TOSTI: Matt Aiello Named Athletic Trainer for ECHL All-Star Classic
Swamp Rabbits trainer earns recognition with first career All-Star selection. Aiello will be joined by Chris Burke, George Bullock, Jr., and Darren Flinchem.
BY: Brian Tosti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL on Monday announced that Matt Aiello of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits has been named the athletic trainer for the 2018 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic, to be hosted by the Indy Fuel on Monday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m. ET at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The game will air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network. In addition, Chris Burke of the Cincinnati Cyclones has been selected as the equipment manager for the four-team classic.
Aiello and Burke will be joined by George Bullock, Jr. (athletic trainer) and Darren Flinchem (equipment manager) of the host Indy Fuel.
For the first time in ECHL history, the All-Star Classic will feature not two, but four teams, representing each of the League’s divisions. In a format similar to those adopted by the NHL and AHL All-Star Games, the four teams will compete in a 3-on-3 tournament in order to crown a winner. The two semifinal matches will be played within the Eastern and Western Conferences; with the North Division taking on the South Division and the Central Division facing the Mountain Division. The 2018 CCM/ECHL All-Star Skills Competition will take place after the second semifinal game, with the championship round following immediately at the conclusion of the Skills Competition.
Aiello is in his second season as the Swamp Rabbits’ athletic trainer. The Cary, Illinois native has over seven years of experience in the field since earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Illinois State University in 2011. Aiello began his career in the Central Hockey League with the Bloomington Prairie Thunder. Over the next five seasons, he held the athletic trainer position for the CHL’s Bloomington Blaze, Southern Professional Hockey League’s Bloomington Thunder, and United States Hockey League’s Bloomington Thunder. Aiello has worked over 480 hockey games in his career.
A native of Cincinnati, Burke began his career with the Cyclones, working with the team for four seasons, including one as the head equipment manager. During the 2004-05 season, he was equipment manager for the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies before joining the Fresno Falcons in 2005-06 when he was named ECHL Equipment Manager of the Year. He returned to the Cyclones in 2006-07 and has been with the team for the last 12 seasons.
A 21-year veteran of professional hockey, Bullock is in his third season as the Fuel’s athletic trainer. A native of Lebanon, N.Y., Bullock most recently worked for the Ohio State University Athletic Department as an Intern Athletic Trainer, responsible for the Women’s Ice Hockey Program. Bullock has worked over 1,200 professional hockey games in his career, including stints in the ECHL with the Stockton Thunder, Bakersfield Condors, Greensboro Generals and Louisville RiverFrogs, and in the Central Hockey League with the Wichita Thunder and Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs.
A long-time mainstay in the Indianapolis hockey scene, Flinchem’s involvement with hockey in the Circle City dates back to 1995 when he served as the equipment manager for the International Hockey League’s Indianapolis Ice. Other previous stops for Flinchem include the ECHL’s Jacksonville Lizard Kings and the United States Hockey League’s Indiana Ice. During his time with the Ice, Flinchem was also called upon to represent the United States at the World Junior “A” Challenge, winning five gold medals with the USA Hockey Select squad.
The 11th class will be inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame on Monday, Jan. 15 during a formal dinner, presented by BFL CANADA and Sutton Special Risk, featuring Induction Ceremonies, players from the ECHL All-Star Teams, and several of the NHL and ECHL’s most prestigious trophies.
The 2018 ECHL All-Star Fan Fest, presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers, will kick off the All-Star festivities Sunday, Jan. 14 from 2-8 p.m. at The Pavilion at Pan Am. Fans in attendance can enjoy a wide array of entertainment options throughout the day in anticipation of the 2018 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic. The Hockey Hall of Fame will be on hand with a variety of interactive activities and exhibits, including displays of ECHL and NHL trophies and memorabilia. Fans can enjoy a live performance from Indianapolis’ own Hunter Smith Band while having the chance to get autographs from Indy Fuel players, ECHL All-Stars and league mascots.
SCARF GIVEAWAY NIGHT | Friday, January 12 | 7:00 p.m.
The Swamp Rabbits are offering the first 1,000 fans a free Swamp Rabbits Scarf when they walk in the door on Friday, Jan. 12. The Swamp Rabbits take the ice against the Orlando Solar Bears at 7 p.m. For tickets, visit SwampRabbits.com or grab a Bon Secours Family Fun Pack.
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