“Absolutely not! You need to go to the ER and get reconstructive jaw surgery,” are words one would never expect to hear their first day starting a new job.

For Williston’s Head Athletic Trainer, Ansel Garvey, this was just another day at work. He experienced this exact, jaw-dropping moment working his very first game in the National Hockey League as the new Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Boston Bruins during the 2015-2016 season.

“It was actually my first NHL game, I was standing on the bench at the garden close to the blueline, and there was a lineman standing at the blueline,” he said. “Someone wrapped the puck around the glass from behind the net and it caught the linesman right in the mouth. He turned and looked at me and blood was just pouring out of his mouth. I grabbed my towel and put it on his face and walked him back to the locker room.”

The training staff initially thought the player’s front four teeth were broken. When the dentist arrived, to Garvey’s surprise, he assured the linesman his teeth would be just fine; however, both sides of his jaw would need to be reset.

The dentist proceeded to reset the linesman jaw in the room, and as soon as the linesman sat up, he prompted Garvey and the dentist to allow him to return to the game.

“I was like ‘holy crap what did I just get myself into, even the linesman in this league are out of their minds,'” Garvey said.

Garvey, a native of Westfield, Mass., grew up watching and playing sports throughout high school. He played both football and lacrosse, so injury was common on his teams. Like many students after high school, he was unsure of his future path once arriving at Springfield College.

“I looked through a list of their majors, I told them I liked science and the health care field along with sports,” he said. “Athletic training kind of fit all those molds, and I knew what athletic training was due to lots of injuries in high school.”

During Garvey’s senior year at Springfield College, he joined the UMass Amherst Men’s Ice Hockey training staff.

“That’s when I first fell in love with hockey, and athletic training within the hockey realm, it’s when I knew that was the direction I wanted to go in,” he said.

Garvey went on to The College of Holy Cross, where he worked alongside their lacrosse and volleyball teams. He then made his return to UMass Amherst, where he would go on to receive his Master’s degree working through a graduate assistantship with Division I sports.

While finishing his Master’s program at UMass, Garvey was offered a job to be the Head Athletic Trainer for the Men’s Hockey Team at The College of Holy Cross. After a year and a half at Holy Cross, he applied for and was accepted to a position with the Boston Bruins Organization as an Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Providence Bruins.

Garvey worked with the Providence Bruins for a year and a half before being pulled up to be the Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Boston Bruins in 2015. He proceeded to work with the Bruins through 2017.

Garvey was introduced to the prep school athletic training scene during his time at Belmont Hill as their Assistant Athletic Trainer. He spent two years at Belmont Hill before arriving at Williston in the fall of 2019.

During his three-year tenure at Williston, Garvey has spearheaded and revamped Williston’s approach to Athletic Training, paving the way for more specialized treatments and quicker recovery times for athletes as the sports medicine industry evolves.

Perry Gaudreau, a 17-year-old forward on the hockey team, is thankful for Garvey’s positive approach as he recovers from a separated shoulder suffered during the season.

“Mr. Garvey is always helping me out to get back on to the ice and fix whatever problems I have in my body,” he said. “Recently I separated my shoulder, and that is tough, so it’s nice to have Mr. Garvey to check in with, as he is always free to be asked questions and gives an honest answer. He prioritizes the safety of players, while minimizing the amount time it takes to get back out there.”

Ethan Hebb, a 19-year-old Columbia University Football commit, utilizes Williston’s athletic training to stay up to date with former injuries he has sustained.

“It’s nice to be able to check in with Mr. Garvey whenever you need,” Ethan said. “I’ve had problems, specifically with my ACL in the past, and whenever I feel something just isn’t right, or feels a little off, I check in quickly with Mr. Garvey to make sure my recovery is progressing the way it should.”

Ryan Deschamps, a 19-year-old captain of the hockey team, suffered a unique injury during his sophomore year and has continued treatments with Garvey ever since.

“I had some pain in my elbow and wasn’t sure what was causing it,” he said. “I spoke with Mr. Garvey and found out I had Olecranon Bursitis and we developed a plan to minimize pain over time.”

Ryan mentioned the importance of having a trainer you can trust, as he has avoided other athletic trainers in the past out of fear of being sidelined.

“Mr. Garvey is a very honest, straightforward trainer,” he said. “He outlines exactly what you need to do, and often, overestimates the time of return, allowing yourself a chance to prove to him you are ready to return. He also is very good at keeping sideline athletes engaged in their process.”

For Garvey, the most rewarding part of his career in athletic training is working alongside and witnessing the perseverance of injured athletes.

“The most rewarding part of my job is when you have someone who sustains what may be a season ending injury, and then being able to see that athlete overcome all the odds to get back onto the field and do what they love,” he said. “Undoubtedly that is the most rewarding part of athletic training.”