LOS ANGELES, CA – Jeff Andrews M.S. '09 first joined the Los Angeles Kings in the 2021-22 NHL season. His first NHL game, a win over the Vegas Golden Knights, marked the start of a tenure that would take Andrews to his 1,000th game worked as a pro.

Working 1,000 games in professional hockey is an incredible feat, regardless of whether the person hitting their 1,000th game is a player, coach, or, in this case, athletic trainer. So, when it came time to celebrate Andrews' milestone, what better franchise to celebrate his achievement than the LA Kings?

"It means a lot. There's not many people who get to do what we do, so to do it as long as I have, is pretty surreal. Right when I started working for the Elmira Jackals, I knew this is what I wanted to do. To now get to the NHL and get to my 1,000th game, it's thanks to a lot of people. They know what I do is very time-consuming. I've missed birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, funerals, I've missed a lot of stuff, but, in the end, it takes that support system with friends and family to help get you here. I'm very appreciative and wouldn't be able to get here without them," Andrews said as he reflected on his 1,000th game.

"We played Vegas and ended up winning that game. [It was] very memorable and it's a lifelong dream to make it to this level. To have it be a home game, against a division rival, and win the game was very memorable," Andrews said of the start of his NHL career.

"Another big memory would be when I was promoted from the ECHL to the AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. Being close to home was nice, it was only an hour away from friends and family. That was a good transition, higher level hockey. When that team moved four years later to Bellville, ONT, I had to make the decision to [go with them]. The Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings affiliate, had an opening for an athletic trainer. I interviewed for that and came out here," Andrews recalled some special memories leading up to his promotion to the NHL.

"I feel like the decision paid off with being promoted four years later to join the Los Angeles Kings as an assistant athletic trainer. Then, it's making the playoffs every year and it's always meaningful games," Andrews shared of his promotion to the show.

Working up the ladder to the NHL comes with different responsibilities. In the AHL and ECHL teams are limited to what staff they can actually employ. This means that the trainers help out with equipment staff and are pretty much helping in any way they can. It leads to a lot of long nights, especially on nights coming home from back-to-backs in other cities when the bus arrives at the rink in the early hours of the morning. Now, in the NHL, Andrews finds it easier to focus on his primary responsibilities and specialties. Despite being involved in different areas as an athletic trainer in the minors, Andrews liked it that way because he saw it as a way to grow and appreciate all the work that every department does to keep the team at peak performance.

Working collaboratively with strength and conditioning coaches and physical therapists, Andrews and his staff have developed a system to screen players for possible areas of concern when they are acquired from a new team. This process, combined with the medical records of NHL clubs, has made it easier for Andrews to treat players he knows little about. The collaborative efforts also make it easier for the team to have a return to play plan for players who have missed time.

A typical game day for Andrews begins in the morning with a morning skate. All of the treatments for players are done in the morning. That way, leading up to game time, soft-tissue and stretching is all that needs to be done.

Morning skates are light practice sessions for players to get on the ice for about 20 minutes and get their legs moving before a workout. From the workout, they do lunch at the facility before the 7:00 PM puck drop. For a night game, Andrews arrives at Crypto.com Arena between three-and-a-half to four hours early. The Kings' players have their own pregame routines and then take the ice for warm ups, another reason why things are done in the morning.

"You care for all these guys and you see how disappointed or upset they can get when something serious happens. The bond you form with those guys during that process and doing everything you can for them throughout that process, whether it be driving them to appointments or getting the necessary care that I might not be able to provide them. Getting them back to play is a great feeling and every hockey player I've come across is so appreciative of everything we do for them to help get them back to what they love to do and what provides for them. It's an indescribable feeling and it's always nice when you're a part of that process," Andrews said of the recovery process for his players.

The Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 8-1 at Crypto.com Arena on March 30, celebrating Andrews' 1,000th game in style. Andrews and the Kings are currently on pace to meet Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, beginning later this month.