Lemont native Scott Darling, a member of the 2015 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks team was traded by the team in late April to Carolina Hurricanes. Darling who played as the Hawk’s backup goaltender for the last three seasons, penned a moving goodbye today in the Players Tribune which revealed his passion for pro hockey, Chicago, and his struggles with alcoholism early in his career. It’s a very moving read especially if you know the life-altering challenges that come with substance abuse. To be honest, it’s hard to read this entire story without tearing up.
Here is a piece of the article.
I ended up in a room with tubes and wires hooked up all over my body. There was a little machine beeping that showed my vital signs. It was my first day of rehab. I had been drinking every single day for eight months. I had just been released by a team in the Southern Pro Hockey League. I had no money, no hope. My dreams were effectively over. All I wanted, at that point, was to be a normal person again.
I remember opening my eyes. The ceiling was blurry, and my body ached, and I thought, How the f*** did this happen?
On, July 1, 2014, exactly three years to the day after I went to rehab, I signed with the team I’d rooted for my entire life. My hometown team. The Chicago freaking Blackhawks.
I remember thinking to myself once again, How the f*** did this happen?
Darling put outstanding numbers up during his memorable run as a Hawk, according to Fansided, he had save percentages of .915 (2015-16) and .924 (2016-17), and goal against averages of 2.58 (2015-16) and 2.38 (2016-17). Darling has career stats of 39-17-9, a 2.37 goals against average, and a .923 save percentage. He also earned a lot of fans in Chicago for his endearing character. Darling was a wonderful person when we met him few years ago at the Nights We Stole Christmas at the Aragon.
