Scott Darling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scott Darling |
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Darling with the Chicago Blackhawks in December 2014
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| Born | December 22, 1988 Newport News, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) | ||
| Weight | 232 lb (105 kg; 16 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Chicago Blackhawks Carolina Hurricanes HC TWK Innsbruck |
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| National team |  United States |
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| NHL Draft | 153rd overall, 2007 Phoenix Coyotes |
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| Playing career | 2010–2021 | ||
Scott Darling (born December 22, 1988) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes. Darling was chosen by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2015. He was the first player from the Chicago area to win the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks.
Contents
Scott Darling's Hockey Journey
Early Life and Amateur Hockey
Scott Darling grew up in Lemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. As a kid, he looked up to Ed Belfour, a famous Chicago Blackhawks goaltender. Scott played youth hockey for several teams. He even played in the 2002 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He also attended Notre Dame College in Canada for a year.
Before becoming a professional, Darling played college hockey. He spent two seasons with the Black Bears ice hockey team at the University of Maine.
Playing in the NHL
Scott Darling had a great season in 2013–14 with the Milwaukee Admirals. He won 13 games in 26 appearances in the American Hockey League (AHL).
On July 1, 2014, the Chicago Blackhawks signed Darling. This was his first contract to play in the NHL. He made his NHL debut on October 26, 2014. He made 32 saves in a 2–1 win against the Ottawa Senators. Darling was the first player from the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) to play in an NHL game.
Becoming a Blackhawks Star
In February 2015, Darling joined the Blackhawks' main NHL team. He became the backup goalie. The Blackhawks also signed him to a two-year contract. On March 18, 2015, Darling got his first NHL shutout. This means he stopped every shot and didn't let the other team score.
During the playoffs on April 15, 2015, Darling made his first playoff win. He came into the game when the starting goalie was replaced. He made 42 saves, and the Blackhawks won in double overtime. Darling set an NHL record that night. He played the longest time in relief without letting in a goal (67 minutes, 44 seconds). He also made the most saves in relief without giving up a goal (42). On June 15, 2015, Scott Darling helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. It was a dream come true for the Chicago-area native.
Time with the Carolina Hurricanes
After the 2016–17 season, Darling's rights were traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. He signed a four-year contract with them in May 2017. His first season with Carolina was not as successful. He had a record of 13 wins, 21 losses, and 7 overtime losses. His goals against average (GAA) was 3.18.
In November 2018, the Hurricanes placed Darling on waivers. This meant other teams could claim him. He then joined the Charlotte Checkers, the Hurricanes' AHL team. In February 2019, Darling took a break from hockey for personal reasons.
In June 2019, Darling was traded to the Florida Panthers. His contract was then bought out, which ended his time with the team.
Playing in Europe
Darling signed with Innsbruck HC in the Austrian Hockey League in November 2019. He played 33 games there. He returned to the United States in March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Return to North America and Retirement
As a free agent, Darling tried out for the Florida Panthers in January 2021. He was later released without a contract.
On January 26, Darling returned to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. He played one game for them. On February 17, 2021, he was released and decided to retire from professional hockey. Darling said that winning the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks meant the world to him. He grew up a Blackhawks fan, and it made him emotional to talk about it.
International Play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  United States |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2018 Denmark | |
Darling played for the United States in the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He was mainly the backup goalie. He played in two games and helped the U.S. win both. On May 20, the United States won the bronze medal by beating Canada 4–1.
Darling also played for Team USA in the Wayne Gretzky Ice Hockey Classic in Australia in 2016.
Life After Hockey
After retiring, Scott Darling felt sad for about six months. Then, he started doing stand-up comedy. A comedian at a club in Chicago encouraged him to try it. By summer 2022, he was touring with comedian Ian Bagg. He performed many shows in Raleigh.
Personal Life
Scott Darling was born in Newport News, Virginia. His father was an Army officer. His family moved around before settling in Lemont, Illinois.
In 2016, Darling helped a homeless man in Arizona. He bought him groceries and rented him a hotel room for a month. The story became very popular after his Uber driver shared it. President Barack Obama even praised Darling for his kindness during the Blackhawks' visit to the White House.
Career Statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T/OT | Min | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | Min | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2005–06 | North Iowa Outlaws | NAHL | 8 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 405 | 28 | 0 | 4.15 | .888 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | North Iowa Outlaws | NAHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 12.00 | .786 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Capital District Selects | EJHL | 22 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 1,242 | 70 | 1 | 3.38 | .924 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Indiana Ice | USHL | 42 | 27 | 10 | 2 | 2,391 | 121 | 1 | 3.04 | .908 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 179 | 11 | 0 | 3.69 | .889 | ||
| 2008–09 | University of Maine | HE | 27 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 1,566 | 72 | 3 | 2.76 | .895 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | University of Maine | HE | 27 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 1,511 | 78 | 0 | 3.10 | .895 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Louisiana IceGators | SPHL | 30 | 6 | 22 | 0 | 1,598 | 102 | 0 | 3.83 | .892 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Mississippi RiverKings | SPHL | 35 | 15 | 17 | 1 | 2,055 | 100 | 1 | 2.92 | .905 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 59 | 5 | 0 | 5.12 | .762 | ||
| 2011–12 | Florida Everblades | ECHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 58 | 5 | 0 | 5.14 | .773 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Wichita Thunder | CHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.01 | .840 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Wheeling Nailers | ECHL | 32 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 1,819 | 85 | 2 | 2.80 | .907 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 26 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 1,347 | 45 | 6 | 2.00 | .933 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Cincinnati Cyclones | ECHL | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 368 | 16 | 0 | 2.61 | .916 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Rockford Icehogs | AHL | 26 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 1,419 | 52 | 2 | 2.20 | .927 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 14 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 833 | 27 | 1 | 1.94 | .936 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 298 | 11 | 0 | 2.28 | .936 | ||
| 2015–16 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 29 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1,551 | 67 | 1 | 2.58 | .915 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 32 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 1,689 | 67 | 2 | 2.38 | .924 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 43 | 13 | 21 | 7 | 2,476 | 131 | 0 | 3.18 | .888 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 486 | 27 | 0 | 3.33 | .884 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 14 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 742 | 42 | 0 | 3.40 | .882 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | HC TWK Innsbruck | EBEL | 33 | 9 | 24 | 0 | 1923 | 107 | 0 | 3.34 | .898 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 5.00 | .815 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 126 | 54 | 42 | 18 | 7,042 | 319 | 4 | 2.72 | .908 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 298 | 11 | 0 | 2.28 | .936 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | United States | WC |  |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 3 | 0 | 2.25 | .870 | |
| Senior totals | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 3 | 0 | 2.25 | .870 | ||||
Awards and Honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup (Chicago Blackhawks) | 2015 | |
