Peter Gilmore Demers (born November 4, 1943) is a retired head athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. He is a member of the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society Hall of Fame (2007), and a Hockey Hall of Fame honoree (2007). He successfully advocated for improvements to the trainers and equipment managers’ benefit package that took effect in 2006.

He was made a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016 and the L.A. Kings Hall of Fame in 1997.

He served for three terms as president of the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society (1994-2000) after serving on the board for 20 years. He worked with Olympic athletes, and international hockey teams. He retired in 2006 after 2,632 consecutive regular season NHL games as the team athletic trainer.[1] He has two children, Aimee Demers, and Thomas Demers.

Biography

A life in hockey

Demers was born on November 4, 1943, in Providence, Rhode Island. His parents were Kathleen and Arthur Demers. He grew up near the Rhode Island Auditorium, and became a “rink rat,” earning time on the ice in exchange for cleaning the ice and sweeping the stands.[2] At 12 years old, he became an assistant stick boy for the visiting team at Rhode Island Reds of the American Hockey League. A Vietnam-era veteran, Demers served in 1961-1965, then enrolled at Brown University and the University of Rhode Island to study athletic training and sports medicine. In 1970, he received a certification from the National Athletic Trainers Association.

After three seasons with the Rhode Island Reds (1965-68), Demers worked as the head athletic trainer with the Columbus Checkers (International Hockey League) for one season before joining the Springfield Kings (1969-1972) as head athletic trainer.[3] The Springfield Kings was an L.A. Kings farm team.

L.A. Kings (1972–2006)

In 1972, Demers was appointed head athletic trainer to the L.A. Kings. The Kings played at the Forum in Inglewood, California (1967-1999). Demers was a first responder with one assistant who treated injuries, planned players’ off-ice and off-season conditioning programs, did massage therapy, physical therapy, and attended to the team’s nutrition needs.[2] He also handled equipment

Demers tended to players’ injuries of all kinds with the Kings,[4] including torn ligaments and muscles, broken bones, concussions, cuts, and bruises.[5] The treatments included traditional ice and ultrasound, along with TENS (transcutaneous electronic stimulation).[5]

In 1988, one of hockey’s greatest players joined the Kings, making the team hugely popular – and more successful than ever. Demers was present when Wayne Gretzky held his first press conference, and considers himself “very lucky to see him play.”[6]

With time, teams focused more on protecting players, and Demers was part of that transition. Over the years, he kept a journal of injuries and illness that allowed him to identify key issues.[7] Demers was the athletic trainers’ liaison to the NHL team physician and on the first NHL injury analysis panel designed to record all hockey injuries.[8]

Demers retired in 2007.[9] He holds the record for the most consecutive games as a hockey athletic trainer - 2,632.

"The camaraderie and sense of family that we have in our game is like no other business," he has said.[10]

Noteworthy games and tournaments

Olympics

In 1998, he was with Team USA at the XVIII Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.[11] In 1984, he served as the U.S. Olympic Committee trainer-coordinator for basketball, serving teams from all over the world, and attending 63 games in 10 days.[12]

National and international competitions

Demers served as trainer during several International Ice Hockey Federation World (IIHF) World Championships

  • 1997 (Finland)
  • 1996 (Austria)
  • 1994 (Italy)
  • 1986 (Moscow)

He served as trainer during several National Hockey League All-Star games

  • 2002 (L.A.)
  • 1993 (Montreal)
  • 1981 (L.A.)
  • 1977 (Vancouver)

He served as athletic trainer for the U.S. Championship team at the World Cup of Hockey Champions (1996). He was also the athletic trainer for the American Hockey League Calder Cup Champion Springfield Kings (1971).

Honors, awards, and achievements

Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame, 2019
Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame induction award, 2019

Demers was inducted into U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame (2016). He has a ring from the Stanley Cup Championship (2012). He was inducted into the L.A. Kings Hall of Fame (1997).

In 2007, Demers was recognized as an honoree into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the trainers category. In 2007, he was inducted into the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society Hall of Fame.[13]

After serving as president of the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society for three terms, and on the executive board for 20 years, in 2006 the improved trainer benefits he worked for was approved.

He was inducted into the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Hall of Fame trainer Pete Demers headlines 'Hockeyday in Springfield' event". masslive.com. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  2. 1 2 "L.A. Kings Weekly". 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  3. ↑ Brown, Garry (2016-08-12). "Hall of Fame trainer Pete Demers headlines 'Hockeyday in Springfield' event". masslive.com. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  4. ↑ "Kings Media Guide" (PDF).
  5. 1 2 "The Puck Report: Pete Demers Interview, 2009". 2011-03-10. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  6. ↑ "Wayne Gretzky's Arrival Changes Everything For LA Kings And Retired Trainer Pete Demers". 2011-03-13. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  7. ↑ "On the N.H.L.'s Playoff Ice, Injuries Are Risen Above". 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  8. ↑ "File:Pete Demers Injury Analysis Committee Letter.pdf" (PDF), Wikipedia, retrieved 2018-11-28
  9. ↑ "Hockey Hall of Fame". Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  10. ↑ "Boot Camp On Ice". NHL.com. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  11. ↑ "1998 Winter Games Men". Vintage Minnesota Hockey - History. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  12. ↑ "LA Kings Weekly: Hanging with Pete Demers & his garage full of momentos (VIDEO)". FOX Sports. 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  13. ↑ "Hockey Hall of Fame". 2011-07-29. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  14. ↑ "Peter G. Demers, RIHHOF". 2019-02-08. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
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