A long career in hockey winding down for Cedar Rapids RoughRiders trainer, equipment manager Chris Ipson

CEDAR RAPIDS — Name the only member of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders organization who has been in the National Hockey League.

The answer isn’t obvious. You have to know quite a bit about everyone.

Team trainer and equipment manager Chris Ipson is your guy. “Ipper” spent four years as trainer for the New Jersey Devils in the 1980s.

He cared for some big-time players.

“I was the only medical trainer. There were two equipment managers. Nowadays, there’s about five of each,” Ipson said, with a mustachioed grin. “Mel Bridgman was the captain. That was the year they drafted Kirk Muller. Chico Resch was the goalie. Doug Carpenter was the head coach. Then he got replaced by Jim Schoenfeld my last year.

“It was good. You know, it’s a lot different now. Players are making a lot more money. I was a lot closer in age to the players then. It was different. But it was fun.”

Ipson, 66, recently was feted for his 2,000th game. There are few who have given more to the great game of hockey.

His introduction to the sport began when he was a grad student at the University of Denver. His roommate was a hockey player.

Ipson started his career in the minor Central Hockey League, spending a year each with the Fort Worth Texans, Wichita Wind and Montana Magic. He doesn’t even remember any specifics of his first official game as Fort Worth’s trainer, other than it came in the fall of 1981.

“I always say I got my diploma from the University of Wisconsin, but I got my education from the Central Hockey League,” Ipson said.

A general manager change in New Jersey ended his time in the NHL, with Ipson landing what was supposed to be a temporary position with Michigan Tech University’s hockey program. Temporary turned out to be not so temporary.

He was there for 23 years.

“I knew I wanted to stay in hockey,” Ipson said. “The position at Michigan Tech was only supposed to be a one-year interim position. The athletic trainer was starting a sports medicine clinic for, like, high schools and outpatients. One year turned into 23.”

Michigan Tech eventually asked Ipson to switch sports, from hockey to men’s basketball, something he didn’t care to do. So he left the school, found out the RoughRiders needed a trainer, applied and got the job for the 2011-12 season.

He’s not just a trainer, he’s also the team’s equipment manager, an all-encompassing job that includes everything from washing practice and game uniforms daily to sharpening player skates.

His hours at the rink are long.

“It’s about 75 percent equipment and about 25 percent medical,” he said. “That was my big education initially on the Central Hockey League side. I didn’t have any experience on the equipment side. It was like being thrown into the deep end. I eventually caught on.”

Caught on working for Mark Carlson as well. Carlson is an intense, demanding sort, which is a reason he is one of the best coaches and developers of talent in United States Hockey League history.

“It took some getting used to,” Ipson said, with another grin. “My first year, every day I thought I’d get fired. But hopefully we’ve both grown up a little bit.”

Ipson suffered a heart attack eight years ago and admitted he returned to the team earlier than he should have.

“The guys needed me,” he said.

They still need him, which is why he continues to do the work he does.

“The kids. The guys. Being able to help them along the way,” Ipson said. “I’ll still get phone calls every once in a while asking for advice or what to do about this and that.

“I always say once a Rider, always a Rider. So whatever I can do to help someone.”

Ipson knows he’s in the twilight of his incredibly long hockey career. He always goes year to year, says maybe next season will be his last.

But right now, he’s still got the energy, still has the passion to keep going.

“It’s still fun to wake up and come to the rink every day,” Ipson said.

The RoughRiders were at Dubuque on Friday night and host the Fighting Saints in the regular-season finale Saturday night.

The club went into the weekend with a one standings point lead for the final available playoff spot in the USHL’s Eastern Conference.

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