Friday, August 24, 2018
The Malarchuk Story
I am sure that most of
us cannot remember what we were doing on the evening of March 22,
1989. One of my good friends remembers that date vividly. His name is
Rick Meagher, and he was playing hockey in Buffalo, New York, for the
St. Louis Blues.
Rick Meagher, # 22 in front of the referee.
Trenton's Tom Tilley in the foreground.
He was standing near
the Buffalo net when there was a stoppage in play. There was a good
reason for the whistle because the Sabres' netminder, Clint
Malarchuk, had been seriously injured. A skate blade had come up and
hit his neck, cutting his jugular vein. Only quick action on the part
of several individuals saved his life. It was one of those freak
accidents that happens occasionally in sports.
Perhaps preventable,
but likely not. Players up to a certain level now wear neck guards,
but there will still be injuries due to the sharpness of skate
blades. Malarchuk recovered quickly, and was back on the ice in ten
days. There was an extended recovery period, as he had received more
than 300 stitches to close the wound.
A few years ago, I
chatted with Rick about this and other injuries he had experienced
when he was playing. I will allow you to finish your breakfast before
I continue in that vein.
Malarchuk soldiered on
in the hockey wars, and posted respectable numbers for his career.
But that one night, that harrowing experience, took its toll on him
as he aged. He began to tumble down that long and slippery slope to
despondency, desolation, and darkness. He was diagnosed with “Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome”. This tag is usually attached to
soldiers, police officers and individuals that live and experience
serious crises. He was also categorized with the
“Obsessive-Compulsive” syndrome.
There are many names
one can attach to people who have great difficulties with their
mental state. The whole thing falls under the big umbrella called
mental illness. For Malarchuk, it became so difficult for him that he
attempted suicide, using a gun. He blew off the front of his face,
losing teeth in the process. He pleaded with his wife not to phone
the police, nor emergency services. She took appropriate action that
day, and continues to stand by him.
They travel together,
and pass on their message to large crowds. Seek help, if you need it.
We all know that the help one needs does not come easy. Hospitals and
clinics in the mental health field are constantly looking for
psychiatrists and psychologists. I might add that competent and
sympathetic workers in this field are the ones who do the best work.
Understandably.
The sports world lost
one of the really good guys yesterday. “Meadowlark” Lemon, a star
with the Harlem Globetrotters, passed away. It was a joy to watch
him, as he led the team to one victory after another against the
hapless Washington Generals. It would be difficult to estimate the
amount of good will and happiness that the Globetrotters have spread
over the years. If you have never seen their live performance, please
do it.
James Hurst
August 21, 2018
# posted by James Hurst @ 9:05 AM 
