In-Depth Look: Assistant Athletic Trainer for the American Hockey League

Dillon Campbell, MS, LAT, ATC, NREMT, PES, CES is an assistant Athletic Trainer (AT) and massage therapist for the Milwaukee Admirals. He has been a certified AT since 2018.

Describe your setting:

I work in the American Hockey League (AHL), which serves as the primary developmental league for the NHL. We are the affiliate of the Nashville Predators, so you can think of it as the AAA version of professional hockey. Day in and day out, I work with elite professional athletes and a staff that operates at the highest level. The environment demands precision, adaptability, and commitment to excellence, which makes every day both challenging and rewarding.

How long have you been practicing as an AT?

I graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 2018 with my degree in athletic training. Afterwards, I received my AT certification and have been practicing ever since. During my time at Miami University, I obtained my Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification and worked with the Oxford Fire Department. I still maintain my EMT certification to this day. Following Miami University, I received my master’s in exercise science with a dual concentration in injury prevention and sports performance from California University of Pennsylvania.

Over the years, I’ve gained experience across a wide range of settings from professional hockey, baseball and soccer to rodeo, high school sports and special events, including things like motocross and roller derby. Each environment has helped shape me into a well-rounded clinician, giving me the ability to adapt my skills and approach to meet the unique needs of every athlete. This summer, I completed my massage therapy education at U.S. Carrer Institute and look forward to incorporating that into my practice.

Describe your typical day:

A standard practice day usually starts with me arriving at the rink around 7 a.m. I’ll spend the first hour preparing the athletic training facility setting up the bench and getting ready for the athletes to arrive. Once players begin coming in, my focus shifts to pre-practice treatments including manual therapy, recovery work and getting guys ready to perform.

As practice beings, I often work with players who are not participating due to injury. This is when I spend significant time on rehab, working hand-in-hand with our strength and conditioning coach. My roll leans heavily toward manual treatment with modalities like dry needling, TECAR Therapy and Shockwave along with clinical rehab tools such as Blood Flow Restriction, Postural Restoration and corrective exercise, while the strength coach helps athletes rebuild strength and conditioning as part of their return-to-play progression.

After practice wraps up, I provide post-practice treatments for players, ranging from recovery modalities to hands-on therapy. Once the athletes head out, I’ll spend another hour or so cleaning, documenting and handling administrative tasks to close out the day before leaving around 3 p.m

My mornings on game days look similar to a practice day, pre-practice treatments, setting up the athletic training facilityand preparing athletes morning skate. Things tend to move quickly, especially if we’re coming off a back-to-back game, since recovery and preparation become the focus. Players head home mid-day for their pre-game routines, which gives me a short window for lunch and rest before I return to the rink by 3:30 p.m. From there, it’s pre-game prep, including setting up the bench, ensuring our equipment and treatment space is set up and getting players primed to perform at their peak.

Before games, I’ll often connect with our team physicians and physical therapists, discussing the progress of players dealing with longer-term injuries and where they are in the return-to-play process. I also make sure I connect with the visiting team for our pre-event medical meeting, and to catch up as well, It’s during this time, that I am able to really connect with the other health care professionals involved in our player’s care and form relationships with them, which is crucial to providing well rounded care. Most of the time, these doctors, physical therapists and other ATs become mentors and friends outside of the rink.

During the game itself, my role is about readiness watching, waiting and responding if anything happens. Post-game is typically the busiest stretch. For about 60-90 minutes, I’m providing treatments, addressing new injuries, and helping players recover. Once cleanup and documentation are done, it’s usually close to 11:30 p.m. before I leave the rink.

What do you like about your position? What motivates you?

One of the things I enjoy most is that no two days are ever the same. I never know exactly what I will be walking into when I arrive at the rink, and that variety keeps me sharp, engaged and never complacent.

What motivates me most are the athletes themselves. They are pursuing their dream of competing at the highest level, and that pursuit demands everything of them mentally, physically and emotionally. Their dedication challenges me to bring my best every day as well. They cannot afford to take a day off, and neither can I.

What is your greatest achievement as an AT?

I consider myself fortunate to have two achievements that stand out for very different reasons.

Leading the medical team that successfully resuscitated Bill Lee, a Savannah Bananas player who went into cardiac arrest. Moments like that remind me of the gravity and importance of what we do.

Seeing three of my former athletic training students, whom I’ve had the privilege of mentoring as their preceptor, follow in my footsteps and become professional hockey ATs themselves is another achievement that I’m proud of. Knowing that I’ve contributed to shaping the next generation of ATs is as rewarding as any medical accomplishment.

What advice do you have about your practice setting for a young AT looking at this setting?

My advice is simple but vital: never stop learning. This profession is constantly evolving, and your ability to adapt and grow will define your success. Even when I’m not at the rink, I’m studying techniques, treatment methods and recovery modalities that I can apply to help my athletes perform better and recover faster.

Whether I’m out fishing, or on the golf course I’m always looking and thinking of ways to expand my toolkit. The more you invest in your knowledge and skills, the more impact you’ll have on the athletes you serve.