--- title: Athletic Trainers’ Rapid Response Saves WHL Player After On-Ice Collapse description: Athletic Trainers’ rapid recognition, CPR, and emergency coordination helped stabilize a WHL defenseman after a terrifying on-ice collapse. image: https://blog.healthyroster.com/hubfs/Athletic%20Training%20And%20Sports%20Medicine%20News-1.jpg --- [ All posts ](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/all) June 23, 2026 # Athletic Trainers’ Rapid Response Saves WHL Player After On-Ice Collapse ![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) On Saturday night at accesso ShoWare Center, a frightening on-ice emergency became a real-time case study in Athletic Training preparedness, emergency action planning, and decisive clinical care. Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Joe Gramer was unconscious for more than two minutes after a hit at center ice sent him crashing head-first into the boards against the Portland Winterhawks. What followed was a coordinated, textbook emergency response that underscored the critical role Athletic Trainers play in life-threatening situations. Thunderbirds Athletic Trainer Tom Orr immediately recognized the mechanism of injury and sprinted across the ice. From his vantage point on the bench, he saw enough to know it was a potential head and neck injury and moved “right away,” later noting he wanted to provide “an extra layer of protection” as players crowded the area. Orr reached Gramer’s side just 13 seconds after the hit. Within three seconds of dropping to one knee, he identified that Gramer was unconscious and exhibiting an “agonal breathing pattern,” a dangerous reflex associated with cardiac arrest. Orr raised his clenched fist—the WHL’s universal emergency signal—calling for immediate assistance. Winterhawks Athletic Trainer Rich Campbell arrived moments later, and the two worked seamlessly to roll Gramer onto his back. Less than a minute after the injury, chest compressions began to ensure blood flow to the brain. *“They are performing CPR. Oh my goodness. They’re doing chest compressions on Joe Gramer right now at center ice,” play-by-play announcer Thom Beuning said on the broadcast as both teams’ players knelt silently.* Paramedics arrived within a minute. After a pulse was located, care shifted to spinal stabilization and transport. Nearly three minutes after the hit, Gramer regained consciousness. *“He was unconscious that entire span,” Orr said. Though disoriented, Gramer told staff, “I’m fine, I just want to play, get me back out there.”* Gramer is now in the WHL concussion protocol and is expected to make a full recovery. For head coach Matt O’Dette, the moment reinforced the value of preparation. *“Credit to Tom and Rich and the on-site staff that was ready to react immediately,” he said. Orr later emphasized the broader scope of the profession: “We’re more than just massage therapists and taping ankles. We’re jacks of all trades who have wide skill sets.”* In a moment where seconds mattered, Athletic Trainers turned training into action—and action into survival. Full story [here](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6986568/2026/01/21/joe-gramer-cpr-seattle-thunderbirds-whl/)! Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/athletic-trainers-rapid-response-saves-whl-player-after-on-ice-collapse) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/athletic-trainers-rapid-response-saves-whl-player-after-on-ice-collapse) [twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/athletic-trainers-rapid-response-saves-whl-player-after-on-ice-collapse) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/athletic-trainers-rapid-response-saves-whl-player-after-on-ice-collapse) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/athletic-trainers-rapid-response-saves-whl-player-after-on-ice-collapse) ## Related posts [![](https://blog.healthyroster.com/hubfs/Athletic%20Training%20And%20Sports%20Medicine%20News-1.jpg) ](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/athletic-trainer-henry-petersen-saves-refs-life-during-game) [ATs Save Lives](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/tag/ats-save-lives) ### [Athletic Trainer Henry Petersen Saves Ref’s Life During Game](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/athletic-trainer-henry-petersen-saves-refs-life-during-game) [![](https://blog.healthyroster.com/hubfs/Athletic%20Training%20And%20Sports%20Medicine%20News-1.jpg) ](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/quick-at-action-saves-villanova-coach-after-cardiac-arrest-during-pickup-game) [ATs Save Lives](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/tag/ats-save-lives) ### [Quick AT Action Saves Villanova Coach After Cardiac Arrest During Pickup Game](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/quick-at-action-saves-villanova-coach-after-cardiac-arrest-during-pickup-game) [![](https://blog.healthyroster.com/hubfs/Athletic%20Training%20And%20Sports%20Medicine%20News-1.jpg) ](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/martha-munsell-named-michigan-secondary-athletic-trainer-of-the-year) [Athletic Trainer Honored](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/tag/athletic-trainer-honored) ### [Martha Munsell Named Michigan Secondary Athletic Trainer of the Year](https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/martha-munsell-named-michigan-secondary-athletic-trainer-of-the-year) ![websights](https://ws.zoominfo.com/pixel/633f1c8a5a797886caf77a14) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Tim Clark", "url" : "https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/author/tim-clark" }, "dateModified" : "2026-06-23T13:49:45.400Z", "datePublished" : "2026-01-22T14:18:14.000Z", "headline" : "Athletic Trainers’ Rapid Response Saves WHL Player After On-Ice Collapse", "image" : [ "https://blog.healthyroster.com/hubfs/Athletic%20Training%20And%20Sports%20Medicine%20News-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/athletic-trainers-rapid-response-saves-whl-player-after-on-ice-collapse", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.healthyroster.com/hubfs/2026%20HR%20Logo%20w%20Tagline_Full%20Color-1.png" }, "name" : "Healthy Roster" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "Article", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : [ "Tim Clark" ], "url" : "https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/author/tim-clark" }, "datePublished" : "2026-01-22T14:18:14+0000", "description" : "Athletic Trainers’ rapid recognition, CPR, and emergency coordination helped stabilize a WHL defenseman after a terrifying on-ice collapse.", "headline" : "Athletic Trainers’ Rapid Response Saves WHL Player After On-Ice Collapse", "image" : "https://6581845.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/6581845/Athletic%20Training%20And%20Sports%20Medicine%20News-1.jpg", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://6581845.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/6581845/2026%20HR%20Logo%20w%20Tagline_Full%20Color-1.png" }, "name" : "Healthy Roster" }, "url" : "https://blog.healthyroster.com/blog/athletic-trainers-rapid-response-saves-whl-player-after-on-ice-collapse" } ```