RTP: The Role of the Medical Staff in High Performance Hockey with Jon Geller

The High Performance Hockey Podcast

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The role and goals of the medical performance staff in the NHL.

Return to play decision making within the medical and skill development team.

The evolution of equipment in return to play and injury mitigation.

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Physical Preparations for Ice Hockey: Biological Principles and Practical Solutions

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Show Notes:

What is the role of the medical staff in high performance hockey? This week, we are joined by Jon Geller, the current assistant athletic trainer for the Montreal Canadiens. Before working with the Canadiens, Jon served as the assistant athletic trainer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to his time with the Leafs, Jon served as the Head Athletic trainer for the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL). Today, we’ll discuss Jon’s responsibilities within the medical staff and how he assesses dynamic movement competency in both injured and healthy athletes to keep them at the top of their game.

We’ll learn what communication between the medical staff and skill development team looks like, particularly in return to play decisions. How is it handed off between medical and skill development experts? How are final decisions for return to play made? We’ll also touch on equipment and its evolution in injury mitigation, building baselines during the pre-season, and the future of the high performance hockey model. Find out more about the behind of the scenes world of the medical staff and how they keep their athletes healthy and on the ice!

00:00 Welcome Jon Geller, the assistant athletic therapist for the Toronto Maple Leafs, to the podcast and learn how he keeps players healthy and at the top of their game!

01:30 How did you start working in high performance hockey?

05:05 How did the two worlds of theory and reality evolve for you?

06:40 What are your current responsibilities as the assistant athletic therapist?

08:05 How do you build baselines pre-season?

09:40 When do you reschedule assessments?

11:10 How do you communicate within your medical team?

13:35 How are decisions reached?

15:45 How are messages communicated to management of the players?

16:10 First touch points for return to play.

18:55 What are some heuristics or your rules of thumbs you use to assess injury before return to play?

23:00 How is equipment evolving in the NHL?

27:00 How does equipment play a role as a performance enhancement and in reducing potential injury?

29:00 How do you integrate the skill development coach and return to play specialist in the return to play process?

31:10 What external and internal metrics do you use to guide the skill development/return to play expert?

33:10 How do you use objective information to inform or persuade the skills specialist?

34:50 How does the final return to play decision get made?

36:00 Is a comprehensive, high level understanding of the game important?

38:45 The future of the high performance model in hockey.

39:50 Are we over-measuring?

42:00 What is the role of Toronto Maple Leafs’ hockey research and development staff?

43:00 What would you do differently if you could start over as a young coach?

45:35 What have been the challenges of the last couple of years?