Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling joined NHL Live to discuss his first NHL win Sunday against the Ottawa Senators.
Making his NHL debut after nine years in the minor leagues, Darling stopped 32 shots in a 2-1 victory at United Center, not far from his hometown of Lemont, Ill., that snapped the Blackhawks two-game losing streak.
"There's obviously tough days when things aren't going your way," said Darling, whose playing days began with the North Iowa Outlaws of the North American Hockey League in 2005-06. "But I had a really good support system, some really great people, some really great mentors who have stuck with me all the way through, who kept me chugging along. It all came to fruition [Sunday] night. It's been a great journey. I enjoyed every team and organization."
Darling, 25, received his call up from Rockford of the American Hockey League, where he was 2-0-0 with a 1.44 goals-against average and .948 save percentage. He started Sunday with Blackhawks starting goalie Corey Crawford out with an upper-body injury and Chicago playing the second of back-to-back games. He is the sixth Illinois-born goalie to appear in a game for the Blackhawks.
"I don't know if I could put it into words perfectly but it was an amazing experience," Darling said. "It was a real honor to put on a Blackhawks jersey and play my first NHL game. During the day was the toughest part when I was sitting around in my hotel room. But from the time I got to the rink the guys on the team were awesome. They really lightened the mood for me and just told me that we're going to have a blast out there and they're there with me. They made it easy on me."
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.