(Niagara Falls, ON) The Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) is pleased to announce that five former PHPA Members will serve as Era Representatives during the 50^th PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives this June 12 – 17 in Orlando, Florida.  Throughout the meetings, each Era Representative will address the Player Representatives, recounting their experiences and involvement with the PHPA during their tenure.

Approved by the PHPA Executive Committee as Era Representatives are Glenn Patrick (1967 – 1977), Claude Noel (1977 – 1987), Paul Jerrard (1987 – 1997), Dane Jackson (1997 – 2007), and Peter Vandermeer (2007 – 2017).

“We are honored to select these five individuals who played key roles for the PHPA during their playing careers,” said PHPA Executive Director, Larry Landon.  “These players attended more PHPA Annual Meetings and served as Player Representatives longer than anyone during the decade they are representing and we look forward to hearing them speak and help educate current players as to how far the Association has come over the past 50 years.”

Each Era Representative will also be recognized during the Annual Meeting Closing Banquet when the PHPA officially launches it’s 50^th Anniversary.

Glenn Patrick:

Glenn Patrick played eight (8) seasons at the professional level from 1971 – 1979 split between the former International Hockey league (IHL), Western Hockey League (WHL), Central Hockey League (CHL), World Hockey Association (WHA), American Hockey League (AHL), and National Hockey League (NHL) until his retirement in 1978.

Patrick was one of the Association’s early Player Representatives and was elected President of the PHPA Executive Committee in 1973.  Among other roles and responsibilities, he helped initiate the process for the PHPA to become the eventual collective bargaining representative for players in the IHL, which was the top developmental league for the AHL at the time.

Patrick began his coaching career in 1982-83 with Peoria of the IHL for one season and returned to coaching in 1992-93 as the Assistant Coach for the ECHL’s Hampton Road Admirals.  In 1994, Patrick joined the Pittsburgh Penguins’ front office until 1997 when he was named Assistant Coach in Syracuse of the AHL.  Two years later he became the Head Coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton until 2003.  He spent the next three seasons as the Head Coach in Wheeling.

Claude Noel:

Claude Noel played five (5) seasons in the AHL followed by five (5) more in the IHL.  He attended five consecutive PHPA Annual Meetings from 1977 – 1981 as the Player Representative for the Hershey Bears, and in 1978 was elected to the PHPA Executive Committee where he served an integral role in Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations while assisting the Association advance the insurance and benefits programs being implemented by the PHPA at the time.

Noel transitioned into a successful coaching where he began as an Assistant in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) before becoming a Head Coach in the ECHL, IHL, and AHL where he coached the Milwaukee Admirals to a Calder Cup Championship in 2004 and received the Louis A.R. Piere Memorial Award as AHL Coach of the Year.  He also coached in the NHL with Columbus and Winnipeg before finishing his coaching career in the Western Hockey League with Vancouver.  He is currently a pro scout with the New Jersey Devils.

Paul Jerrard:

Paul Jerrard enjoyed a ten (10) year professional career which included seven (7) seasons in the IHL and three (3) more in the AHL between 1987 – 1997.  He attended six PHPA Annual Meetings (1990-92, 1995-97) representing various teams and was a passionate Player Representative, providing ideas and support towards numerous PHPA initiatives.

Immediately following his playing career, Jerrard entered the coaching ranks with his alma mater Lake Superior State, before becoming an Assistant Coach with Lowell, Hershey, Iowa, Texas, and Utica in the AHL, as well as at the NHL level with Colorado, Dallas, and Calgary where he recently completed his first season.

Dane Jackson:

Dane Jackson split his eleven (11) year professional career between Hamilton, Syracuse, Rochester, Lowell, and Manchester in the AHL and Vancouver, Buffalo, and New York (Islanders) in the NHL.

Jackson attended a record setting eight consecutive PHPA Annual Meetings from 1995 – 2002 where his involvement helped establish several key PHPA programs such as a 401k plan for players, a comprehensive health benefits package, as well as the Career Enhancement Program to help players prepare for life after hockey.

Immediately following his playing career, Jackson was hired by Bruce Boudreau to become an Assistant Coach with the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs, and has served as an Assistant Coach with the University of North Dakota for the past 11 seasons.

Peter Vandermeer:

Peter Vandermeer played fifteen (15) seasons of professional hockey with various teams between the ECHL, AHL, and NHL from 1996 until 2011.

Vandermeer served as a Player Representative for twelve seasons, and was an elected member of the PHPA Executive Committee for six years.  He helped negotiate three (3) AHL-PHPA Collective Bargaining Agreements as a key member of the PHPA Bargaining Committee, was involved in negotiations towards terms of a contract extension for the PHPA Executive Director, participated in meetings with Reebok to help improve efficiencies with both product and service, and was often looked upon as a voice of reason by fellow players and Executive Committee Members.

About the PHPA

Since its inception in 1967, the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) has continued to serve as an advocate of player interests.  Currently, the PHPA is the certified, U.S. National Labor Relations Board collective bargaining representative for over 1,600 players across 57 teams throughout the American Hockey League and ECHL.  Visit PHPA.com, follow the PHPA on Facebook and Twitter, and register for the PHPA Insider E-Newsletter.