BUFFALO, N.Y. – D'Youville University athletics has announced the addition of Mike Ermatinger, MS, ATC/L, CES, SMTC, to its sports medicine staff as Assistant Athletic Trainer. Ermatinger brings more than 15 years of professional sports experience, including extensive time in the National Hockey League (NHL) and American Hockey League (AHL), where he worked with elite athletes and championship-level organizations.

"Mike brings incredible experience to our athletic training staff. With his expertise, he will ensure our student-athletes receive the proper support and care needed to stay on the field and compete at the highest level," said Ona Halladay, Vice President of Athletics and Planning. "We are thrilled to welcome Mike to our outstanding team of athletic trainers."

A high-performance professional, Ermatinger has worked over 1,000 professional hockey games, including 458 NHL games and 16 Stanley Cup Playoff contest, serving in roles with the Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks (San Diego Gulls), and San Antonio Rampage. He was named the 2007 Central Hockey League Athletic Trainer of the Year and in 2020 was honored by the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society (PHATS) for reaching 1,000 games of service to professional hockey.

"I have a strong skill set in manual therapy and wanted to use that to take care of our athletes," Ermatinger said. "I feel strongly about taking care of our athletes, not just for games or return from injury, but help them be better athletes."

At the NHL and AHL levels, Ermatinger directed large medical staffs, managed six-figure budgets, created rehabilitation and concussion management programs that became league standards, and coordinated emergency action plans. He also worked directly with player development systems, overseeing injury prevention, recovery, and return-to-play programs for multimillion-dollar professional athletes.

In addition to his professional hockey career, Ermatinger has most recently served with Excelsior Orthopeadics as a clinical and outreach athletic trainer, as well as with Briotix Health in industrial sports medicine. He also contributes to athlete development in the Buffalo area as a per diem trainer with Premier Sports Medicine and D'Youville University Athletics.

"I spent some time helping D'Youville previously and working to my strengths, I felt like I was more in my niche," said Ermatinger. "Also working with Mike and Krista, I really clicked with working with them. It's a great culture here, very team-based, and it feels like home."

A graduate of Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training, Ermatinger also holds a Master of Science in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University. He is a Board-Certified Athletic Trainer, a Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES), and holds advanced certifications in manual therapy, blood flow restriction therapy, and CPR/AED for healthcare professionals.

Ermatinger joins a Saints athletics department that continues to expand, supporting over 20 NCAA Division II teams and student-athletes across campus.