|
Peter “Pete” Demers
<< Back to Reds in Other Halls of Fame
An East Providence native, Pete Demers was inducted into the Trainers Wing of the NHL Hall of Fame in 2007. Fresh out of the armed services, Pete became a protege of George Army, spending 3 years as the assistant to the legendary trainer here in Providence.
Hard work and paying close attention to his mentor’s techniques paid off when he was given the opportunity to become the head trainer of the AHL’s Springfield Kings in 1969. Two years later, he was rewarded with the first of his 5 commemorative rings when the Kings captured the Calder Cup.
In 1972, Demers was appointed head trainer of the parent Los Angeles Kings. Respected throughout hockey, Pete did not miss a contest in 2,632 Kings games (34 seasons) while tending to the injuries and ailments of the likes of such greats as Wayne Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, and Rogie Vachon, to name a few.
His career saw him serve as 3-term President of the Professional Hockey Trainers Society and 10 years on the NHL Injury Committee. He had the distinction of representing both the United States and Canada at various World Championships. He represented the USA at the 1996 World Cup and 1998 Nagano Olympics. During the 1984 Olympics in LA, Pete served as the USOC athletic trainer for Basketball.
He became an inaugural member of the LA Kings Hall of Fame in 1997 and was presented a Stanley Cup ring in 2012 as the closing chapter of his hockey life. |
