While the BSM community as a whole copes with the injury of Jack Jablonski during a hockey game last weekend, the sophomore especially fills the hearts and minds of the members of the hockey team who have grown close to him. Through prayer and team bonding, the team has shown support not only to Jack and his family but also each other during this difficult time.

After seeing their teammate fall and not get up, many members of the hockey team were in shock and only realized the severity of their friend’s injury upon visiting him in the hospital for the first time. “I went to go visit [Jack] for the first time and it really sunk in, I broke down in tears when I saw him,” said sophomore Zack Hale.

The initial fear and sadness that overwhelmed the players has been addressed by the team as a whole, and members say that the teammates have grown even closer through their common suffering. “Our team has grown together through this situation and [it] brought us together as a family to support our teammate and do whatever we can,” said junior Zach Gionet.

All team events and meetings since the accident have gone on as usual, but they now have a new air of dedication and support for Jablonski. The team visited Jablonski in the hospital together, helping the players and their families come together and cope with this tragedy. “We went to the hospital as a team and have done many team chapels dedicated to Jack….The whole incident has brought the team closer and made the guys realize what a gift it is to put on a Red Knight sweater,” said senior captain Jake Horton.

Although some players agree that this issue opened their eyes to the serious risks of hockey as a sport, they also realized the simple gift of being able to play the game. “Everyone is so supportive of each other, I think we all appreciate being able to play and just be together more. If anything, it just makes me appreciate hockey more and to be grateful that I am able to play everyday. ” said Hale.

Throughout the entire experience, younger teammates have found comfort in the ability to talk to upperclassmen and captains who have shown tremendous leadership in the face of adversity. “Talking out our problems with the captains has really made getting through this a lot easier. It feels like we are family and we can talk about personal stuff,” said freshman Chase Jungles.

As the team begins to play games again without their beloved teammate, they want to find solace in the belief that he will be with them in spirit. “The guys’ mentality when they get on the ice has definitely changed. The last few practices have been hard without Jack…[but when we start games] we know that he will be there with us even if he can’t go to the game physically. We know that he still has a great life ahead of him… and we need to focus on playing like he would want us to,” said Horton.