Mackenzie Koop’s value to 67’s unmeasurable in 2024-25
No matter the team or the season, your Athletic Therapist is one of the most important — if not unsung — people in the organization, but Mackenzie Koop’s value to the Ottawa 67’s in 2024-25 can’t be explained in just a couple of words.
All season long, her medical room has been packed full. Her whiteboard has routinely threatened to run out of space, and Equipment Manager Chris Hamilton, with whom Koop shares an office space, says that he’s never seen so many injuries in his lengthy career.
These days, there isn’t much spare time. Even the players who appear no worse for wear have little things nagging them and need some work after practice, not to mention the growing list of inactive players requiring treatment.
“There have been some very long days, some very long weeks, a lot of exhaustion,” Koop said. “As hard as it has been, I’ve learned a lot in that time, and I feel better equipped to handle those tough situations again in the future.”
From top to bottom, everyone in the club wants to win. When that isn’t happening, things can get pretty tough, and it’s no different for Koop. That said, when she has players on the table, her work is the difference in getting that player back on the ice in a timely fashion.
She can’t put the puck in the net herself, but Koop is the one who helps the players who do get back to what they love: playing hockey.
“I definitely don’t give myself enough time to reflect,” Koop said. “As much as I would like to, especially in those moments, you’ve got no time. You’re just on autopilot getting through things. But then I find as soon as I had a moment to breathe, that’s when I started to look back a little bit and was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve gone through a lot.”
Sometimes, it takes an external factor for Koop to pause long enough to really think about everything she’s accomplishing in her role.
“Somebody said the other day that we have played short-handed for so long now, and I was the one who got everyone back,” she said. “I hadn’t really thought about it that way, because I’ve just been doing my job. Of course, it was the players too, but I’m the only Athletic Therapist, so I got them back. I had a moment the other day where I felt very proud of myself, which doesn’t always happen.”
One of three female Head Athletic Therapists across the OHL, Koop is a part of a small but mighty group working to continue to break down walls for women in sport.
“To be honest, I’m usually not hyper-aware of my gender, except for when we go to a rink and it’s a struggle for me to find a bathroom,” she said with a laugh. “Men’s sports, and sport in general, is changing. The Athletic Therapists are supportive of each other, which is awesome, and I find gender has never played a role in that.”
In the past, it wasn’t always like that. She’s appreciative of the women before her who have made strides, specifically naming Marie-Pierre Néron, who left the Barber Poles for a job with the Laval Rocket ahead of Koop’s arrival.
“I do feel fortunate to be in the position that I’m in, and they have the experiences that I’ve had, but I know that it came at a cost,” Koop said. “Not necessarily for me, but it has come at a cost, and so I appreciate that.”
Néron is one of the local examples, but across the sports landscape, women have been moving into bigger and bigger roles all the time. In the OHL, Lacey Senuk and Hillary Brennan have become referees, while Justine Todd and Kirsten Welsh are linespeople. Jessica Campbell has become an Assistant Coach in the NHL, and the list goes on.
Not to mention, new leagues have come to life in a number of sports, including the PWHL, with whom the 67’s share facilities.
“I think it’s awesome,” Koop said. “To see young girls in the stands cheering on these women playing professional hockey, I think it’s awesome. Now these young kids have something to look forward to, someone to look up to. There are, unfortunately, high rates of girls who drop out of sports, especially when going through puberty. Seeing these women playing professionally and doing what they love, I hope helps change those numbers.”
Nevertheless, Koop’s journey to where she is today hasn’t always been easy. What she’s learning the longer she does this, however, is that perfection will never be achieved, and you can only do so much sometimes.
“I feel like, for whatever reason, people think the next step is going to be easier than the previous one,” Koop said. “I think we have that misconstrued. It’s not going to be easier, it is still going to be hard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. You should. That doesn’t mean you should quit. That doesn’t mean you should back down. I think that’s a reason to do it.”
