“Nobody Outworks The Dogs” is what you’ll see lining the walls in the Rutherford Rink at the University of Saskatchewan. This is a statement deep-rooted in hard work, dedication and determination. For Garrett Saxton, this couldn’t ring more true.

Saxton is a third-year student trainer, the veteran and leader of a four person, student-based medical staff looking after the Huskies men’s hockey team, who are currently number one in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport rankings.

Huskie Athletics offers a unique student trainer program to those exploring a career in sport medicine. Matt Kelley, Jeremy Campbell and Jory Meyer round out the Dogs’ training staff, along with Saxton, as they work under the watchful eye of Rhonda Shishkin, the head therapist for Huskie Athletics.

Enrolled in the College of Kinesiology, Saxton says working with the hockey team is more hands on than anything he learns in the classroom.

“Being a part of the Huskie student trainer program takes what you’ve learned in school and allows you to apply it to a real world setting. You learn how to apply your biomechanics, how to apply your anatomy, how to apply your physiology, whether it’s through exercise programming and training or injury assessment and management,” Saxton said.

Saxton and the rest of the medical team attend all practices and games. They are responsible for medical care and equipment, which means long hours at the rink running morning workouts, doing laundry, sharpening skates and taking care of injuries — all while studying kinesiology full time.

The most memorable moment for Saxton came last season, when he helped rehab a player’s dislocated shoulder.

“[The player] had eight weeks of rehab and I was with him pretty much every step of the way, and his first game back, he scored a goal on his first shot. When he came back to the bench, the smile on his face — he was grinning ear to ear. He gave me a hug when he came off. That meant a lot to me,” Saxton said.        

This goes to show the program offers not just professional development, but also life experience. Nothing left more of an impact on Saxton than the passing of Cody Smuk, a member of the Dogs who lost his battle with cancer in June 2015 .

“When you watch that guy play hockey, you think about how he’s not the most skilled guy on the ice by any means, but he’s making the biggest plays. I mean, I kinda take that into my life — I don’t think I’m the smartest guy ever, but I’m gonna be out there making the biggest plays,” Saxton said, fighting back tears.

Rookie student trainer Matt Kelley, speaks to the contributions that Saxton has made to their team.

“He puts in more hours than all the boys — which is a lot — and it doesn’t go unnoticed, so I hope he knows that. When a guy works that hard, it sets the tone for the rest of the crew, especially me, coming in as a rookie, to see what kind of work you’ve got to put in and what you’ll get out of it,” Kelley said.

Saxton’s character is clearly rubbing off, which is a testament to the hard work, dedication and determination he’s put in with the Dogs. As a graduating student, his future looks bright as he pursues a career in physiotherapy, but for now it’s all about getting the best product on the ice so the Huskies can keep rolling after the Christmas break.

The walls in Rutherford tell it all — nobody outworks the Dogs.

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Curtis Fontaine

Photo: Kayle Neis