By Evan Janssen
Grant Arnold has brought a winning tradition to every team that he has set foot on the ice with. Throughout his hockey career, he has won six national championships: four in high school and two during his junior career. The man will do whatever it takes to win; he is a true team first guy. He ranks among the top in the league when it comes to being unselfish. He is a leader, a warrior, and a winner.
When Grant decided he wanted to continue his hockey career and play junior hockey 
in Green Bay, Wisconsin, his role on the team was rather new to him. Throughout high school, he was a spotlight player scoring goals and laying the boom on his opponents. He was a goal scorer, a playmaker, and a grinder. However, as he moved up to higher-level hockey, teams began bringing in players that specialize in a specific area. Green Bay already had their goal scorers and playmakers. So Grant filled the role as the teams’ enforcer. This was the only way for him to secure a roster spot on the team. Junior hockey can be very grueling for some players mentally knowing that they can be cut or traded at any point in time. But the reality of it is that if your not contributing to the team in a positive way through your role, they will find someone else who will. There are thousands of other kids out there who work their tails off to try and get an opportunity to play junior hockey, hoping to fulfill their dream of earning a college scholarship to continue their playing careers. Grant took on his expected role with open arms and ran with it. He was willing to do anything in order to reach his goal of earning a scholarship to play division one hockey. His big bodied 6’2”, 215lbs presence was intimidating on skates. His left hooks rivaled any other fighter in the league. According to Drop the Gloves.com, throughout his three-year junior hockey career, Arnold logged 26 fights.
Of those 26 fights, Arnold remembers almost all of them very clearly except for one in particular. On October 15, 2011 Grant found himself squared off with Matt Youso following a cheap shot given to his teammate Max Hartner. Youso danced around center ice with his gloves and helmet off, taunting Arnold. Grant slowly moved in to make his move when he suddenly took an unexpected shot to his right eye. He instantly went down, not remembering anything that followed. When he regained consciousness he stared up at the bright lights that shined upon him. He was lying on the ice surrounded by medical staff. They slowly helped him up and immediately took him to the emergency room for testing and x-rays. Shortly after, the team doctor informed him that he had suffered an orbital fracture. The fracture entrapped his eye muscles, which caused double vision forcing him to get surgery. According to Daniel Garbaldi of the Summit Medical Center, “the bones below the eye (the orbital floor) and between the eye and the nose (the medial wall) are very thin. When the eye is hit with enough force, the eye itself can break these bones.” Two months later, he was back in full force just in time to win a Clark Cup Championship to add to his resume of winning tradition. He made big contributions during their playoff run. Not only did he overcome his challenges from his surgery but he also picked up from exactly where he left off. He continued to fulfill his role by racking up two more fights. However, according to hockeydb.com, he out did himself contributing four goals and two assists. Grant did the unexpected, which helped propel his team to another championship.
Along with the role of being an enforcer, Grant suffered plenty of other serious injuries. In his 2009-2010 campaign he only played in 42 games out of a 60 game schedule. He suffered a serious concussion during a fight mid season sidelining him for almost a month. He experienced constant headaches for three weeks before making a full recovery and returning to the ice with his team. In his 2010-2011 season, he racked up 11 fights, suffering a broken jaw, broken nose and the loss of his two front teeth. Despite the fact, he still played 59 out of 60 games. He only got to participate in 37 games in his 2011-2012 season. “It was an unfortunate situation, but I did whatever I could to contribute to the team. To me, winning is everything.” This goes to show how unselfish Grant is and how his leadership helped his team reach success. He battled through so many injuries and yet, remained positive and maintained focus so he could make his return to the ice as soon as possible.
To this day, Arnold still experiences symptoms from the injuries he suffered in years past. Although college hockey is slightly safer than junior hockey considering there is no fighting and everyone is required to wear a cage, Arnold still struggles with breathing out of his nose due to a deviated septum resulting from his broken nose. He stated, “My teeth bother me every now and then. They are very sensitive to any form of cold liquid.” Aside from everything, he is a very honorable young man. He embraced the role that most wouldn’t dare to attempt, and rolled with it. His injuries may cause set backs, especially during his coming years as he continues to play. But for now, he is a winner, a champion, and a warrior.
Hockey Monthly 