Jack Jablonski: The Next Great Inspirational Sports Documentary

As a fellow hockey player, the story of Jack Jablonski is one that hits right at home.

I have neither met Jack, nor talked to him in person, but his story is absolutely unbelievable.

Jablonski is a sophomore who played hockey for Benilde St. Margaret’s School in Minnesota. During a game on December 30th, every hockey player's worst nightmare happened to "Jabs." He was accidentally hit from behind, and laid motionless on the ice. After being taken to a hospital, it was determined he would be paralyzed. The final diagnosis was a severed spinal cord, and doctors were very unsure whether he would ever walk again.

I grew up playing high school hockey in Northern Michigan, which was a substantial deal but nothing too serious. People fail to understand how enormous high school hockey is in Minnesota. I have been told numerous times that one thing hockey fans must do before they die is go to the Minnesota High School State Championships.

The hockey community around the nation immediately reached out to Jablonski. His name was trending nationwide on Twitter, and numerous NHL players were reaching out to Jabs when the accident happened.

As the days went by, Jabs stayed in good spirits and his teammates were always around to support him. There were reports that one of the first things he said after waking up from the initial hit was, "When do I get to lace them up again?" A true warrior, on and off the ice. About three weeks after the hit, Jabs had movement in his arms, and could lift one of them completely—something doctors previously found impossible.

As the Section 6AA Minnesota State Playoffs approached, the Red Knights were the No. 3 seed and far from the favorites to bring home the title. But the one thing in sports that is immeasurable is heart, and that is something that Benilde St. Margaret's School had more than any other high school in the nation. 

The Red Knights reached the finals and faced the No. 1 seed Minnetonka Skippers. With the heroics of junior forward Grant Besse (who scored all five goals in the game), they were state champions. They finished their season with nine straight wins and were obviously emotional after the game.

Due to Minnesota regulations and insurance issues, Jabs was not allowed to participate in the on-ice celebration, but he was in attendance and able to celebrate with the team afterward.

I have personally won a hockey state championship, and the feeling of exuberance is indescribable. I can't even imagine how much more elated the Red Knights were after all they had been through, and the amount of adversity they had faced throughout the season.

The bond between hockey players truly can't be explained. And this story in my mind is the feel good story of the year.

I can't imagine the goosebumps that the players were feeling as the chant "All for Jabby" rained down as time expired.