Spitfires trainer stepping down
The lure of a young family at home made it hard to get motivated for the long bus rides and the sometimes endless days.
After parts of 14 seasons with the Windsor Spitfires, athletic therapist Joey Garland is stepping down to pursue other interests in the field.
“I’ve been looking for opportunities for the last few years,” the 37-year-old Garland said. “Something that might have me home a little bit more with the family.” Garland and his wife Amanda have an 18-year-old son, Liam, and a two-month-old son, Luke. “It’s tough being in Owen Sound, say, on a Friday night and having practice the next day at 10 (a.m.)” Garland said. “That’s the stuff that doesn’t get seen. Yes, that game is from 7 (p.m.) to 9:30 (p.m.), but you’re not getting home until 3 (a.m.) or 4 (a.m.) in the morning and then that practice the next day is at 10 (a.m.), so I’m here at 8:30 (a.m.) getting guys ready and myself. Suddenly it’s two days you’re not with the kids and then Sunday it’s an afternoon game. It all adds up.”
Garland, who also works with the University of Windsor Lancers women’s basketball team, has a few business opportunities developing that will allow him to spend more time at home.
“I’m excited to be home the vast majority of nights,” said Garland, who is originally from Carbonear, N.L. “I’m excited to have a bit more time with the kids.”
A Dalhousie University grad in kinesiology, Garland had just finished the athletic therapy program at Sheridan College when an opening came up with the Spitfires in the fall of 2005. Ten games into the season, Scott Adams got a chance to join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and Garland had his first job in the field.
“Joe was here before we even bought the team,” said Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel, who bought the team late in the 2005-06 season along with Bob Boughner and Pete Dobrich. “He’ll be missed for sure.”
From that small, cramped workspace at Windsor Arena, Garland quickly became more than just the guy who kept players in action. He spent summers training them. He provided a sounding board for young players away from home for the first time.
Often, he was the first guy a player saw when he got to the rink and one of the last ones there when the day ended. “He’s very stable and did a great job with all of our kids,” Rychel said. “Not just during the season. He’s a sounding board where kids could talk in private. He was tough on the kids workout wise, which is good, and you take it for granted when you have good people.” As he was taking down pictures and packing things up this week, those relationships, built over the years, were at the forefront of Garland’s thoughts.
“I’m going to miss being around the guys, the team atmosphere and the brotherhood that comes along with it,” said Garland, who earned his master’s degree in human kinetics this week at the University of Windsor. “As much as I hate it ... the relationships you build were on those bus trips and that side of it.
“You think about different things and different championships or days when I pranked J.R. (Grant, the team’s equipment manager). Looking back, it’s all positive memories and great things I remember. I don’t remember the grind. You don’t when you look back, but there was many a morning it was, ‘Crap, I’m late. I have to get to the rink.’ I’ll miss the relationships. You have challenges and meet those challenges.” Garland was with the team for its three Memorial Cup titles in 2009, 2010 and 2017. He was also with Hockey Canada for two tours at the world junior championship and also served with the under-18 world championship team and under-18 summer team.
“Of all the trainers in the world, to win three Memorial Cups is pretty good,” Rychel said. “I’m sure he has great memories of that. “We’ve been through a lot here as a team. Joe’s been through it all from taking over a lousy team, to Mickey (Renaud’s) death, moving to a new arena and hosting all these things. He’s been through a lot with the good times and bad times and a guy I could always lean on and trust.”
The Spitfires hope to have a replacement named within the next few weeks.
“We need a guy that knows hockey, that knows the game and the league and is good communicating with players and coaches,” Rychel said.