---
title: "500 Games In: Shawn Fliszar Reflects on a Career Behind the Bench"
description: After 500 professional hockey games, Athletic Trainer Shawn Fliszar reflects on the relationships, growth, and passion that have defined his career behind the scenes.
image: https://blog.healthyroster.com/hubfs/Athletic%20Training%20And%20Sports%20Medicine%20News-1.jpg
---

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 June 23, 2026

# 500 Games In: Shawn Fliszar Reflects on a Career Behind the Bench

![Picture of Tim Clark](https://blog.healthyroster.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Tim%20Clark.jpg?width=50&name=Tim%20Clark.jpg) By  [ Tim Clark ](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/author/tim-clark)  ·   1 minute read

![Articles for Athletic Trainers and News Stories](https://blog.healthyroster.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Athletic%20Training%20News%20and%20Articles%20-%20Small.png?width=500&height=150&name=Athletic%20Training%20News%20and%20Articles%20-%20Small.png)

For most Athletic Trainers, the work happens behind the scenes. But for Hershey Bears Head Athletic Trainer Shawn Fliszar, that work recently reached a major milestone—his 500th game in professional hockey.

*“500 games in any league… is a lot,” Fliszar said. “So it was really special to share that with my family, teammates, and everybody.”*

<https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/hockey/hershey-bears/hershey-bears-shawn-fliszar-500-games-athletic-trainer-ahl/521-3220d003-2e6a-4f0f-9ed8-91c19837fa67>After eight seasons in professional hockey and six with the Bears, Fliszar said the moment gave him a chance to pause and reflect. Day to day, the years didn’t seem to add up—but looking back told a different story.

*“When you look back at all of the teams… all the players I’ve met… it really actually feels like longer with all the memories,” he said.*

While the milestone is impressive, Fliszar says the real highlight of his career isn’t the number of games—it’s the people.

*“The most special things for me are the people along the way… the physicians, the players, just all the people in this community,” he said.*

That sense of connection is what keeps him grounded in a profession that demands long hours and constant attention.

*“We get to show up and be part of a sport… where everybody’s a little kid,” he said. “Helping people do that is just a lot of fun.”*

For Fliszar, 500 games is just a checkpoint—not the finish line. Check out the ful story [here](https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/hockey/hershey-bears/hershey-bears-shawn-fliszar-500-games-athletic-trainer-ahl/521-3220d003-2e6a-4f0f-9ed8-91c19837fa67)!

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