The former Totino-Grace High School hockey player suffered a serious spinal cord injury on Sunday, Feb. 21
Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 March 2016 10:14
By John Hamre
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Matt Olson’s journey leading up to his hockey game on Sunday, Feb. 21, is very similar to that of so many other young hockey players. An aspiring student-athlete, Olson grew up playing hockey in Minnesota. He has skated in many games, on many rinks, across many ruts and through many zones throughout his lifetime. His dreams have been like so many young players – to become the best player he could become, and to advance to play college hockey.
Olson’s defining never-quit attitude and passion for hockey also propelled his career beyond what many young players ever have the opportunity to experience. He always believes in giving back to others first, and always thinks of the good of the team before himself. Nearing the end of his two years of junior hockey eligibility, he was undoubtedly going to be playing college hockey somewhere next year.
Olson, an Isanti, Minn., native, played four years of varsity hockey at Totino-Grace High School. In his senior season of 2013-14 he helped lead the Eagles into the Minnesota State High School Tournament. He finished his high school career having played the most games in the Totino-Grace history. After graduating in 2014, Olson began his junior hockey career that fall. This season, Olson was playing for the Chicago Cougars of the USPHL (USA Hockey, Tier III Junior A). His focus was to continue developing as a player, to become a college hockey player somewhere next season, and to begin his collegiate studies.
On Feb. 21, Olson, was playing as a defenseman for the Cougars. According to his CaringBridge page, and his parents Doug and Sue Olson, Matt “caught an edge racing for a puck behind the net and was severely injured. This was not the result of physical contact from any player. This was a very serious spinal injury that resulted in permanent damage.”
At present, Olson’s injury from his impact with the end boards has left him with no feeling from his shoulders down.
The Olson family conducted their first phone interview on Friday, Feb. 26, from the Lutheran General Hospital, in Park Ridge, Ill., where Matt is currently being treated. Matt’s immediate family members – his parents and brother, Steve – and also Mike Tompkins, the co-owner of the Cougars, were a part of the interview.
“(Matt) was doing what he loved – he has loved the sport of hockey his whole life,” Sue Olson said. “It was an accident. “It wasn’t caused by any other player.”
Matt Olson’s parents shared his severe spinal cord injury is a broken C4 vertebra. Immediately following the injury, Matt had an initial operation where one vertebra was removed and a replacement spacer was inserted in its place. This surgery was meant to stabilize Matt’s condition. Initial indications are that that the procedure went very well for its objectives. Matt and the Olson family are now waiting for swelling in the affected region to subside, and to then continue Matt’s journey and healing process.
“We really appreciate all of the support, prayers and well wishes from people,” Sue Olson said. “Not only has Matt’s life changed; ours has as well. We’re grateful that the hockey community in Chicago has embraced us. It truly is one hockey community – not just Minnesota hockey or Illinois hockey – one hockey community. Right now the best way to support Matt and our family is through the CaringBridge website, and his GoFundMe account.”
This past weekend, the Cougars organization flew Mark Loahr, Totino-Grace head coach, to Chicago to be with Matt and the Olson family in the hospital. Loahr was Matt’s hockey coach for four years at Totino-Grace. Tompkins has been a key support person for the Olson family on behalf of the Cougars, and helped coordinate Loahr’s visit to Chicago.
On Friday, Sue Olson said, “Mark Loahr is coming down this weekend to see Matt, and us the family, and to support us. The hockey community has really rallied around us. It has been really amazing! The Chicago hockey community has really supported us with daily needs, and the Cougars Organization has been phenomenal.”
Following his time in Chicago with the Matt Olson and his family, Loahr shared comments by phone on Sunday evening.
“I was a little apprehensive being down there at first,” he said. “You don’t want to intrude on the family. It was a special thing when I walked into the room. Quietly, a little smile came to his face when he recognized my voice. That meant the world to me, and I hope to him, too. He’s listening and able to think about what you’re saying. We talked about hockey and some players. Just to be able to help out – I hope it did some good. I was able to share that people are thinking about him. When he needs to communicate a lot he does so with his mom, and with his girlfriend today.”
Both Tompkins and Loahr shared of another special visitor to see the members of the Olson family on Sunday.
On Oct. 24, 1995, J.J. O’Connor was paralyzed from the neck down from an accidental play while playing in a hockey game. O’Connor, now 33 from Mt. Prospect, Ill., is the Chair of Disabled Hockey for USA Hockey. He has been instrumental in growing the USA Sled Hockey team and program. O’Connor was the general manager for the gold medal-winning U.S. sled hockey team at the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver, and also witnessed the same feat by the U.S. at the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. Successful in business and a key national leader within USA Hockey, O’Connor has also been a motivational speaker since his accident and spinal cord injury sustained in 1995.
While O’Connor did not yet meet with Matt Olson, he did visit with Olson family members, Loahr and Tompkins on Sunday in support of Matt and his family.
When asked on Friday if there is any particular message the Olsons would like to share about their son, Doug Olson responded, “The story Mark (Loahr) has shared about Matt, that community service is very important to Matt. He has carried this forward to Chicago. Matt believes it’s just as important what you do off the ice as on. You’re always representing your team whether off the ice or on.”
“You have to understand, Matt is the first in the rink and the last to leave,” Tompkins said. “We’ve conducted nine community service events this year as a team, and Matt has volunteered for every one. Matt stepped up and volunteered for every single event. The kids in his billet neighborhood, they all knock on his door to play with Matt Olson, the Chicago Cougar.”
“Matt’s a great kid and a special kid, as all kids are,” Loahr said. “He played four years on our Totino-Grace varsity, so you get to know Matt and his family very well. It’s been two ends of the spectrum. On Wednesday, we beat the top seed in our section, and on the other hand I’m thinking of Matt. I thought about Matt last week with our team, too, that we need some fight in our team like Matt’s. He is such a fighter. There’s no quit in him. He will find a way. Hopefully it will turn out well – it will. I know he will find a way. Right away I thought about Pat Schafhauser at Hill-Murray.”
Pat Schafhauser, a native of St. Paul who played college hockey at Boston College, sustained a severe spinal cord injury on Sept. 25, 1995, while playing professionally for HC Lugano in Switzerland.
“(Schafhauser) is a high school hockey coach (at Hill-Murray High School),” Loahr said. “I’m going to hire Matt and have him be our defensemen’s coach. He’s a really smart player and will be a great coach.”
On how the Olson family is initially processing Matt’s injury, Sue Olson said, “It is comforting to hear people share stories about Matt.”
Tompkins shared of activities that have been held by the Chicago Cougars in support of Matt and his family since his injury.
“Saturday night’s game (Feb. 27), our first game since Matt’s accident, is ‘Matt Olson Night.’ Sunday’s game is ‘Olson Family Night.’ We are selling a lot of goods, with all money going towards the Olson family and Matt’s GoFundMe account. On Saturday night our team won, and scored 3 goals for No. 3. Five of Matt’s family members came to the game.”
Certainly, Matt Olson’s life has changed. Every severe spinal cord injury is a unique case. Yet there are also similar perspectives from other persons’ experiences that understanding can be drawn from.
Jack Jablonski sustained a severe spinal cord injury, of the C5 and C6 vertebrate, on Dec. 30, 2011. At the time, Jablonski was a sophomore and member of the Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School varsity program, and had scored 50 goals in his previous Bantam season en route to his team winning the state championship.
On Feb. 23, Jablonski tweeted from his Twitter account (@Jabs_13): “Thoughts and prayers going out to @ChiCougarsHky player Matt Olson. Wishing the best for a positive recovery.”
Jablonski knows first hand what Olson is going through now. Jablonski and others are ready to provide support to Olson and his family when they are ready. Jablonski was gracious enough to share time by phone on Sunday afternoon from his college residence at USC.
“Obviously, I’m very open to speak to certain cases,” Jablonski said. “Matt is one of those cases because it hits so close to home. Especially early on, you know what Matt and the family are going through. At this point, you wait for the family to be ready to reach out, when they are ready to someone who has gone through this.”
Jablonski is now a full-time student at USC, where he is currently enrolled in three classes. He is majoring in communications with a sports media minor. He also holds an intern position with the Los Angeles Kings where he works at every home game. Beside his busy academic and intern schedule, he has six hours of physical therapy per week.
Jablonski is poised, inspirational and forward-looking – very key attributes which have made his rehabilatation progress to date so positive. His Twitter account subtitle includes, “Paralyzed hockey player. Won’t be forever. #bel13ve.” Jablonski communicates openly about his injury and the rehabilitation process.
I asked Jablonski to describe phases of rehabilitation he has progressed through during different time periods after sustaining his injury, in order to gain perspective on what Olson may be experiencing or find ahead in his future.
“Early on it’s all about mental attitude,” Jablonski said. “The first one-and-a-half to two weeks, you can’t get down on yourself. It’s easier said than done, I know. When people are around you, it’s all sunshine and rainbows. Then when you have some time alone, it can be tough. Early on, with the physical challenges, you have to focus on tasks. You have to take things day by day. There’s no point looking into tomorrow’s forecast. You have to focus on what today holds. Especially early on, if you don’t put your all into it, it will bite you in the back. What I really looked at is one step at a time. All in all, you don’t worry about how much progress you’re making, you’re looking at one day at a time.
“Your body is something you can control. Whether you truly believe you’re going to walk or rehabilitate, it is up to you. Matt is a hockey player and an athlete. At the end of the day, you can control your body. We’re all built the same way. I can activate certain muscles in my lower body, and control my certain muscles in my trunk. Life is mental. That’s not solely because I thought I was going to do it, but if I didn’t think I could, I wouldn’t be doing it.
“As a hockey player and as an athlete, our brains are built differently. We’re up to the task. As soon as Matt has the opportunity to start rehab, he will be up to the task.”
Matt Olson’s CaringBridge page: www.caringbridge.org/visit/mattolson.3
Matt Olson’s GoFundMe page: www.gofundme.com/mattolson-3
During a 22-year coaching career, John Hamre has coached PeeWee, Bantam, high school, NCAA Division I, Junior A and minor professional hockey. He is currently the Director of Hockey Operations for the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team. Hamre was the video coach for the 1994 USA Men’s Olympic Team, coached within the USA Hockey NTDP, and at many USA Hockey festivals. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
