By: George Babcock, Assistant Equipment Manager, Buffalo Sabres

The NHL Truck Driver is a difficult job to land, with only 32 teams! It is an arduous job itself, with long hours and very strenuous work, as the amount of equipment teams carry now is vast. The pressure to be organized and punctual is immense. With logistics, traffic, and weather being major factors, you must always stay one step ahead!

We have several rookies this year, and they have their work cut out for them learning the ropes. In addition to the other aspects mentioned, there’s locker room and ice availability in each NHL city, which is paramount for equipment managers. Most NHL teams have off-site practice facilities due to NBA and event conflicts in their home arenas. That often creates off-site practices for NHL visiting clubs, which then creates many transfers via truck!

These guys work long hours on home stands and are burning the candle at both ends handling the parent clubs and the visiting NHL teams. They’re keeping the gas tanks full and the washer fluid topped off as winter is just around the corner!

The Venerable Keith Hayes, Buffalo Sabres

Welcome aboard to the following members!