By Brian Fairbrother 
Head Athletic Trainer, Hartford Wolf Pack
AHL PHATS Executive Committee President 

Spring is here and so is the final stretch of the 2023-24 season. In the coming weeks many of us will be closing shop, but a select few look to begin the second season in chase of the Calder Cup. I would like to thank all our PHATS/SPHEM members for another successful year.

This year’s AHL All-Star Game was hosted by the San Jose Barracuda at their home Tech CU Arena on February 4-5th. Shawn Fliszar, ATC and Dillon Filepas from the 2023 Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears joined Jake Reardon, ATC, Emi Takahashi, ATC, Scott Boggs, and Josh Woodard from the San Jose Barracuda’s staff to provide medical and equipment services for the event.  As with each All-Star weekend, the American Hockey League announced the Hall of Fame induction of Dennis Bonvie, Gordie Clark, Gerry Ehman, and Roy Sommer, while selecting San Jose Sharks Alumni Dan Boyle and Wayne Thomas as Honorary Captains.

Last season, the AHL launched an initiative to provide young professionals from diverse backgrounds with an opportunity to work with, and be mentored by, various staffs in the locker rooms and on the benches at the AHL All-Star Classic. This year’s mentees included NHL Coaches Association members Robert Cathcart III, Laura DiCarlo, Alicia MacDonald,and Jose Matamoros, as well as Ivanna Anderson-Villela for operations.

The Charlotte Checkers and the Rochester Americans competed in the 12^th outdoor game in AHL history, with the Queen City Outdoor Classic at Truist Field in Charlotte, NC. Both teams arrived in baseball uniforms, Rochester donning the Red Wings and Charlotte with custom Knights jerseys. The standing-room only crowd of 11,031 fans were greeted with ideal conditions of clear skies and a game-time temperature of 42 degrees, a military flyover and post-game fireworks after the Checkers scored three times in the third period for a 5-2 victory.

With the conclusion of every season comes the opportunity to regroup, recharge, and strive to make improvements to our craft. We look forward to sharing the laughs again soon when we all connect in Orlando!