PHATS/SPHEM Presidents Message

Hello everyone—it’s hard to believe we are already approaching the end of the 2025–2026 hockey season. This has been another outstanding year for our game, highlighted by the Olympic Games in Milan, which showcased hockey at its very best. As we look ahead, we hope the upcoming playoffs bring excitement and memorable moments at every level of the sport.

As the season winds down, PHATS/SPHEM is hard at work preparing for our annual meeting this June in Marco Island, Florida. We are pleased to return to the JW Marriott, a venue familiar to many from our 2022 meeting. Based on past experience, we know it offers an exceptional balance for professional engagement and relaxation for members, exhibitors, and families alike.

Once again, we are thrilled to welcome colleagues and friends from across the hockey community, including representatives from PHATS, SPHEM, PHPO, team physicians, emergency trauma physicians, paramedics, and league executives from the NHL, AHL, ECHL, NHLPA, and PHPA—along with our valued vendors and sponsors. We are proud to offer an outstanding lineup of educational presentations and professional development opportunities. Sincere thanks go to the Education Committees of PHATS, SPHEM, PHPO, and the NHLTPS/AHLTPS for their dedication and hard work in making this summit so valuable to all involved.

We are extremely pleased to honor Steve Latin, aka “Seve,” as this year’s PHATS/SPHEM Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. Seve spent 26 years in the National Hockey League, working 6 years with the Detroit Red Wings, 2 years with the Hartford Whalers, as an assistant equipment manager, then 18 seasons as head equipment manager with the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991-1992. Steve also represented USA Hockey on multiple occasions including the World Championship, Canada Cup, and the 2002 Olympic Games. Finally, finishing his career working 9 seasons as the equipment manager for the Charlotte Checkers.

We are also proud to announce that the 2026 Frank and Vi Rowe Award will be presented to Wally Collins of Collins Sports Medicine. A longtime supporter of PHATS/SPHEM, Wally has positively impacted countless members on the medical side of our profession. His dedication to athletic trainers and teams at all levels of hockey has been extraordinary, and we look forward to celebrating his contributions together in Marco Island.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to both our longtime and new Hockey Summit sponsors. The remarkable growth of this meeting would not be possible without your continued support. Special appreciation is extended to the NHL and the NHLPA for their ongoing commitment to our societies. We truly believe this meeting provides a foundation that enables future members to thrive in their careers.

Finally, none of this would come together without the years of expertise and dedication from Anita Ramsay and Natalie Grant. Please be sure to thank them personally when you see them in Florida for all they do behind the scenes.

Best of luck to everyone preparing for the playoffs—we wish you a healthy and successful finish to the season.

Tom and Dave

We would like to welcome everyone to the 2025-2026 Season! We hope everyone has had a successful training camp and wish you all a great start to the season.

We would like to thank everyone for making our 2025 Hockey Summit in Orlando a huge success. This event continues to get bigger every year, and this was our largest annual event to date. Our goal is to provide all attendees the best experience we can, including educational and networking opportunities. We continue to have amazing support and participation from our vendors and members. This past summer we were honored to have in attendance representation from PHATS, SPHEM, PHPO (formerly SCAPH), Team Physicians, Team Trauma Physicians, Team Paramedics, League Executives from the NHL, AHL, ECHL, NHLPA Executives, and of course our valued sponsors and vendors.

Plans are well underway for our 2026 Hockey Summit back in Florida at the beautiful JW Marriott on Marco Island and we hope this will be an amazing event for all attendees and family members alike. Please mark your calendars for June 16-21st and remember to register early as we expect another “sold out” conference. We also recommend booking your hotel early as our room blocks fill quickly. The Executive Committees and education committees are working hard to deliver a diverse educational symposium, business meetings, exhibit hall and networking opportunities for all our groups and vendors. We are always looking for educational content, articles, news, tricks and tips from the field. Please reach out to the PHATS/SPHEM office or any members of the Executive Committees if you would like to help or have any interesting ideas.

Anita Ramsay, Natalie Grant and their staff continue to lead us, and we thank them for all their hard work and commitment to our groups. We are very fortunate to have them taking care of all the details for us to be able to put on a conference of this size.

We also could not have this conference without the continued support of our sponsors. We would like to thank the NHL and the NHLPA for their continued support and involvement with our meetings. We look forward to networking and building on our partnerships with all our sponsors and vendors.

We would also like to thank our Social Media Coordinator, Megan Hemenway, who continues to try to drive our brands and provide exposure to what we all do on a day-to-day basis. If anyone has any great behind the scenes photos, videos, or stories that you would be willing to share on our social media sites, please do not hesitate to reach out to Megan at socialmedia@phatssphem.com. Also please let your clubs know to tag our social media sites in any postings they have which may include our membership. We also ask that you continue to support and promote our PHATS/SPHEM podcast with your colleagues. If you have any feedback or suggestions, feel free to contact us at podcast@phatssphem.com

Lastly, in PHATS news, we are proud to announce the launch of our PHATS Student Internship Clearinghouse. A lot of time and effort was put in by our Internship Committee to get this off the ground and running. We look forward to providing opportunities for aspiring Athletic Trainers/Athletic Therapists to gain valuable experience at the Professional Hockey level under the guidance of our amazing PHATS members. You can find more information on our website under the PHATS Internships tab.

Best of luck to all our members and supporters this season. May everyone stay healthy and safe. We look forward to seeing all of you in Marco Island in June.

Tom and Dave

Hello, it’s hard to believe we are entering the last weeks of the 24-25 season. This year has been another fantastic year for ice hockey, capped off by the 4-Nations tournament which gained worldwide attention. Hopefully the upcoming playoffs will feature exciting moments for all levels of our game.

As the season winds down, we at PHATS/SPHEM are hard at work preparing for the upcoming meeting this June, again in Orlando, Florida. This year we return to the Marriott World Center, a repeat from our meeting in 2018. We know from the past this venue provides an excellent experience for business and relaxation.

As you know, we have rebranded our meetings to the PHATS/SPHEM Hockey Summit. Once again, this year we are thrilled to welcome our colleagues and friends from all levels of the hockey community from PHATS, SPHEM, SCAPH, Team Physicians, Emergency Trauma Physicians, Paramedics, League Executives from the NHL, AHL, ECHL, NHLPA and of course our valued vendors and sponsors. We continue to provide an excellent lineup of presentations and informative opportunities for all in attendance. Thank you to the Education Committees of PHATS, SPHEM, and the NHLTPS/AHLTPS for their work in making the summit beneficial to their professions.

We are happy to announce that a PHATS/SPHEM podcast has been created. You can now listen to us on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Prime. From the SPHEM side, it is hosted by Rick Bronwell, Head Equipment Manager, Philadelphia Flyers and on the PHATS side, hosted by Tom Mulligan, Head Athletic Trainer, Tampa Bay Lightning. We look forward to talking all aspects of professional hockey and what it takes to work in this profession. Any questions or suggestions for topics can be sent to podcast@phatssphem.com We hope you take time for a listen.

Currently, we have chosen to wait on honoring a member for the Hockey Hall of Fame. We continue to hold this honor in extremely high regard and will continue to uphold the qualifications it deserves. Even though we have chosen to pass on the HHOF Award, our Awards Night will still be full of many individuals that have not only worked tirelessly for the game of hockey but have also dedicated most of their careers to helping PHATS/SPHEM. Mark Vosteen with CCM will be honored with the Frank & Vi Rowe Award for his support of athletic trainers, equipment managers, players and teams in the sport of hockey throughout the years.

Also being honored this year with the PHATS/SPHEM Summit Award is Rollin Mallernee II. The Summit Award recognizes those who have achieved excellence in leadership, success, contribution and impact on our societies. Rollin Mallernee II, General Counsel Emeritus, had served as PHATS/SPHEM General Counsel since 1996, when PHATS & SPHEM established their joint venture agreement to collectively become known as PHATS/SPHEM. He played a crucial role in the establishment and administration of our societies.

A tremendous thank you to all our longtime and new sponsors of the Hockey Summit. The growth of this meeting has been incredible, and frankly impossible without your support. A special mention to the NHL and the NHLPA for their continued support. We truly believe supporting this meeting helps provide a structure for future members to flourish in their careers.

Lastly, none of this really gets pulled together without the years of work and knowledge from Anita Ramsay and Natalie Grant. When you’re in Florida, please take the time to greet them and thank them for their efforts.

Good luck to those of you preparing for the playoffs. Don’t forget to register early for the summit, it is sure to be a sold out show once again.

Tom and Dave

Welcome to the 2024-25 Season! We hope everyone has had a successful training camp and wish you all a great start to the season.

We would like to thank everyone for making our 2024 Hockey Summit in Orlando a huge success. This event continues to get bigger every year and this was our largest annual event to date. Our goal is to provide all attendees the best experience we can, including educational and networking opportunities. We continue to have amazing support and attendance from our vendors and members. This past summer we were honored to have in attendance representation from PHATS, SPHEM, SCAPH, Team Physicians, Team Trauma Physicians, Team Paramedics, League Executives from the NHL, AHL, ECHL, NHLPA Executives, and of course our valued vendors and sponsors.

Together with our friends and valued partners from the Strength and Conditioning Association of Professional Hockey (SCAPH), the National Hockey League Team Physicians Society (NHLTPS) and the American Hockey League Team Physicians Society (AHLTPS), plans are well underway for our 2025 Hockey Summit back in Florida at the Orlando World Center Marriott and hope this will be an amazing event for all attendees and family members alike. Please mark your calendars for June 17-22nd and remember to register early as we expect another “sold out” Summit. We also recommend booking your hotel early as our room blocks quickly go. The Executive Committees and Education Committees are working hard to deliver a diverse educational symposium, business meetings, exhibit hall and networking opportunities for all our groups and vendors. We are always looking for educational content, articles, news, and tricks & tips from the field. Please reach out to the PHATS/SPHEM office or any members of the Executive Committees if you would like to help or have any interesting ideas.

Anita Ramsay, Natalie Grant and their staff continue to lead us and we thank them for all their hard work and commitment to our groups. We are very fortunate to have them taking care of all the details for us to be able to put on a conference of this size.

We also could not have this conference without the continued support of our sponsors. We would like to thank the NHL and the NHLPA for their continued support and involvement of our meetings. We look forward to networking and building on our partnerships with all of our sponsors and vendors.

On the SPHEM side, I would like to thank Darren Granger for his past six years as our President. The foundation that he and all previous presidents have created, has given us great opportunity to continue the growth of our membership. I look forward to continuing this growth with the assistance of both our Executive Committees.

Very soon, we will be announcing who will be our 2025 PHATS/SPHEM Hall of Fame inductee. The Hall of Fame reception and dinner will take place on June 21st. Please check our website for updates as we look forward to honoring our inductee for the highest honor for our groups.

Best of luck to all our members and supporters this season. May everyone stay healthy and safe. We look forward to seeing all of you in Orlando in June.

Tom and Dave

The weather is getting warmer, clocks have sprung ahead, and the trade deadline has passed which means we are in the home stretch of the season with the playoffs just around the corner.

We are very excited to see everyone once again this June back in Florida at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort, the first time that we will be back on Disney grounds in over 20 years. We know our members, vendors, guests, and families will enjoy all that Disney has to offer both at the resort and throughout Disney property!

We continue to be impressed with the growth of these meetings with the outstanding educational sessions, exhibit hall, and receptions. The collaboration of our annual meetings with so many different groups has allowed us the opportunity to rename our event the PHATS/SPHEM Hockey Summit. Once again, this summer we will welcome colleagues and friends from a cross section of our hockey community; PHATS, SPHEM, SCAPH, Team Physicians, Emergency Trauma Physicians, Paramedics, League Executives from the NHL, AHL, ECHL, NHLPA Executives, and of course our valued vendors and sponsors. We have an excellent lineup of speakers and education seminars in store. Thank you to the education committees of PHATS, SPHEM, and the TPS for their work in making our meetings informative.

We are extremely pleased to honor Doug Shearer, aka “Sluggo”, as this year’s PHATS/SPHEM Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. Sluggo spent 34 years in the National Hockey League, working 23 seasons with the Washington Capitals and 11 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. During his career he was a very respected member of the PHATS/SPHEM Executive Board – twice serving as SPHEM President. Sluggo also represented USA Hockey on multiple occasions including the World Championships and the 2002 Olympic Games.

Our Frank and Vi Rowe award recipient for 2024 is Ralph Beavis of Nash Sports. Ralph was a longtime supporter of PHATS/SPHEM and a good friend to both of our groups. Unfortunately, in 2018, Ralph passed away suddenly.

We are very proud to honor Ralph’s legacy with this award. His dedication to our teams and equipment managers at all levels will always be remembered and cherished. His wife, Tracey, daughter, Alyssa and son, Troy have done an incredible job carrying on his work and we are honored to celebrate Ralph and the Beavis family in Orlando.

Thank you to all our sponsors who allow us to put on a first-class event. Special mention to the NHL and the NHLPA for their continued support. Their support of our meetings speaks volumes to the value both groups provide to the game of hockey.

Special thank you to Anita Ramsay and Natalie Grant for all their hard work throughout the year and leading into the planning of the meetings. We could not hold this event without their leadership.

We strongly encourage you to check your emails now and register early. Anita and Natalie are ready to reserve your spot for members and vendors. We plan to have another sold out exhibition hall so make sure to sign up early.

Good luck to those of you gearing up for a long playoff run and we look forward to seeing everyone in Orlando.

Tom and Darren

Welcome to the 2023-24 Season! We hope everyone had a great training camp and are having a great start to the season.

We would like to thank everyone for making our 2023 Conference in Phoenix a huge success. It was our largest annual event to date, and we look forward to continuing to provide all attendees the best experience we can. We continue to have amazing support and attendance from our vendors and members. This past summer we were honored to have in attendance representation from PHATS, SPHEM, SCAPH, Team Physicians, Team Paramedics, League Executives from the NHL, AHL, ECHL, NHLPA, Chiropractors, and of course our valued vendors and sponsors.

Together with our friends and valued partners from the Strength and Conditioning Association of Professional Hockey (SCAPH), the National Hockey League Team Physicians Society (NHLTPS) and the American Hockey League Team Physicians Society (AHLTPS), plans are well underway for our 2024 Hockey Summit at the beautiful Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando and hope this will be an amazing event for all attendees and family members alike. Please mark your calendars for June 21-27 and remember to register early as we expect another “sold out” Summit. The Executive Committees and Education Committees are working hard to deliver a diverse educational symposium, business meetings, exhibit hall and networking opportunities for all our groups and vendors. We are always looking for educational content, articles, news, tricks and tips from the field. Please reach out to the PHATS/SPHEM office or any members of the Executive Committees if you would like to help or have any interesting ideas.

We also could not have this Summit without the continued support of our sponsors. We would like to thank the NHL and the NHLPA for their continued support and involvement of our meetings. We look forward to networking and building on our partnerships with all our sponsors and vendors.

We are very excited to announce that our 2024 Hall of Fame inductee is Doug Shearer. “Sluggo” as he is affectionately known, worked 34 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks. Sluggo was also heavily involved in PHATS/SPHEM serving on the Executive Committee and as SPHEM President on two different occasions.

We congratulate Sluggo and his family and look forward to celebrating with him in Orlando.

We would also like to thank our Social Media Coordinator, Megan Hemenway, who continues to drive our brands and provide exposure to what we all do on a day-to-day basis. If anyone has any great behind the scenes photos, videos, or stories that you would be willing to share on our social media sites, please do not hesitate to reach out to Megan at socialmedia@phatssphem.com. Also please let your clubs know to tag our social media sites in any postings they have which may include our membership.

In closing congratulations to Jeff Lang of the Edmonton Oilers and Matt Sokolowski of the Colorado Avalanche on their selections to join Paul Ayotte, Bobby Hastings, and the staff of the Toronto Maple Leafs as they host the 2024 NHL All Star Game.

Best of luck to all our members and supporters this season. May everyone stay healthy and safe. We look forward to seeing all of you in Orlando this June.

Tom and Darren

Spring is here and that means we are in the home stretch of the season with the playoffs just around the corner.

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone once again this June at a property that we have all enjoyed several times in the past, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. We know our members, vendors and guests will once again enjoy the facilities, golf, and of course the lazy river!

We are so pleased to continue the growth of these meetings with the outstanding educational sessions, exhibit hall, and receptions. There are so many groups now included; PHATS, SPHEM, SCAPH, NHLTPS, Paramedics, League Executives from the NHL, AHL and ECHL, NHLPA Executives, and for the first time, the Professional Hockey Chiropractic Society (PHCS), and of course our valued vendors and sponsors. We have an excellent lineup of speakers and education seminars. Thank you to the education committees of both PHATS and SPHEM for their work in making our meetings informative.

We are extremely pleased to honor Don DelNegro as this year’s PHATS/SPHEM Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. Donny spent 29 years with the Boston Bruins as their Head Athletic Trainer, with the highlight of winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. During his career he served on numerous PHATS committees and was a valued member of the PHATS/SPHEM Executive Board. Donny also represented USA Hockey on multiple occasions including the Olympics and World Championships.

Congratulations are also in orderfor our Frank and Vi Rowe Ambassadors award recipient, Sherri Steward-Ganz, the Director of the Sports Medicine division of Ferris Mfg Corp. Sherri has been a longtime supporter of PHATS/SPHEM and a good friend to both of our groups.

Thank you to all our sponsors who help allow us to put on a first-class event. Special mention to the NHL and the NHLPA for their continued support. Their support of our meetings speaks volumes to the value both groups provide to the game of hockey.

We would also like to welcome our newest major sponsor – Biosteel. We look forward to the start of a long relationship with them. Please make sure you stop by their booth and welcome them to the meetings and our groups.

Special thank you to Anita Ramsay and Natalie Grant for all their hard work throughout the year leading into the planning of the meetings. We could not hold this event without their leadership.

We look forward to seeing everyone June 20-25 in Phoenix.

Tom and Darren

Welcome to the 2022-23 Season!

We would first like to thank everyone for making our 2022 Annual Meeting in Marco Island a huge success. After three years apart it was great to see everyone back in person and able to connect and interact together. We continue to have amazing support and attendance from our vendors and members.

Plans are well underway for our 2023 meeting. We are looking forward to being back in Phoenix Arizona. Please mark your calendars for June 20-25 as we are back at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge. Please register early as we expect another “sold out” conference. We are always looking for educational content, articles, news, tricks and tips from the field. Please reach out to the PHATS/SPHEM office or any members of the executive committee’s if you would like to help or have any interesting ideas.

Special thanks to Anita Ramsay and Natalie Grant and their staff for all their hard work and commitment to our groups. We are very fortunate to have them taking care of all the details for us to be able to operate our groups and a conference of this size.

We also could not have this conference without the continued support of our sponsors. We would like to thank the NHL and the NHLPA for their continued support and involvement of our meetings. We look forward to building on our partnerships with all of our sponsors and vendors.

On the PHATS side, as the incoming president, I am honored to serve in this role and can only hope to represent the organization as well as the presidents who have served before me. Their dedication and commitment to the society are a big reason why PHATS/SPHEM has continued to grow through the years to where we are today. A special thanks to Past President Chris Kingsley for his leadership and guidance during his tenure, especially as we all navigated the challenges that the pandemic presented us.

In closing, congratulations to Mark Depasquale of the Calgary Flames and Dave Zenobi of the Arizona Coyotes on their selections to join Dave Dinapoli, Teddy Richards and the Florida Panthers staff at the 2023 NHL All Star Game in Fort Lauderdale.

Best of luck to all of our members and supporters this season. May everyone stay healthy and safe. We look forward to seeing all of you in Phoenix in June. Tom and Darren

Spring is here and we are in the home stretch with the playoffs just around the corner. It has been great to see everyone this season and to travel to each city.

We are very excited to be planning an IN-PERSON meeting and having it at a new property this year on the ocean in Marco Island, Florida. By all accounts the JW Marriott is a beautiful and great place for us to hold our annual meetings.

We are so pleased to be back meeting face to face and interacting with our colleagues and vendors. We have an excellent lineup of speakers and education seminars. Thank you to the education committees of both PHATS and SPHEM for their work in making our meetings informative.

Good things are worth waiting for and we can finally honor Peter Millar as this year’s PHATS/SPHEM Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. Peter spent 11 years with the Edmonton Oilers as their Head Athletic Therapist winning four Stanley Cups. After leaving Edmonton, he landed in Los Angeles as the Head Equipment Manager for the Kings. Peter spent the next 17 years in that position before moving on to his current position in Pro Services with Warrior Hockey. All in all, Peter has dedicated the last 43 years of his life to the world of professional hockey.

Congratulations are also in order, for our Frank and Vi Rowe award recipient, Dan Mecrones from Warrior Hockey. Dan continues to be a huge supporter of PHATS/SPHEM and a good friend to both of our groups.

Special thank you to Anita Ramsay and Natalie Grant for all their hard work throughout the year and leading into the planning of the meetings. We could not hold this event without their leadership.

We look forward to seeing everyone June 22–26^th in Marco Island, Florida.

Chris and Darren

Welcome to the 2021 – 22 Season!

We hope that everyone had a great training camp and are settling in as our seasons get going.

We would first like to thank everyone for making our 2021 Virtual Meeting a huge success. When we set out planning the virtual meeting our main goal was to reconnect with our members and valuable vendors. While it doesn’t compare to being together in person, we feel we met our goal of getting the group together and allowing our vendors to get back in front of our groups.

Plans are well underway for our 2022 meeting in Marco Island, Florida. Please mark your calendars for June 20-26, at the JW Marriott Marco Island. We are really looking forward to getting us all back together in person where we can educate, network and reconnect. Please register early as we expect another “sold out” conference at a beautiful resort that we think everyone will be very excited about.

We could not have this conference without the continued support of our sponsors. We would like to thank the National Hockey League, the National Hockey League Players Association and all of our sponsors for their continued support and involvement with our meetings. We look forward to building on our partnerships with all of our sponsors and vendors.

We are very pleased that we can finally honor our 2022 PHATS/SPHEM Hall of Fame inductee – Peter Millar. A man who has literally done it all in our business. Peter spent 28 seasons in the National Hockey League, 17 seasons as Head Equipment Manager of the LA Kings and 11 seasons as the Head Athletic Trainer of the Edmonton Oilers. Peter was a member of four Stanley Cup Champion Oilers teams and is currently working his 16^th season as a Pro Rep for Warrior Hockey. We look forward to celebrating Peter’s illustrious career with his family and friends.

Special thanks to Anita Ramsay and Natalie Grant and their staff for all their hard work and commitment to our groups especially over the last couple years. We are very fortunate to have them taking care of all the details for us to be able to put on a conference of this size.

We are always looking for educational content, articles, news, tricks, and tips from the field. Please reach out to the PHATS/SPHEM office or any members of the Executive Committees if you would like to help or have any interesting ideas.

Best of luck to all of our members and supporters this season. May everyone stay healthy and safe. We look forward to seeing all of you in Marco Island in June.

Chris and Darren.