I couldn’t sleep last night (still on LA time)

For wtv reason, the first time I met Steve Montador popped into my head & so I decided to write about it instead of ruminating in bed with the thoughts of our first meeting

It was after the 2006-2007 season & I had just played...

2/ 18 games with the @ArizonaCoyotes

I was 22

I was asked to do @heylandsberg’s Off The Record show

It was my first real interview on tv where I wasn’t dressed in hockey equipment and delivering the standard hockey answers that r so ingrained in us...

3/ Needless to say, I had a lot of anxiety about the interview so naturally, I went to the bar that was located below the studio to pound back 2 @Molson_Canadian drafts to ease the over thinking and feel more comfortable in my own skin

I then made my way up to the studio...

4/ where I was greeted by a handler who lead me into the make up room

Steve was in the chair, hair perfectly slicked back, tattoos up and down his arms

I remember thinking, who was this guy?

He popped out of the chair and looked me square in the eye, smiling from ear to ear...

5/ as he introduced himself

We did the standard intros but there was something about him

He had an aura around him

I think he could tell I was nervous, and he left me with,

“I will see you out there chum”

That was his line until the day he passed...

6/ Whether you were a complete stranger, or someone he had known for years, he always referred to ppl as chum

We didn’t connect again (off the ice) until our time with the @NHLBlackhawks together, when he had 6 years of sobriety and I had about 6 days...

7/ He took me under his wing and showed me how to live a happy and fulfilling life without the need to abuse substances

I will always be grateful for what he has done for me

I don’t know why I’m writing this and thinking of it at 130am to be honest

8/ Maybe it’s bc death seems to be surrounding me, and more specifically, my wife and her group of friends back in Chicago lately

With our 3 kids, there is so much life and light around us, so it makes sense to me

I will always remember what a counselor, turned friend from...

9/ The Canyon (Wild Bill), told me when I was about to leave after spending 60 days there

He said “Danny boy. You now have a ton of light around you. I can see it and feel it. People are going to be attracted to you. Not only people with light, but also people with darkness...

10/ who want a piece of that light. Be sure to protect yourself & not let the darkness drain your light too much. Always come back to the source when you feel that happening”

In hindsight, I think that is why I was so attracted to Steve in our brief encounter in that makeup room

11/ I was the darkness at that time in my life & he was the light

I wanted something from him

I wanted Steve’s light and I was lucky enough to grab a piece of it when we were together for those years in Chicago and LA

I miss you chum

#TuesdayMorning #TuesdayThoughts