"I made a lot of tough decisions on the bench, like who would go out there on the ice. But during practices I learned right along with the kids. I would bring in skating instructors and skills coaches. That wasn't just for my boys, but for the whole team," added Mrs. Shaw, who also expanded her hockey knowledge with the help of her husband, Doug, a long-time coach in his own right.
Darlene is just as involved with her son's hockey career now, albeit from a distance, of course. She's a fan in every sense of the word, often making the nearly four-hour drive with Doug to watch Andrew suit up in Montreal. Seeing him develop into one of the grittiest forwards in the League and watching him succeed in his young career is a huge source of pride for the mother of four.
"It's very gratifying, believe me. You sit there and you watch, whether you're actually at the Bell Centre in person or watching on TV. Your heart just beats loudly. You're maybe the only person in the room, but it doesn't matter," said Mrs. Shaw, a retired bookkeeper. "We enjoy hockey. We enjoy watching him. It's exciting. He's heading into his seventh year, and it feels like the whole six years have flown by. It seems surreal."
While Andrew's accomplishments continue to make Darlene smile, the Habs forward stresses that the admiration is mutual and when it comes to toughness, he knows exactly where his gritty roots come from.
Back in October 2012, Darlene was diagnosed with breast cancer and required a mastectomy. Two tumors and a third mass were removed during the procedure. At the time, she insisted that Andrew remain with the Chicago Blackhawks' AHL affiliate in Rockford, IL, but he quickly returned home to spend a week-and-a-half with her and the rest of the family following the diagnosis.
Fortunately, things worked out for the best. Surgery revealed that the tumor hadn't spread from the breast tissue. Her lymph nodes were clear and the cancer was non-aggressive in nature. Her physician confirmed that no additional treatment was required other than taking a daily dose of medication for 10 years along with regular checkups every six months.
"You have to admire it. She wants you to live your life. She doesn't want you to see what she's going through. She just pushes herself through," said Shaw, on Darlene's cancer battle and subsequent recovery. "But you want to be there to help her, catch her when she falls, and push her when she has a bad day. She was great through the whole process.
"You learn from it, grow from it and become a more powerful family together. My mom never wanted us to miss anything. She never wanted us to feel sorry for her. She just wanted us to enjoy our lives and she would do the same," continued Shaw, a fervent supporter of the NHL's annual Hockey Fights Cancer campaign.
