The game of hockey has plenty of twists and turns, is packed with moments of heartbreak and triumph, and each period can bring a game-changing shift in momentum. That’s why it’s a fitting metaphor for Mason Garcia’s journey over this past year.

“I was a physical guy. I was a grinder. I just wanted to get back to being myself,” he said.

A year ago, Garcia was a senior captain on the Academy of Holy Angels Hockey Team. In November of 2023, he suffered a traumatic head injury after a head-first hit into the boards. He was temporarily paralyzed.

The player who could once glide and grind across the ice suddenly couldn’t even wiggle his toes.

“I almost felt cheated. Why did I work every day for that moment, and then it gets taken away from me? But I had to push all of that aside and say ‘I may not get back on the ice again, but that’s not what will help me get better,'” Garcia said.

Just like any player, he spent months in his own kind of training. Physical therapy. Occupational therapy. Practice, repeat.

His hard work paid off. By February, he’d made so much progress he was able to skate out to the red line for starting line ups on senior night.

And if you love a good hockey comeback story, then you should see Mason Garcia today — he’s the head coach of the Bloomington-Jefferson Bantam B1 Team. He’s the youngest head coach in the entire association, but obviously he’s had more than his fair share of life lessons to make him wise beyond his years. He’s an ideal mentor for these rising players.

His coaching philosophy is:

“Enjoy. Work your butt off. Enjoy every moment on the ice. You never know when your last moment is going to come.”