Ron Waske ’69 traded an NHL training room for the training room at SLU. He is head athletic trainer, responsible for the administration of the sports medicine program in the intercollegiate athletics and recreation department on campus. I provide athletic training services, on a daily basis, to eight teams and help with all the rest” of the Saints’ 32 men’s and women’s teams, he explains. Two full-time assistant trainers work with him.

Waske returned to his alma mater after working for the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders during a span when the team won four straight Stanley Cups.  He was elected to the Professional Athletic Trainers Society Hall of Fame in June of 2006 and has a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame’s section for trainers.

He says his return to his college town and hometown was prompted by “The chance to teach and work in a nice environment. Being able to raise my daughters in a small-town atmosphere with all the options that the University offers made my decision to leave professional hockey behind easy,” he says.

Now at St. Lawrence for 25 years, Waske says his most rewarding and enjoyable experience has been “Seeing athletes return from a major injury and succeed at their sport.” He credits the athletes themselves: “Their hard work and dedication to my rehab plan help them return to play.” He can relate to that; as a student he was a member of the men’s hockey team.

Outside of work, Waske says he most enjoys “Watching my grandchildren grow and summer on the golf course.”