Thread by @CarBombBoom13

After seeing all of the negative messages towards Stan Bowman, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell @NHLBlackhawks fans how Stan Bowman helped save my life.

1/ I blew my ACL out on January 2nd 2012 & had surgery to repair my ligament. I was on a one year deal at close to...

2/ league minimum. When I came to the #Blackhawks, I had made several lifestyle changes. The most significant being I was clean and sober for the for the first time in my career. From everything. No NyQuil. No alcohol. No opiates. No weed. Nothing. I did 90 meetings in 90 days...

3/ And Steve Montador was helping to guide my transition into a new lifestyle. Bc of this, I made sure that everyone in the #Hawks organization knew the path I was on, to better help keep protect myself from myself. Fast forward to March 12th & I signed a new two year deal....

4/ somewhat unheard of in my position bc of my injury. Stan trusted me. He took a chance on me bc he believed in my character from what I had shown him in my short time with the organization. I signed the contract. I was grateful. But I had this guilt eating away at my soul....

5/ that I could not shake. I wasn’t being 100% honest & respectful towards Stan. The same courtesy he showed me was not being reciprocated. I had to come clean. 2 days after signing my 2 year deal, I walked into Stan’s office & told him that I needed help to get off of opiates...

6/ I’m sure this came as a shock to him, but he couldn’t have been more graceful & caring with how he handled my situation. I became emotional. I told him I was sorry. I thought it was my fault. I was angry at myself for the position I was putting him & the organization in...

7/ Stan reassured me that the most important piece to this situation was my health. He saved my life. He never once made me feel guilty or unwanted. He encouraged me to seek help. I wanted to! I wanted to be the healthiest version of myself bc I wanted to perform for him....

8/ bc of the trust he instilled in me. I never wanted to let him down. Fast forward to the summer when I was back in Chicago, he asked me to go golfing with him & a friend who was going through similar trials as I was. Once you find recovery, the rule is to give what you have....

9/ learned away & show another the process that helped you get healthy. So that’s what we did. And I will never ever forget how Stan Bowman saved my life.

I take responsibility for fueling some of that narrative yesterday & I lost sleep over it last night. I want ppl to know...

10/ the kind of man that Stan Bowman is. I want to people to take a breathe before they spew negativity towards ppl they’ve never met. Stan is a survivor. He’s a warrior. I hope this story helps to humanize someone in a very public & difficult job.

@NHLBlackhawks #Blackhawks