No team can survive without trainers

They’ll never grab a headline, score a winning goal or earn a three-star award, but no hockey team can survive without its trainers.

Arriving at the rink at 8 a.m. for a Friday road trip to Brampton, Peterborough Petes trainer Brian Miller later switched off the dressing room light on his way home at 1:30 a.m. Saturday. By 8 a.m., he was back at the Memorial Centre to prepare for another trip to Barrie.

Miller, 41, is the only full-time employee on the Petes training staff, but his assistants Terry Bowser and Larry Smith put in their share of hours working around full-time jobs. Bowser, 36, helps run the family business Alf Bowser Contracting. Smith, 57, is a service manager at Pan-Oston.

Preparation for Friday’s trip began following Thursday’s home game against the Belleville Bulls. The trio had to launder jerseys, socks and underwear leaving the rink about 11:30 p.m.

Miller arrived the next morning to continue laundry, sharpen skates, repair equipment and make some telephone calls to team physicians to deal with medical issues involving players.

He then consulted with head coach Mike Pelino about the Friday line-up to start setting out socks and jerseys for players to pack. He also started packing for the road trip. With 17 years as a trainer, this is Miller’s ninth season with the Petes, his equipment checklist is in his head. Each item, from stick rack, to skate sharpener, medical kid, defibrillator and airway bag, equipment trunk to players bags are arranged in particular order underneath the Coach Canada charter driven by Dave Beamish.

“It’s pretty much the same routine of where everything goes on the bus,” said Miller. “If there is a hole, you know you’ve forgotten something.”

Once the bus is in motion, it’s often not long before Miller is stretched out catching a few elusive winks.

“The long hours is definitely one of the demands of the job,” Miller says. “Fortunately, I’m a good sleeper so I try to use my bus time wisely and catch up on some sleep while we’re travelling. I think it’s tough for a trainer to survive if he can’t sleep on the bus.”

Miller and his wife Esther have four children – Josh, 15, Elisha, 13, Luke, 11 and Noah, 9 – who all play competitive sports. The boys are in rep hockey and Elisha in gymnastics and soccer. It’s a busy life for all and tough to manage during hockey season.

“Whenever I do have free time I try to make the most of it to be a part of their activities. Otherwise, Esther is the main one running the schedule and running them around to places. It makes it a little bit more special when I can get to their stuff because I do miss so much. That’s a tough part of the job.”

Miller says he once got off a Petes bus from Barrie only to get on one of his son’s buses the next morning headed back to Barrie.

“I do the best I can to try to balance the schedule. Most often that ends up being Sundays. Fortunately, with the Petes schedule we don’t play too often on Sundays so it’s often a day off away from the rink which the players and the staff need two or three times a month.”

Upon arriving at the rink, the trainers get a hand unloading equipment from some of the rookie players. Miller gets to work taping ankles and wrists or massaging and stretching players with aches and pains. Bowser and Smith arrange the jerseys, unpack the sticks and other equipment, prepare the water bottles and set out towels.

While the job has its demands, there are also rewards, says Miller.

“There are chances to be involved in special events and to meet special people. I’ve been able to do all kinds of stuff over the years. I have worked the CHL Top Prospect’s game four times and I’ve met people like Don Cherry and Bobby Orr behind the scenes. I’ve got to talk to them one-on-one.”

He was also trainer at an NHLPA sponsored video shoot featuring Wayne Gretzky, Larry Murphy, Tie Domi and other NHL stars.

“I joke around at hockey camps with the kids sometimes that my claim to fame is I have sharpened Wayne Gretzky’s skates,” said Miller, with a laugh.

He enjoys being part of a team.

“The trainer’s position is quite unique. You’re not one of the players. You’re not truly part of the coaching staff. You’re kind of that in between. You have a relationship between the coaches and the players that nobody else really fills. It’s kind of a special spot and a special relationship,” he said.

Following the game, Miller will attend to any medical issues while his assistants pack the gear up. Again, they’ll get a hand from players while also ensuring they tidy up the room leaving it as they found it. Miller will make one last check to make sure nothing has been forgotten. Once he’s on the bus, it’s time to head home.

Miller says he gets a lot of satisfaction from the job.

“The trainers position is all about serving and helping people. That’s a special thing you can do for somebody else, to help them out. That’s what I enjoy doing is helping people with the skills that I have,” he said.

He says Bowser and Smith are an invaluable help.

“It’s very true that many hands make light work. Larry and Terry are not making much financial gain on this at all. They’re doing it because they enjoy helping. They allow me to have a little extra family time, too, because they come down and help me get things done a little faster.”

Their help allows Miller to be out of the rink upon their return home from Brampton within 90 minutes of arrival.

“Then we’ll be on our way home for a few hours sleep,” he says.

Story Courtesy of [email protected]