By Danny Karmin
‘BUBBA’S’ BACK
The long-time Assistant Equipment Manager of the two-time Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning and current leading man of the Wolves, Rob Kennedy, relishes every opportunity to work with his staff and players throughout the season.
Kennedy is entering his third season with the Wolves and second as the Head Equipment Manager after initially debuting as an assistant in 1999. After departing from the Wolves in 2000, he had stints with the Muskegon Fury of the United Hockey League, Cleveland Barons of the AHL, two seasons with the NHL’s Florida Panthers, 14 with the Lightning and two with Quinnipiac University before returning to Chicago in 2023.
When his time with Quinnipiac concluded, Kennedy pondered retirement from the sport. His attention quickly shifted when a position opened with the Wolves.
After almost 25 years away, the man nicknamed “Bubba” was back where it all began.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kennedy remembered thinking at the time. “I’m a big believer that things happen for a reason. Coming back here makes it full circle.”
GAME DAY
5:30 a.m. The first alarm rings as Rob Kennedy pounces out of bed, beginning an 18-hour workday.
After finishing his first cup of coffee, Kennedy makes breakfast and takes his second cup to go. As he’s progressed through his career, he’s limited his coffee intake to two cups–for now.
“I don’t have that third cup of coffee anymore like I used to,” he said. “But for most of my career, I would always have a cup of coffee before the game. I’ve kind of gotten away from that for whatever reason. I can’t really say why, but it’s two to three cups of coffee on a game day. Two in the morning and maybe one in the afternoon.”
6:30 a.m. He arrives at the rink around this time every day, whether it’s a game or practice day.
On game days, Kennedy likes to sharpen players’ skates a day in advance so he can be readily available for anything else a player might need.
To pass the time, Kennedy fills out paperwork and ties up any loose ends.
10 a.m. Players hop on the ice for their morning skate which lasts around 20 minutes. Kennedy hovers on the bench in case any player needs a skate re-sharpened or has an equipment issue.
Once the players head off the ice, Kennedy enters Phase Two: laundry. He and Assistant Equipment Manager, CJ Reif begin setting up air fans in the dressing room to dry out the gear and freshen up the odor of the sweaty equipment. One by one, they toss each player’s jersey, socks and dirty towels into the laundry for a clean wash.
Part of Reif’s duties is to ensure that when a visiting team arrives for their morning skate, they are well-situated and have access to everything they need.
On a game day, Reif and Kennedy compile around 11 loads of laundry, including from the visitors’ side.
Once the afternoon hits, Kennedy heads to lunch, where he enjoys some well-needed downtime.
“Our days are so long,” he said. “Over the course of my career, I’ve learned that it’s important for me to try to get 30, 60 or more minutes to kind of reset. Just some quiet time, whether it’s taking a nap or just laying down or sitting in a quiet room by myself. It helps me get ready for the next eight to 10 hours because we’re not going to be done until midnight.”
Rob Kennedy won two Stanley Cups as an Assistant Equipment Manager with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
3 p.m. Kennedy heads back to the dressing room to make the final tune-ups before the players arrive. Just as the players do, the equipment staff has its particular superstitions.
Last season, Kennedy and Reif took turns hanging each Wolves sweater and socks in each stall, until eventually settling on the hot hand.
“Toward the end of the year, I was doing it,” Reif said. “We were having a bit of a winning streak when I was doing it and we didn’t want to mess with that.”
The fresh sweaters are hung, the fans are blasting and the idle locker room awaits the arrival of the players.
4 p.m. Players start to enter into Allstate Arena three hours in advance of a 7 p.m. contest.
From 4 p.m. until players enter the ice for warmups at 6:30, Kennedy is available for anything that may come his way.
“I always used to say that if I didn’t do anything between 4 p.m. and to the end of the game nothing went wrong and guys have everything they need,” he said. “I shouldn’t hopefully have anything to do other than go have dinner (before warmups).That’s the perfect case.”
7 p.m. Game time. Kennedy heads to the bench and stands directly behind the players. He isn’t just watching the game for fun–this is the most pivotal part of his day. He has his hands on sticks ready to hand off a replacement if a player breaks one mid-game and Kennedy always makes sure to have his eyes ready on faceoffs.
“If you’re looking at me while there’s a faceoff going on, 99 percent of the time I’ve got my fingers on a stick of the guy who’s taking the faceoff and I’m ready if that stick breaks.”
Kennedy and Reif are in constant communication throughout the game–almost too much.
“We’re with each other probably more than we see our own families,” Reif said. “So we have to get along and have to know what’s happening with the team.”
Via walkie-talkies, Reif anticipates any sudden action while standing in the locker room tunnel.
They work with three pairs of steel blades for each player that can be interchangeable during a game. Kennedy will call Reif if a player requires new blades.
During a TV timeout, Reif will walk onto the ice and to the bench to receive the worn-out pair in exchange for new ones. Reif then heads back to the locker room and begins a new set of skate sharpenings.
CJ Reif, the Wolves’ Assistant Equipment Manager, stands outside the locker room as the team enters the ice.
Around 10:30 p.m. The game is over, and Kennedy and Reif repeat the same routine from that morning. Fans are blowing loudly inside the dressing room while each player’s equipment stands in their stalls drying. Kennedy then gets the laundry going while Reif collects the sticks from the bench.
If the Wolves have back-to-back contests, Kennedy will sharpen skates that night to alleviate time in the morning.
12 – 1 a.m. Usually, the time when Kennedy arrives back home for some rest–and to be ready to do it all over again the next day.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
With the Wolves reuniting as an official affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes in June, Kennedy’s summer planning was a bit different than in years past.
With a slew of new roster players upcoming for the 2024-25 season, Kennedy’s summer has consisted of gathering information on potential new players and their specific gear requirements.
He was in talks with Bob Gorman, the Hurricanes’ Equipment Manager throughout the summer, planning for the weeks ahead and into training camp.
STICKS: Before the season starts, Kennedy orders around 12 to 18 sticks for each player to begin the year. For most centers who take faceoffs, 18 sticks are more likely.
SKATES: The number of pairs of skates used is usually far fewer than sticks.
“It depends on the player,” Kennedy said. “I think last year we had one guy who might have gone through three or four pairs.”
GLOVES: Players are usually more particular due to the amount they sweat during a game. Kennedy notes that many players wear two pairs of gloves during games, meaning they’ll wear a pair for a period or half a period and switch them out for dry ones.
“Most players are going through four to six pairs of gloves a year,” Kenney said. “Unless they’re a guy who doesn’t get them dry, then they might only go through three or four.”
FAMILY-LIKE ATMOSPHERE
The essence of a successful hockey organization extends far beyond the players on the ice. While the spotlight often shines on those who score big goals and block hard shots, the real strength of a team lies in the collaborative efforts of everyone involved behind the scenes.
Each person, from the equipment managers to athletic trainers and fourth-line players, plays a crucial role in creating a winning environment and nurturing a positive culture.
Just as hockey players bring a competitive edge, so does the staff behind them.
“Everybody loves to win,” Kennedy said. “I’ve been fortunate where I’ve won a number of times in my career. I really respect the guys who work all those years without winning and they will tell you that it bothers them. Winning matters to us.
“You have to be very self-motivated,” Kennedy continued. “Nobody’s going to tell you what time you need to be at the rink. Nobody’s going to tell you when to go home. It’s all about what you put into it. There’s a brotherhood among us and we want to help everyone out.”
