Welcome to PHATS/SPHEM

PHATS/SPHEM works to improve the quality of athletic training and professional equipment management to best serve the health of professional hockey players

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ABOUT US

In 1973, both the NHL and NHLPA had officially recognized the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Association. Over the next 20 years, the organization continued to expand its ranks to include both athletic trainers and equipment managers from the AHL, ECHL, SPHL, NCAA, OHL, WHL, QMJHL and USHL.

In 1996, members voted to divide the organization into two equal societies which would continue to strive to meet common goals, as well as focusing on the specific needs of athletic trainers and equipment managers.

Today, the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society (PHATS) and the Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers (SPHEM) boast over 600 members, who represent more than 100 Professional, NCAA and Canadian Junior League teams from across North America and Europe.

More About SPHEM More About PHATS

PHATS/SPHEM 2020 Annual Conference, June 15th-20th

June 15-20, 2020

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Important Dates

March 2020: Conference Registration Opens. Click here to view more information, including all new Sponsorship Opportunities!
June 15th-20th: PHATS/SPHEM Annual Conference, Orlando Florida

Announcements

Congratulations to this year’s Milestone Recipients! View this year’s list here!
Update your profile, bio & headshot by visiting the Members page.

IN THE NEWS

Rip Simonick in the News

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Dominik Hasek, the most acrobatic goalie of all time, was also an all-world manicurist. Before cutting down shooters, Hasek trimmed his nails. He’d sit at his stall before every game and whittle away at his fingers, working the clippers with an intense stare, click here to continue. For these articles and much […]

Pete Demers

Congratulations to long-time PHATS member Pete Demers on his induction to the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame! Click here to read all about it! For these articles and much more be sure to Like our Facebook page, PHATS/SPHEM Official

Mike Folga

Mercyhurst University’s longtime hockey equipment manager Mike Folga died Saturday at the age of 63 after fighting a courageous battle with cancer…more For these articles and much more be sure to Like our Facebook page, PHATS/SPHEM Official

Ken Lowe In The News

Developing connections over a 35-year career and being in the right place at the right time helped elevate the former Oilers athletic trainer to hockey’s highest honour…more For these articles and much more be sure to Like our Facebook page, PHATS/SPHEM Official

Surviving The Trade Deadline

By Ian Cox, Asst. Equipment Manager, Ottawa Senator

Alumni Update – Spring 2019

Things That Were and Never Will be Again By John Doolan

Applying Spinal Stabilization/Spinal Motion Restriction (SMR)

By Rick Garner CEP, Team Paramedic Arizona Coyotes and Arizona State University

BEMIDJI Hosts Annual Hockey Day In Minnesota

By Toby PalmiscnoEquipment Manager, Bemidji State Bemidji State University participated in the 13th annual Hockey Day in Minnesota. The Bemidji State men’s team outlasted Michigan Tech on Friday night with a 4-3 overtime win, and the women’s team fell to Minnesota State on Saturday afternoon by a score of 2-1. Both games played outdoors on […]

2018-19 Milestone Recipients

Congratulations to all! 2500 Games 2000 Games 1500 Games 1000 Games *Achieved in 2016 500 NCAA Games

SOME “LUCKY” NCAA MEMBERS TAKE US TO IRELAND

By Nate Lapoint, HEM, University of Wisconsin, Jamaal Baribeau, HEM, Clarkson University and Andrew Zagorianakos, HEM, Providence College Nate Lapoint talks with Jamaal Baribeau and Andrew Zagorianakos who joined their teams in Ireland this past November. NL: When did you start planning for your trip to Ireland? NL: How many days was the road trip? […]

The Tale of #79

By Scott LivingstonB.SC., CAT(C), CSCS, Founder ReconditioningHO As Christmas 2011 was nearing, we were slowly ramping up for the holidays in anticipation of all the wonder in our two and half year- old daughter’s eyes. Santa Clause was still real, and we had already begun the soon to be tradition of hiding the Elf on […]

ROAD TO PYEONGCHANG 2018

by Bryan BoyesHead Equipment Manager, Oshawa Generals The Winter Olympics are held for a three-week period of time in the month of February every four years. Little do people know, the journey for Hockey Canada, staff and players, begins much sooner than you may think. The call came in June 2017 from Oshawa Generals owner […]

Assessing the Split Squat and It’s Implications for the Hockey Player

By Jon Geller, Asst. Athletic Trainer, Toronto Maple Leafs As Athletic Therapists/Trainers, Physiotherapists, and Strength Coaches, our goal is to keep our players on the ice, performing at optimum levels. I believe that movement assessments are valuable in order to offer insight into how each athlete moves in a specific context, and to mitigate potential […]

Functional Range Conditioning

By Dom Nicoletta, Head Athletic Trainer, Ottawa Senators This past summer the Ottawa Senators hosted a Functional Range Conditioning (F.R.C.) continuing education course. The course was attended by some of the sports medicine staffs and strength and conditioning coaches from Ottawa, New York and Detroit. Health care professionals from Carelton University, University of Toronto and […]

Thinking In New Boxes: How Performance Therapy Shapes Perception

By Dr. Jas RandhawaSports Medicine/Performance Therapy Lead ALTIS email: j.randhawa@altis.world Twitter: @jrsportperform Creating The Process Driven Therapist The ever-changing landscape of High-Performance sport lends itself to be volatile and complex in the best of times. To further compound the issue is the scarcity of time, which in the truest sense becomes a commodity amongst performance […]

The NHL Global Series with the Edmonton Oilers

By TD ForssHead Athletic Therapist, Edmonton Oilers and Jeff LangHead Equipment Manager, Edmonton Oilers As the 2017-18 regular season was winding down, we began to hear rumors of our team traveling to Europe for an exhibition and possibly a regular season game to start our 2018- 19 season. During the month of May 2018, the […]

The Wild Take Us Inside Their New Practice Facility

By Tony Da CostaHead Equipment Manager, Minnesota Wild The beginning stages of the Minnesota Wild’s new practice facility started long before the brick and mortar were laid. Since the beginning our organization knew it was important to keep everyone that would call the facility home on a daily basis involved TRIA Rink is located in […]