Professional Equipment Managers

[lb33knight 0]

I just finished reading a topic about the life of a professional equipment manager but it hadn't been replied to since February so I thought I'd start a new topic so that I could shed a little light on this subject.

First let me start off by saying that I am a new user here having just discovered the site a few days ago. I have run a LHS for 8 years and during that time I also have served as a professional equipment manager with an ECHL team for a few seasons. I have a very close friend that is the current equipment manager of the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL. I also had an apprenticeship under an 18 year NHL equipment manager veteran. He served with the Blues, Rangers, and the Lightning during his time in the show. So I'm pretty experienced in both the retail and professional side of the sport. The ECHL level isn't that much different than the higher levels. The pay is a little more but the job duties are basically the same. Although at the higher levels you have a little more of a budget to work with.

First off for everyone that thinks this job is glamorous.... That is up to debate. I love this line of work and it takes a certain passion for the game to be able to roll with the bad times. You have to work hard to earn the trust and respect of each player and the coaching staff. There are early mornings, late nights, and players that can be very difficult. No one likes doing their own laundry - much less a whole team's. There is definitely a lot of "grunt" work but it is understood that it comes with the territory. Arranging travel, packing up the gear for road trips, keeping the locker room stocked and clean (stick boys make great vacuumers). Our practice rink was about 10 minutes from the the rink so we constantly were going back and forth between the two. We had a rule that it was the player's responsibilty to transfer their gear to and from the practice rink and arena. But if they tipped the guys $2 we'd do it for them.

Every player has his own way of doing things, ie. his superstitions, how and how often he likes his skates sharpened, etc. You have to get a feel for the way that the player likes it done. And the more experience that you have the easier it is for you to get a feel for what the player will want. On my team, we had a dry erase board and after a game/practice, if a player needed his skates done he would put his number up on the board. And it wasn't like I was sharpening the whole teams skates after every game. Only 4 or 5 guys had their skates done after each practice or game so the workload wasn't ever overwhelming. The way that it seems with most groups of players, 20 for example, is that 5 will be high maintenance and the rest will be pretty easy going. Most of the players have been waited on hand and foot for most of their careers so their actual knowledge of the gear is limited to what just feels good for them. They aren't that picky on manufacturers and such, especially in the ECHL and some of the other minors because of the RBK/CCM equipment deal.

Being a locker room atmosphere, the guys are sure to give you a hard time, especially if you are younger. There are all kinds of jokes and pranks but the equipment staff, in my experience, always came out on top.

As hard as things can seem some times, there is no greater joy than living the hockey "life" day in and day out. Think about how many people here spend hours upon hours reading about hockey. Now instead imagine using that time to be at a game or practice. I'm sure most guys would rather see hockey than be reading about it. I have always had ice in my veins but I have never been that skilled as a player. My talents are in the equipment side of the game and I just feel happy that I am able to contribute something to the sport I love. That's a great feeling and only something that someone who has a passion for the job can understand. I know most of us really enjoy what we do and challenge ourselves to find creative and effective ways to make repairs and that translates over to everyday life as well. If something breaks around the house, it's in my nature to try to find a way to fix it. We take a lot of pride in what we do but it isn't for everyone. There certainly can be high pressure situations where your star player has an equipment blowout and you have to rush to get him back on the ice. Also, if the team wins a championship, the equipment guy gets a ring too. And as unforgiving as the job can be, you forget about it pretty quick when you're out on the bench every game.

Now to the $$$ part. At the ECHL level your average equipment guy is making around $25K a year. Tips at this level are few and far between because the players aren't making much more than you are if at all. In the NHL, the base salary, I believe but not 100%, is around $50,000. The good money comes from the player tips. If you have a guy that is making $4M a year, a $10-20,000 tip isn't unheard of. Like someone said in that other topic about a player taking the equipment guy to a dealership and said "go pick out a car" as his way of saying thanks. I have also heard stories of players giving away cars. Not all players are that generous but most at the NHL level show their apprecaition in some way. No matter how skilled the player is, if he has a crappy sharpening he certainly won't be as effective on the ice. The equipment staff, as well as the medical staff, definitely have important roles towards the teams success and are often overlooked and taken for granted. But there isn't one guy in the NHL that hasn't paid his dues or earned his spot. And they wouldn't be there if they weren't dedicated to helping people out.

If you have any questions, please be sure to ask, I will help out as much as I can.

Brandon

[M-Cohen 0]

Wow bud, I think that was the best first posting I have ever read. Anywhere.

Thanks alot, that was informative and interesting.

Welcome.

[kovalchuk71 212]

Great read Brandon. Glad to see you do it for the love of the game.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

yeah, good read.

[jjtt99 0]

Going to a car lot to pick up a set a wheels. Now that's what I call a tip!

Even if that opportunity was given to me, I'd feel obligated not to take it too far. Something middle of the road with most of the bells and whistles would be nice..then again my middle of the road is like a Honda Accord! What's that retail for, $35-40 grand??

[lb33knight 0]

Going to a car lot to pick up a set a wheels. Now that's what I call a tip!

Even if that opportunity was given to me, I'd feel obligated not to take it too far. Something middle of the road with most of the bells and whistles would be nice..then again my middle of the road is like a Honda Accord! What's that retail for, $35-40 grand??

That was a story I heard from someone else, so who knows, it could have been a Kia dealership :lol:

And thanks to everyone for the kind words.

[Griff 2]

Brandon let me tell you Thank you for every player that's had an equip. mananger or trainer get them out of a jam in a hurry. From doing laundry at 11p.m. after a game when it has to be ready for the team to get on the bus at 5a.m. to helping players come back from injury and making equip. mods that keep injurys from happening again you guys keep the train rolling. It's just awesome that you guys seem to take care of everything and still put up with us.

To all the kids coming up, always be nice and polite to the team staff. No one wants to tape up your stinky feet or wash your dirty undergear but these guys do it and do it without complaint

[lb33knight 0]

Brandon let me tell you Thank you for every player that's had an equip. mananger or trainer get them out of a jam in a hurry. From doing laundry at 11p.m. after a game when it has to be ready for the team to get on the bus at 5a.m. to helping players come back from injury and making equip. mods that keep injurys from happening again you guys keep the train rolling. It's just awesome that you guys seem to take care of everything and still put up with us.

To all the kids coming up, always be nice and polite to the team staff. No one wants to tape up your stinky feet or wash your dirty undergear but these guys do it and do it without complaint

And not to mention that if they piss us off they'll have a pair of figure skates at their stall before the next practice!

[Griff 2]

Actually I've heard of more than one kid getting sent out of town in jr's because he was a dick to the staff...reflects poorly on a players character

[lb33knight 0]

Actually I've heard of more than one kid getting sent out of town in jr's because he was a dick to the staff...reflects poorly on a players character

The new players have to keep in mind that the equipment and training staff are in very good with the coaches. It's not unusual for a team to get a new coach and then he brings his crew with him. So don't step on the coaches toes by being a jerk to the other staff.

[Project824 0]

At the ECHL level your average guy is making around $30K a year. Tips at this level are few and far between because the players aren't making much more than you are.

$30k a year is way above the average ECHL salary... you'll be lucky if more than 5 guys on the team are making that.

[Cobra2717 0]

Great insight. Welcome aboard.

[lb33knight 0]

At the ECHL level your average guy is making around $30K a year. Tips at this level are few and far between because the players aren't making much more than you are if at all.

$30k a year is way above the average ECHL salary... you'll be lucky if more than 5 guys on the team are making that.

That number was for the equipment manager and not the players and it should have been closer to $25K than $30K. Thanks for pointing it out and I have made the necessary edit. But I do know that some of the players can make as much as about $500 a week or so in the ECHL but most do not. Most of the guys are making just enough to get by and the majority of them have summer jobs to help make ends meet. In my area pressure washing seemed to be the popular thing to do.

[Project824 0]

Agreed, welcome aboard Brandon. $350-500 a week is where most guys will fall in, although there are vets/talents who will pull 800-1200 without being property. Of course there's going to be the 1-2 guys on the team who are still high on the potential list but their teams just didn't have a spot in the AHL for them who could be pulling ballpark $45-75k. Anyway you cut it though, the $500/week is not a year round salary - after 6-7 months you're unemployed until next season. Either way though, that just reinforces your point - tips aren't that great when guys are make $20k or less.

Of course there's the Irbe story...

[lb33knight 0]

Agreed, welcome aboard Brandon. $350-500 a week is where most guys will fall in, although there are vets/talents who will pull 800-1200 without being property. Of course there's going to be the 1-2 guys on the team who are still high on the potential list but their teams just didn't have a spot in the AHL for them who could be pulling ballpark $45-75k. Anyway you cut it though, the $500/week is not a year round salary - after 6-7 months you're unemployed until next season. Either way though, that just reinforces your point - tips aren't that great when guys are make $20k or less.

Of course there's the Irbe story...

Irbe, yes, and Scott Gomez as well when he played with Alaska. During the lockout, of course. And now he's making enough to give away a couple of cars at the end of the season. And I never met Irbe so I don't know if he was a little frustrated for having to play at that level after being in the show. If he was pretty pissed off I doubt he was in the "share the love" mood with the other guys.

[Project824 0]

Well Irbe's case was a little different, and funny to everyone but the Hurricanes. After some problems with the staff, they sent him down to teach him a lesson in 03-04, thinking he would be there a week and straighten out. Instead of taking it as a slap in the face, he sat pretty in Jtown - on his $2.7 million NHL salary. The Canes never thought he would end up in the Coast, so there was never an adjustment in his contract for that.

He tipped EVERYONE in Johnstown (it doesn't cost much to live there to begin with), and dinners and rounds were always on him. He might have been a little pissed, but you can only stay mad for so long when there's money to be spent right?

[Roach 0]

Awesome, awesome, read!

I am in the wrong country for hockey and posts/articles like this give me somewhat of a clear picture of what the better players here may have missed out on had they been in a more hockey friendly country.

Welcome to the site!

[tips09 0]

Wow just an awesome read thanks for all that info

[lb33knight 0]

Well Irbe's case was a little different, and funny to everyone but the Hurricanes. After some problems with the staff, they sent him down to teach him a lesson in 03-04, thinking he would be there a week and straighten out. Instead of taking it as a slap in the face, he sat pretty in Jtown - on his $2.7 million NHL salary. The Canes never thought he would end up in the Coast, so there was never an adjustment in his contract for that.

He tipped EVERYONE in Johnstown (it doesn't cost much to live there to begin with), and dinners and rounds were always on him. He might have been a little pissed, but you can only stay mad for so long when there's money to be spent right?

Thanks! I never knew the whole situation. Sounds like it would have been a fun season with him around then. I just couldn't have ever gotten used to those puck marked pads and that crazy mask.

Thanks Roach and Tips09 for the kind words.

[RayChamps2001 0]

I found this site a week or two ago and e-mailed it to Brandon. Glad to see he can provide some insight to everyone.

[Sghockey21 1]

Nice article to read! I'll be going for the IIHF Asian Development Camp at the end of the month and guess what, I'm signed up for the Equipment Manager Course. Hopefully I'll learn some stuff there that I can share with my players over here. Just hope I don't have to do their laundry...!

[lb33knight 0]

Nice article to read! I'll be going for the IIHF Asian Development Camp at the end of the month and guess what, I'm signed up for the Equipment Manager Course. Hopefully I'll learn some stuff there that I can share with my players over here. Just hope I don't have to do their laundry...!

The laundry isn't that bad. You get used to the smell.

[jimmy 194]

Welcome to the board! You'll be very entertained.

For those of you who don't think equipment managers matter, just ask Ray Martyniuk. not too happy with one in particular.

[lb33knight 0]

Welcome to the board! You'll be very entertained.

For those of you who don't think equipment managers matter, just ask Ray Martyniuk. not too happy with one in particular.

Thank you Jimmy. I was reading some older posts where you were having trouble with customers buying things online instead of in your shop and some of the things you were doing to combat that. Have you had any luck with the problem? I've run into it recently with that deal that Mission has been offering where you get a free OPS with a pair of skates.

[RayChamps2001 0]

Welcome to the board! You'll be very entertained.

For those of you who don't think equipment managers matter, just ask Ray Martyniuk. not too happy with one in particular.

Thank you Jimmy. I was reading some older posts where you were having trouble with customers buying things online instead of in your shop and some of the things you were doing to combat that. Have you had any luck with the problem? I've run into it recently with that deal that Mission has been offering where you get a free OPS with a pair of skates.

Brandon,

Is this because we don't carry Mission or is this only an online offer?