By John McGourty
NHL.com
To paraphrase a line from an Elvis Presley song, we have a warning for
Steve Latin, the equipment manager for Team USA at the 2002 Winter Olympics
in Salt Lake City.
When the NHL players arrive, "that's when your headaches begin."
Who forgot their gloves? Their elbow pads? Their lucky rabbit's foot?
What's the proper contour on Phil Housley's skates? Is it the same for
Brian Leetch?
The learning curve will be fast and steep.
Latin's no rookie at this job. He's in his 14th season as equipment manager
for the Pittsburgh Penguins and his 22nd season in the National Hockey
League. He served as equipment manager for Team USA at the 1990 World
Championships and at the 1991 Canada Cup.
He'll be ably assisted by Doug Shearer, head equipment manager for the
Washington Capitals, who ran the dressing-room crews at the 1999 NHL
All-Star Game in Tampa.
"I've had the opportunity to work Canada Cups, World Championships, NHL
All-Star Games and I was with the Penguins when we won two Stanley Cups,"
Latin said. "This is the top of the mountain, to get to represent your
country.
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Some players have brought special equipment with them for the Olympics, like Team USA goalie Tom Barrasso, who had a special USA mask made.
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"Doug and I were in Lake Placid at the Olympic training center, talking
about how many people work in the sport of hockey and how many equipment
managers there are," Latin said. "It blows our mind how lucky we are. We're
not just representing our country, we're representing the National Hockey
League. I'm representing the Pittsburgh Penguins. Doug's representing the
Washington Capitals. We're representing all the equipment managers
throughout the United States. It's a tremendous honor for both of us."
"We had an awesome training camp in Colorado Springs," he recalled. "I
walked in and saw Bill Guerin and John Leclair and the rest of our greatest
players. For me to be reunited with Tom Barasso was the thrill of a
lifetime because I think the world of him. We were together for years."
The players bring the bulk of the equipment they'll wear. They'll get their
jersey, pants and socks from the national team but their skates, sticks and
pads are their own.
What else are they bringing?
"Mouthpieces, knee sleeves, a favorite T-shirt, anything that we wouldn't
have that they are used to with their parent club, all that little stuff
that makes them tick," Latin said. "If they don't have a second pair of
skates, we told them to just throw in a pair of blades that are
contoured."
Some players were seen this week breaking in gloves with the colors of
their national teams.
"Mario Lemieux, who is playing for Team Canada, had special skates and
gloves made for him for the Olympics," Latin said. "He wore them for the
first time last Friday."
Latin will benefit from a "home-country" edge.
"We're lucky. Because we're the home team, we get to use the Utah Grizzlies
room at the E Center," Latin said. "Their equipment managers, Richard
Krouse and Nick Lund, have been kind enough to leave everything that they
use there. That saves us immensely. Everything I have in my room, they
have, including tools. If we had to bring that stuff while flying
commercial it would be a nightmare. They bent over backwards for us and
it's a huge inconvenience for them. They're on the road this month."
Other countries will be shipping in several pieces of heavy equipment, he
said.
"The other nations are responsible for their own stuff," Latin said. "We
were going to have to do that but the Grizzlies have the same machines that
we have in Pittsburgh and Washington: Boot presses, riveters, dryers, the
whole thing."
Latin is a native of Dearborn, Mich., whose love of hockey was instilled by
the 1980 U.S. Olympic team's victory at Lake Placid.
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One of the hardest things about the Olympics is that players and staff members of NHL teams find themselves on opposite sides at the Games. Such is the case with U.S. trainer Steve Latin and good friend Mario Lemieux.
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"I watched with my family and when they won, I jumped out of my chair," he
said. "If you didn't get excited about that, you were asleep or dead."
He earned an associate's degree in business at Eastern Michigan University
and then spent six years with the Detroit Red Wings before a two-year stint
with the Hartford Whalers. He laughs when asked for a job description. It's
not limited to being a Mr. Fix-it.
"If something happens, you just fix it. You make it right. Whatever it is.
That's our job. There's no job description," Latin said.
"When you look up the description of an equipment manager, it's
everything. Everything. There's not one day that you can say,
'That's not my job.' It's your job and no matter if it isn't your job, you
make it your job and that's what separates the good from the mediocre."
Latin has mixed emotions about being separated from Lemieux.
"I've been with Mario for a long time and it's been quite a ride," he said.
"He's not just the owner and the greatest player on the face of the earth,
but he's also a great friend. I wish the best for him. I'll be there when
they play. How could you not want to watch him? It's a thrill to be with
him every day. It will be a thrill to watch him play.
Latin worked for the Penguins when they were coached by Bob Johnson, who
was stricken with brain cancer while preparing Team USA for the 1991 Canada
Cup. They had many conversations about the impact of the 1980 team and
looked forward to the young American players who were inspired by that
team.
"I have a letter from Bob while he was at the Canada Cup training camp,"
Latin said. "All the players on our (2002) team were young then, Modano,
Hull, Roenick, etc. His letter talks about these guys and Bob said they
will be our stars and here they are. They are stars. When I read that
letter now, I get chills. I know 'Badger' is up there, rubbing his face and
looking over us. Hopefully everything will go well for us."
Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers
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Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society
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