A Twin Cities hockey player is showing signs of improvement after a traumatic injury on the ice over the weekend.

Academy of Holy Angels senior captain Mason Garcia was rushed to the hospital after hitting his head against the boards in a preseason scrimmage on Saturday.

By Monday, Mason had been moved out of the intensive care unit and his MRI scans were clear. His coach says he is able to move his hands and feet a bit and that some of his teammates were able to visit him in the hospital.

“When they got there, he had his neck brace off and he was sitting up. He’s improving and that’s helpful for the boys to see,” said Holy Angels hockey coach Patrick Griswold.

“He’s a strong kid and he’s got a ton of support and there is no doubt in my mind he will recover from this,” Griswold added.

Junior captain Henry Lechner says their first home game of the season will be played in Mason’s honor.

“We’re going to use him as motivation. If he’s playing with us, or he’s at the game, or if he’s watching from his hospital room … he is going to be our motivation for everything,”  he said.

If you’d like more information on how to help, family and friends have set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe and are tracking his recovery on Caringbridge.