Athletic therapist Mayer marks 1,500 games in WHL
Athletic therapist feted by Pats before 1,500th WHL game
When longtime athletic therapist Greg Mayer realized a career milestone was approaching, he politely asked the Regina Pats to not make a fuss over his 1,500th WHL game. They didn’t listen.
Mayer was the centrepiece of a pre-game ceremony Sunday, including video testimonials from colleagues and former players.
Although he was humbled by their words, he was also a little uncomfortable.
“It was awesome to see the videos and have my family on the ice, but I just like to be in the background a bit more,” Mayer said with a smile. “I had actually asked (the team), ‘If you want to do something to honour me, can you just run the clock for 60 minutes and play Kiss music all night?’ Then I would have been happy.”
The actual plans were kept quiet, but Mayer had a pretty good idea that something was up before Sunday’s contest.
So he braced himself for a rare moment in the spotlight, highlighted by video tributes from former players like Jordan Eberle, Dyson Stevenson, Sam Steel, Connor Hobbs and Adam Brooks.
“I’m more about the players,” Mayer said. “In our role, I don’t think any of us are here for the accolades. We’re behind the scenes. The best reward comes when guys like (former Pats captain) Garrett Mitchell brought his two young daughters down to meet me this year at training camp. You keep in touch with those guys.
“On Sunday night, I was up until probably midnight answering texts. I was probably one of the first people to find out that Austin Wagner was staying with L.A. He said, ‘I owe you so much for what you did for me.’ Whether that’s true or not, when those guys are saying that, that’s where you want to hear it from. That’s what makes it worthwhile.”
Mayer joined the Pats in 200405 after spending the previous seven seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors. His first regular-season game was in Swift Current — and he remembers it for the wrong reasons.
“A kid named Cody Thompson got stepped on in a fight,” Mayer said. “He cut his thumb almost entirely off. We patched him up, got him to emergency, sewn it back on. At that time, I’m like, ‘Wow, this is Game 1. This is going to be a long career if it’s going to be like this.’”
Mayer has been a constant behind Regina’s bench for 15 years, making him the longest-tenured member of the organization. He has outlived five different head coaches and one ownership change.
“It’s like Survivor,” he said with a laugh. “I have the hidden immunity and I’m not telling you where it is.”
All joking aside, Mayer feels fortunate to have worked with so many “great people” over the years.
“I’ve been lucky that I’ve had a place that has always treated me well,” said Mayer, 50. “I’ve had opportunities (at the pro level) that weren’t right at the time or, because it is so good here, I turned them down.
“Going to the NHL wasn’t the goal when I started this. I wanted to work with athletes. I’ve done it for 22 years. I still have the same passion I did when I was 22 years old, especially if anybody watches me when I work the guys out (laughs). There’s still a smile. But after 22 years you do start to get the wear and tear. I have to admit the bus rides are zero fun. I don’t know how many more (years he has left). I won’t hit 2,000 games, that’s for sure.”