has moved over to the Western conference to fill the spot left by the Manitoba Moose. There have been a few affiliation changes as well for the upcoming season. The conference/ division alignments have changed, as has the qualification process for the Calder Cup playoffs. There are still two conference (East and West), but each conference is now comprised of three divisions with 5 teams in each. The seeding for playoff teams will follow what the NHL uses. The three division winners will secure the top three seeds with the remaining 5 teams ranked according to conference standing. One other change is that the first round of the playoffs will be a best-of-5 series with the remaining three rounds being best-of-7. Finally, on behalf of all AHL members I would like to thank Anita Ramsay and her staff for everything they do to help make PHATS/SPHEM run efficiently. They do a great job, and we should all thank them for their hard work and dedication. Best of luck and good health to all of your teams this season! In addition to the league changes, there has been quite a bit of change in staffs on both the athletic training and equipment sides. Here is a list of the new/relocated personnel for the upcoming season. In the Eastern conference: Adirondack – Greg Lowden (athletic trainer), 10 By Mike Schroeder, Chicago Express As the ECHL begins its 24th season, we would like to extend our congratulations to Alan Diamond, Mike Burkhead, and the rest of the 2010-2011 Alaska Aces’ players and staff on winning the Kelly Cup last May. A well-deserved congratulation also goes to Tara Gilliland-Smith and Eric Bechtol of the Kalamazoo Wings for their successful playoff run through the Eastern Conference prior to a tough, fivegame series with Alaska. A special congratulations to Kevin Anderson of the Stockton Thunder and Mike Burkhead of the Alaska Aces on being voted the Reebok Athletic Trainer of the Year and Equipment Manager of the Year, respectively, as voted by their peers around the League. This season sees some changes around the ECHL as the League welcomes the expansion Chicago Express to the Eastern Conference and the Colorado Eagles (formerly of the CHL) to the Western Conference. The Victoria Salmon Kings have withdrawn from the League making the ECHL a 20-team league with 12 teams in the East and 8 teams competing out West. Trenton’s ECHL club is under new management and will now be known as the Titans (nee “Devils”). Also, the League recently announced Expansion Membership to the city of Orlando, FL. Orlando will officially begin competition in October of 2012 and will play its home games in the Amway Center, home to the NBA’s Orlando Magic. In it’s continued efforts to improve the safety of our athletes, the ECHL has stiffened the rules regarding mouthguard usage amongst its players. Beginning this season, any player found without a mouthguard will be issued a 2-minute minor penalty with full power-play granted to the opposing team. Exact statistics regarding the number of mouthguard-related penalties and/or dental injuries affected by this rule change were not available at the time of this update. As always, a HUGE thanks goes to Anita Ramsay and the staff at the PHATS/SPHEM offices for their hard work and assistance throughout the calendar year and with the planning and execution of our summer meetings. Best of luck to all in the chase for the 2011-2012 Kelly Cup as well as a safe and successful season to all members of the PHATS/SPHEM family! by Bryan Rodgers, Dayton Gems The Central Hockey League will begin its milestone 20th season on October 21, 2011 with 14 teams and a 462 game scheduled season. The 2010-2011 season ended with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs winning the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup in a thrilling 7 game series versus the Colorado Eagles. Congratulations to the Mudbugs staff George Bullock Jr (ATC) and Billy Welker (Eq Man) as well as to Colorado’s Chris Porowski (ATC) and Tony Deynzer (Eq Man) for their hard work and post season accomplishments. The summer of 2011 produced many changes across the league. New team staff positions were filled as members moved on to other opportunities. The CHL will compete this season with 14 teams divided into 2 Conferences (Berry Conference – South) and the (Turner Conference – North). The team that wins the Turner Conference will capture the Turner Trophy, and the team winning the Berry Conference will in turn capture the N. Thomas Berry Trophy. The Evansville Icemen will be moving into their brand new arena this season, The Ford Center, with a capacity of 8,800. Congratulations to the Icemen and their new arena. We want to welcome the new faces across the league this year. The new additions are as follows: Allen Americans – Kacee Coberly, Equipment Manager Continued on next page 11 Arizona Sundogs – Vince Fedorowich, Athletic Trainer – moved from Quad City to Arizona Bloomington Blaze – Dan Huling, Equipment Manager; Matt Aiello – Athletic Trainer Dayton Gems – Graham Pepperman, Equipment Manager Evansville Icemen – Brian Patafie, Equipment Manager Fort Wayne Komets – Joe Franke, Equipment Manager Laredo Bucks – Jorge Lopez, Equipment Manager Quad City Mallards – Eric Hufnagel, Athletic Trainer Rapid City Rush – Greg Heuer – Athletic Trainer Rio Grande Valley-Rico Buentello, Athletic Trainer Wichita Thunder – Mark Sweeney, Athletic Trainer Star squad comprised from the 14 CL teams playing against the Arizona Sundogs. The CHL is extremely proud to have a number of affiliations with both the American Hockey League and the National Hockey League. We look forward to these continued relationships. For the 2011-12 season: Allen Americans affiliate with The Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL and the Texas Stars and Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL. The Arizona Sundogs affiliate with the Phoenix Coyotes. The Missouri Mavericks affiliated with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Rio Grande Valley affiliates with the Florida Panthers of the NHL and the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Welcome to All. The 2011-12 seasons’ All-Star game will be hosted by the Arizona Sundogs and will be played on January 11, 2012 at the Tim’s Toyota Center. The game will consist of this year’s All- Good luck to all of the teams and their Staff for the 20112012 Hockey Season. Jeff “Smoke” Adams, Columbus Cotton Mouths Greetings from the SPHL! Schweinsberg will replace Matt in Mississippi. This was a busy summer for the SPHL. The big news is the addition of the Memphis Riverkings (formerly of the Central Hockey League), bringing the total number of SPHL teams to nine. Welcome aboard to their CHL veteran staff of Athletic Trainer Rick “Rusty” Hanlon and Equipment Manager Patrick “Loaf ” Stevens. Elsewhere around the league there was a lot of changeover among training staffs. In Augusta, Trainer/Equipment Manager Brian Patafie has been replaced by Athletic Trainer Erin Palangio and Equipment Manager Jim Chesnut. The Huntsville Havoc once again have a new Equipment Manager, Billy T. Welker (another CHL alum). Trainer Matthew Louis will join him behind the Havoc bench. Former Riverkings Equipment Manager Jared Mycyk now holds the same position with the Louisiana Ice Gators, replacing Mike Lefczik (who is now the Assistant Equipment Manager for the AHL’s Houston Aeros). Congratulations are in order once again for the Mississippi Surge staff of Athletic Trainer Eric Hufnagel and Equipment Manager Matt Broyles for repeating as winners of the Coffey Cup (regular-season championship) and following it up with a sweep of the Augusta Riverhawks to win their first SPHL President’s Cup. Hufnagel has since moved on to the Quad City Mallards of the CHL and will be replaced by Tom Rainney. Broyles moved on to Fayetteville, where he will take over for the retired Frank “Rizzo” Jury as the Fireantz’ Equipment Manager. Jason 12 Good bye to all our departing friends, and welcome to all the newcomers. Good luck to all on the upcoming season! by Bryan A. Boyes, Oshawa Generals Hockey Club Hopefully this finds everyone well and enjoying another great season. On behalf of all the Athletic Trainers/Equipment Managers in the Canadian Hockey League I would like to thank SPHEM and PHATS for allowing us the opportunity to attend our inaugural meeting as members in Phoenix 2011. The Enhanced Education Sessions were extremely informative and the warm welcome by everyone was noticed by all. Now that PHATS has also accepted the Athletic Trainers as members we look for great numbers in Florida. The National Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League have always worked closely together. This past June at the NHL draft, 21 first round selections were from the Canadian Hockey League, with a total of 101 players drafted from our member teams. Welcome to all the new personnel as either Athletic Traines or Equipment Managers in the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL. As our goal is to have as many Athletic Trainers/Equipment Managers from the Canadian Hockey League as possible in Florida next year as it will only strengthen the relationship with all SPHEM and PHATS Members and ultimately aid in doing the best possible job for our players. Lastly, we certainly need to acknowledge all the hard work from those Athletic Trainers/Equipment Managers working this year with the Canada vs. Russia Subway Series, Top Prospect Game , and of course any Hockey Canada Events. By Rob Gagne, Portland WinterHawks Greetings, from the 22 member teams of the Western Hockey League, we would like to thank the members of SPHEM and PHATS for the inclusion of the Canadian Hockey League trainers and equipment managers into the membership. As we embark into a new season, we would like to congratulate our conference winners from this past season. In the Western Conference, the Portland Winterhawks, with Equipment manager Rob Gagne and Athletic Trainer Rich Campbell, defeated the Spokane Chiefs 4 games to 2. In the Eastern Conference, the Kootenay Ice, with Equipment manager/ Trainer Marty Palachuk defeated the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-0. The Ice then claimed the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL Champions with a 4 games to 1 series win over the Portland Winterhawks. We would like to take time to congratulate some members on their accomplishments for the upcoming season. Victoria Royals Equipment Manager, Matt Auerbach served the same position for Team Canada at the U-18 World Championship in Germany. Kelowna Rockets Athletic Therapist/ Equipment Manager Jeff Thorburn, will be on staff for Team Canada for the 2012 U-20 World Championship in Calgary the upcoming December. Regina Pats Athletic Therapist/ Equipment Manager Greg Mayer worked his 1000th game in the WHL. Also, Tri City Americans Equipment Manager, Innes Mackie began his 35th year in the WHL. Congratulations to everyone on their accomplishments. As an elite development league for some of the top prospects of the NHL, we note the moving on of members to the professional level. Jason Berger (Seattle Thunderbirds) to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL and Kacee Coberley (Spokane Chiefs) to the Allen Americans of the CHL. Finally, as we travel the many miles on the busses from Brandon, Manitoba to Portland, Oregon to Prince George, BC. We wish all the training staffs of the WHL safe travels and good luck for this season 13 By Phil Fait, QMJHL medical coordinator Greetings, We also want to acknowledge all the hard work from those Athletic Therapists and Equipment Managers working for Team Quebec this year at the Subway Series : Vincent Tremblay and Patrick Villeneuve from the Victoriaville Tigres; Steve Bélanger and Stephane Savard from the Quebec Remparts. We also would like to congratulate Jeff Kelly from the St-John Sea-Dogs for his participation to the U18 Team Canada 2011 training camp and Brian St-Louis from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for his selection as the Equipment Manager for Team Canada at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship. We would like to acknolwledge SPHEM and the PHATS for the inclusion of the Canadian Hockey League athletic therapists and equipment managers into their association. So a warm thank you from the 17 teams of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League! We want to welcome to the Q all the new staff : Richard Girardin with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Nicolas Nault with the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Graham Black with the Moncton Wildcats. by Mark Pane, University of Nebraska, Omaha Well another season has begun and I want to start by saying good luck and safe travels to all. As some of you may know, in the next two years the face of college hockey is going to change quite a bit. 2013 brings two new conferences to the Big 10 and the NCHC. While the WCHA gains members from the CCHA and the CCHA will no longer exist. When this comes about, we will have one new division, one school, Penn State, will move its team from club hockey to Division 1. More on this as we get closer. Recapping the annual meetings from the NCAA side, it was great, we had the largest attendance ever from our group and the response was very positive. From all of us at the NCAA side, we would like to thank Lisa Sherry. I know from my standpoint I will miss her, thanks Lisa for all your help. We would like to welcome the NCAA trainers to the association, it will be nice to have them along with us in the future years. Welcome and congratulations to a new NCAA member but a wiley, old veteran, Rodney Blanchford. He has assumed the duties as the equipment manager for the women’s team at Syracuse University. Once again, have a great year and maybe we will cross paths this season. EDITORS A Big Thank You to our Contributing Newsletter Editors: Ray Thill, Head Equipment Manager, Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) Tom Mulligan, Head Athletic Trainer, Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) Damien Hess, Head Athletic Trainer, Connecticut Whale (AHL) Mike Schroeder, Head Athletic Trainer, Chicago Express (ECHL) Bryan Rogers, Head Athletic Trainer, Dayton Gems (CHL) Jeff “Smoke” Adams, Head Equipment Manager, Columbus Cotton Mouths (SPHL) Bryan Boyes, Head Athletic Trainer/Equipment Manager, Oshawa Generals (OHL) Rob Gagne, Head Equipment Manager, Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) Phil Fait, Medical Coordinator (QMJHL) Mark Pane, Head Equipment Manager, University of Nebraska, Omaha (NCAA) 14 By Scott Adams, Pittsburgh Penguins (1) Morning fatigue and difficulty getting up (even after a full night of sleep) Adrenal fatigue is a syndrome that occurs when the function of the adrenal glands decrease. These changes generally occur as a result of intense, prolonged, or repeated stress. This syndrome may occur in our coaches, athletes and even us. The athlete or staff member may present with a general sense of tiredness and fatigue without any signs of physical illness. (2) Tiredness in the early morning or mid afternoon (3) Symptoms of hypoglycemia (4) Feeling rundown and overwhelmed (5) Difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness (6) Cravings for salty or sugary snacks (7) Feeling best after 6pm Adrenal fatigue is assessed through measuring the amount of cortisol secreted by the gland. This is accomplished through a saliva adrenal hormone test. Such test are available online, and are performed at various times throughout the day. If your cortisol levels are deemed to be abnormal, there are natural ways to help your body to repair and prevent this imbalance. (1) Add ground flax and extra virgin organic coconut oil to your meals (2) Foods rich in omega-3’s (fish oil, wild caught salmon, albacore tune and sprouted walnuts) The adrenal glands are endocrine glands that sit atop the kidneys. Their primary function is to release hormones in response to stress by synthesizing corticosteroids (cortisol) and catecholamines (epinephrine). In addition, the adrenal glands secrete aldosterone and contribute to kidney function. Aldosterone is a hormone involved in regulating the osmolarity of blood plasma. (3) Consume lightly cooked animal and vegetable proteins, dairy products with live, active cultures (probiotics such as organic yogurt and kefir) (4) Eat plenty of unrefined low-glycemic carbohydrates (brown rice, sprouted grains and winter squash) (5) Limit the intake of high glycemic fruits (raisins, apricots, banana, mango and papaya) Causes of adrenal fatigue come from four common sources that overwhelm the glands. (6) Consume plenty of vegetables (kelp, sprouts, olives, peppers, spinach, celery, zucchini and chard) (1) Disease states (pneumonia, bronchitis, flu and autoimmune disease) (7) Drink purified water throughout the day (2) Physical stress (surgery, addiction, injury and poor nutrition) (3) Emotional or psychological stress (4) Environmental stress (toxic stress from chemicals, air pollutants, water of food) Adrenal fatigue is difficult to assess, as there is no obvious cause for the syndrome. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue are as follows. 15 Adrenal fatigue is something that hasn’t been measured in professional sports. Studies claim that adrenal fatigue may occur in 16% of the general population. It can be expected that with our stress, travel and long sleepless nights that we should see a greater percentage of this occurring in our athletes and staff members. This is something to consider when all of our conventional testing has not been able to determine a cause for someone that is complaining of these common symptoms. By Rob Kennedy, Tampa Bay Lightning The importance of being organized can never be over stated. As professional equipment managers, being organized is key to the success of each of us. By virtue of being organized, we can quickly and easily access any piece of equipment or supplies that we may need in an instant. Just as important is having the tools to maintain an organized equipment or storage room. DESIGN Here in Tampa, we are lucky enough to have Mr. Vinik (owner) and Mr. Yzerman (GM) recognize this importance. During this past summer, Mr. Vinik funded a $40 million renovation project to the St. Pete Times Forum. Included in this project were the Lightning main locker room, equipment room and storage room. This gave us the ability to add a carousel storage system in our storage room. A carousel storage system is shelving units on a track system that enables you to make the most of your storage area. For our room, we tripled our storage ability within the same space. Other teams that use this system include the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. The next step was to sit down and design a detailed and custom storage system. This process took about 3 days to complete. We were allowed six carousel units and two stationary units. The stationary units line each of the side walls, while the carousel units fill in the middle and allow for two aisles to be open at once. Getting the proper design is critical to getting the maximum storage space out of the system. This involved measuring equipment, helmet boxes, jerseys etc. Each stationary unit is 16” deep and 77” from floor to top. Each carousel is 36” wide/deep, 77” tall and divided into seven sections. The first section is 48” long and the rest are 42” long. This gave us our basic layout. From here, Carl walked us through the design of each carousel. The process involved in making this carousel system a reality takes time, patience and attention to detail. Athletic Facilities Group is who we went with here in Tampa. Carl Lechliter is the gentlemen that helped design and create the final product. MEASUREMENTS The first step in the process, was having Carl come down and take measurements of the space we had allotted for our storage room. By taking the proper measurements, Carl was able to determine exactly how many carousel units we were allowed. He also measured our walls to install a cantilever system for storing our sticks. 16 With each carousel being 36” deep/wide, we were able to customize each side of each carousel. This gave us the ability to have shelves that were 12”, 18”, 24” and possibly 36” deep. For our needs, we used measurements of 12”, 18” and 24”. Once we had our depths determined, Carl took us through the next step of customizing each shelf based on what we were planning to store there. For example, we were able to divide two sections of a stationary unit into cubbies. We use these cubbies for gloves for each player. Another example is dividers we used for our shin guards. We also used these same dividers to organize our stock gloves and any over flow custom gloves. Finally, we were also able to add racks for hanging jerseys. continued on next page CUSTOM GLOVE CUBBIES DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION The lead time for this system is eight weeks from final design to delivery. For installation, you need to allow ten days, but it can take as few as four. HELMETS JERSEY RACKS continued on next page 17 This carousel storage system is a tremendous tool in keeping any equipment/storage room organized. One of the greatest advantages is having the ability to set up your storage room in a department store style. This allows for easy location and access of anything you could need. 18 By Jim McCrossin, Head Athletic Trainer, Philadelphia Flyers Two years ago, I received a once in a lifetime gift – to be Head Trainer for the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2009 Winter Classic at Fenway Park against the Boston Bruins! That experience met my every expectation and then some. Well, I must have done something right because I now have the good fortune of participating in my second Winter Classic! This time it will be held in my own backyard at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. I have been to many baseball games at this amazing venue and cannot wait to watch its’ metamorphosis into a Winter Wonderland and outdoor ice rink. For anyone who loves hockey, the Winter Classic conjures up memories of carefree, outdoor pick-up games among friends. My Canadian com-padres speak about playing “on the pond.” I grew up playing with my brothers, Lou and Tom and our buddies on the frozen reservoirs of Delaware County, PA. It is amazing how similar our memories are and how dear we all still hold them. There is nothing like playing ice hockey outside in the dead of winter, “smoke” pouring out of your mouth and nose. I know our boys are very excited about this years’ Winter Classic and sharing all that goes along with it. The events leading up to the actual game are going to be a blast. The family skate is another event our players and staff are really looking forward to. Having an opportunity to watch our kids race around the ice with runny noses and big smiles on their faces is worth their weight in gold! December 31st will be the Legends Game. Former Flyers greats face off against former Rangers greats! I have the privilege of serving as Head Trainer. Just the thought of watching guys likes Bob Clarke, Orest Kindrachuck, Eric Lindros, John LeClair, Mark Recchi, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Mike Richter all on the ice together is surreal. I have been around professional hockey players for all of my adult life. What I have learned is that their quick feet might only be matched by their quick wit! These are some very funny guys. To be able to stand behind the bench of this group of guys WILL be a “classic!” 19 by Mark Brennan, Alumni Chairperson By the time everyone reads this short article, Gaetan Lefebvre, will have returned from the Hockey Hall of Fame Inductions. This year was a little different than those in the past. For the first time, our inducted member took part in the Legends Game at the Air Canada Center. Last year when Judy and I attended the weekend ceremonies, we took part as spectators of the game that takes place the day before the formal inductions of the newest members to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Sitting in the stands, realizing that I had worked with almost half the players taking part in the game, I had wished that I could have been on the bench one last time, rather than sitting in the stands as a spectator. Our place has always been on the bench. After the game, returning to the hotel that afternoon, I had the good fortune of running into Ron Hoggarth, the former NHL referee and the official who takes part in the Legends Game each year on the ice. After some discussion with Ron about the idea of having our inductee’s participate each year, he put me in the direction of Steve Shutt and Cathy Sproule who coordinate the game each year as well as the Legends Games throughout the year. After several emails and discussions with Cathy, she was able to make being on the bench a reality. She was also gracious enough for our inductee and societies to have an article in the souvenir program as well. Gaetan as well as Cathy were excited about our participation in the game and we look forward to making it a regular part of every inductees’ experience of the weekend for years to come. Special thanks has to be given to Ron for putting me in the right direction, Steve for his acceptance at making it happen, Cathy for working with us and putting it all together and Jimmy Mann for making Gaetan a part of the experience of being on the bench “One Last Time”. Mark “Peaches” Brennan Alumni Chairperson Photos courtesy Graig Abel/Hockey Hall of Fame. 20 by Gaetan Lefebvre I can still remember the call from Ray Tufts, on a typical Sunday morning in January, 2011 in Montreal. The weather was as usual, cold, damp and lots of snow. The main subject of conversation despite all activities in pro sports….was the game played by the Habs the night before. than 30 years later, with players with whom I had won a Stanley Cup: M Keane, G Carbonneau, S Shutt or others like R Bourque, B Smith, P Coffey for a Canada Cup and finally other greats like L McDonald, J Peplinski, G Roberts, and the list goes on and on. Then came “the call” from Ray, who told me that my peers have selected me for the HOF! To have this ultimate recognition from my peers is priceless. The awards reception and dinner in Junen, with Larry Robinson as a guest speaker and all of my colleagues, provided me and my family some great moments. To be able to share this with my immediate family and also friends from the ATC community was much appreciated. I also remember my initial contacts with the great names that made PHATS possible: Lefty Wilson, Dan Canney, Tom Woodcock, Larry Ashley, Pete Demers and especially Eddy Palchack, who was in his last days, and really gave “a kid his first chance”! As the months went by and the HOF weekend in Toronto was getting closer, I went through so many emotions and memories. It was with lots of anticipation, and to a certain extent anxiety, as I was counting down the days of the calendar. Our dear friends, Mark Brennan and Anita Ramsay, were outstanding resources for me to make this unique experience a memorable one. I must say that they made my life so much easier in the days and weeks that preceded the weekend. As I stepped into the locker room before the Legends Game, it felt like someone had turned the clock back 20-30 years! Same jokes and pranks among the guys, same unique hockey locker room atmosphere. My mind was full of great memories. My first day walking into the Montreal Canadiens locker room I see Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Larry Robinson, Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt, Bob Gainey, Ken Dryden, Guy Lapointe, Glen Sather, Scotty Bowman, Sam Pollock. All of these amazing guys in one room on one specific day, and all these greats would make it to the Hall of Fame! And here I was, more The one thing that came out of this entire weekend, we at PHATS SPHEM are truly appreciated by these unbelievable players and all of them took the extra step to congratulate me and also acknowledge the fact that our community is truly respected by these athletes that make the NHL the greatest league. I also realize after discussing with fellow Athletic Trainers from various leagues such as MLB and the NFL that we are the only athletic trainers so far that have members recognized by the HHOF at the induction as being inducted in the PHATS/SPHEM Wall of Honor at the HHOF. Those great moments truly made me realize how fortunate I have been to live a dream, but more importantly to live such a dream with great friends and coworkers surrounding me during my 30 years with the Habs and for the past 10 years with AHMS. Allow me to thank the board and the entire PHATS/ SPHEM community who have made these moments possible. I will cherish these moments for the rest of my life. Gaetan Lefebvre HOF class of 2011 21
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