UTICA, N.Y. – The American Hockey League announced it’s annual Yanick Dupre Memorial Award winner, with a unique twist this season.
Typically given each season to the “Man of the Year,” recognizing a player for outstanding contributions to his team’s local community, this year the league awarded the honor to the head athletic trainers from each of the 31 AHL organizations.
The AHL said in its release that it is recognizing team athletic trainers and their staff for their efforts during the pandemic-riddled 2020-21 season:
“In addition to their day-to-day responsibilities of looking after the general health of their players – including the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries – these athletic trainers and therapists took on the additional duties of testing, monitoring and administering the AHL’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, allowing the league to operate in a safe and effective manner during the pandemic.”
For the Utica Comets, head athletic trainer Roman Kaszczij is the recipient of the award.
Kaszczij just completed his second season as the athletic therapist on the Comets’ staff after spending a couple of years as an intern with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL.
Prior to that, he graduated from MacMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario with an undergraduate degree in kinesiology.
The league also recognized other members of each team’s medical staff, and equipment managers for their contributions throughout the year.
Ryan Monaco also serves as an athletic trainer for the Comets, with Damion Parmelee the team’s head equipment manager, and Greg Lowden the assistant equipment manager.
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