NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals and AHL's Hershey Bears, announced that Head Athletic Trainer Jacqui Gutierrez has accepted a new position as an Assistant Athletic Trainer with the AHL's Rochester Americans.
"Jacqui did a great job the past two seasons keeping our players healthy and on the ice," said Stingrays President Rob Concannon. "She will be a great addition to the Rochester Americans staff and organization."
Gutierrez joined the Rays in December 2022 and was with the team for two seasons. She was the first female athletic trainer in franchise history. Gutierrez helped the Stingrays win their seventh South Division title in 2023, and that summer, she was selected as the athletic trainer for the U.S. Under-18 Men's Select Team at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
"I enjoyed every minute of my time with the Stingrays," said Gutierrez. "I am thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow with the Washington Capitals organization. I'm grateful to Rob Concannon and everyone in the organization for allowing me to come in and learn and grow as a person and as an Athletic Trainer. I enjoyed working with everyone and am going to miss the Stingrays."
Before joining the Stingrays, Gutierrez was the Director of Athletic Training and Recovery for the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers, where she became the first female athletic trainer to win a Clark Cup Championship. Gutierrez has a Bachelor's degree in biology from Pacific Lutheran University and a Master of Science in Athletic Training from the University of Nebraska.