For over 30 years, Mike Gapski has taken the ice with the Chicago Blackhawks as their head athletic trainer, and he celebrated his 2,500th NHL game last Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes.
Gapski is the longest-tenured active trainer in the NHL, and only retired Hockey Hall of Famer Pete Demers has worked more games as a trainer (2,632, all with the Los Angeles Kings).
To celebrate the occasion, the Blackhawks showed their appreciation and gifted Gapski with a jet ski. Looks like it gets a little emotional!
Since being hired in 1987, Gapski has treated the injuries of many Blackhawks greats and multiple Stanley Cup teams. It’s always cool to see the team recognize Gapski upon reaching such an incredible milestone.
It looks like the Blackhawks even had special shirts to commemorate the milestone game for Gapski, with Andrew Shaw showing some love on Instagram.
