The Greatest Assist (Patrick Kane)

The Greatest Assist

Patrick

In the game of hockey the most important stat is the goal. It doesn't matter how but you have to score more goals than the other team in order to win. Nothing else much matters, at least in the game of hockey.

But what people don't often times appreciate is the assist, the apples that make it happen. A lot of times without a assist there isn't a goal. Sometimes the assist doesn't show up on the score sheet but without your guys doing what they do, the goal will never happen. Sometimes the assist is even better than the goals.

That's why I always say that Chelsea isn't just a assistant, she's the assist I need in order to score goals. And in a lot of ways that's true. Without her I wouldn't be able to do what I do. Even though I'm what shows up on the score board I couldn't have gotten here without her. She does the dirty work and people don't see or appreciate but I can't live without her. She's my saucer pass over someone's stick or needle threading pass. She's the only reason I've won two more cups since the first time and each time was more sweet than the last.

And it's 2015 now, we just won the Stanley cup for the third time in six years and I was feeling invincible. I was happily married, Chelsea had the biggest clients in Chicago sports right now, her sister was a gold medal winner in the Paralympics. After we both struggled for so long it was nice for life to give us the assist for once.

While winning our third cup and celebrating that was important to me, there was something else that made this time of my life the best, and it was the fact that Chelsea is 9 months pregnant and is due at any moment. I was scared that she was going to pop during the playoffs but she stayed with us the whole way through. Our little boy was safe and sound as she took the best care of him, made sure she got all the vitamins he needed and always sang to him when he got all fussy in her tummy. He was a lucky boy, having a mother like her. I know she's nervous but she already loves him with her whole heart, she's going to be fine.

That brings us to today, the day after the parade where I was sitting in a hospital. Not because Chelsea decided to take a swim or because of a diving board accident, but because Chelsea was brave and waited to be induced until life settled down a little. And while the summer of Stanley just getting started, I didn't want to start without our little man so I could put him in the cup and get a bunch of pictures to remember this all by. How this dynasty encased itself into history. And see my own family grow into something that not even I was wild enough to dream about.

"How are you doing" I ask Chelsea as she sits in bed. She has been induced not too long ago but they were moving her along quickly.

"You know, falling in that ice doesn't seem too bad right about now" she jokes.

"Not funny" I mumble and she smiles a little.

"I'm fine" she promises me. She takes my hand and rests it on her belly before placing her hand on top of mine. I feel the baby moving around and I smile.

I couldn't wait to meet little man.

Come 5 o'clock it was time to start pushing. My family and her family minus her parents were all in the waiting room anxious to meet the baby. And I was hoping it was sooner rather than later because Chelsea looked like she was in a lot of pain, sounded like it too. So I hold her hand as tight as I can so she knew I had her. After about 45 minutes we heard that sweet cry and that was the moment everything changed. I cut the chord and they take him to get all cleaned up and Chels taken care of. I stand next to her and move the hair out of her face. I place a kiss on her forehead as she grabs my arm and holds me close.

"You did amazing Princess, I'm so proud of you" I whisper. I give her a real kiss before I let her rest for a few seconds.

Eventually they bring our baby over and set him in Chelsea's arms. He was this little precious bundle fast asleep in his mother's arms. I smile at the sight as she kisses his forehead like I did to her earlier. And I know I just won a Stanley cup just five days ago but this... this was the best moment in my life. Seeing them laying there, my whole world fit into one bed.

"Are you sure you don't want to name him Patrick" she asks.

"No. I think Clint is a better fit" I smile.

Clint was a equipment manager that took his own life earlier this season. He was well loved by everyone, an amazing man who made what we do so much easier. Yet another great assist that people don't give enough recognition to. He was just 34 when he killed himself, had a wife and four beautiful kids. Just like me people would look at him and say he had it all, we never truly realize just how bad it gets until it's too late.

Chelsea loved the idea naming our son after him because of what she went through in a similar situation with a different outcome. She became close with Clint's wife and family, we all did. They still still came to games, we had his son CJ on the stage yesterday with us to raise the cup like his dad should have been doing.

Losing him hurt us all, the players, the workers, the high up guys, the fans. No one saw it coming and it was hard to move on from. But I couldn't think of a better way to remember our good friend by than naming my first born after him. Plus his middle name is Patrick so it's okay.

After Chelsea spends some much needed time with the baby she's been caring about for the past 9 months we let her sleep. She hands him off to me and I take him for the family to see. I don't let him leave my arms as my eyes stay on him. He wakes up and I'm met with the same eyes as his mother... thank god.

"Oh he's precious" Lizzie whispers as she stands up slowly behind me. I smile big because I helped make that, that's pretty amazing.

"Way too cute to be your kid" Erica claims and I roll my eyes.

"And this is why Lizzie is the God mom" I tease.

"And because she is the only aunt or uncle that lives in Chicago and will be around to help all the tie" she reminds me.

"Yeah, that too" I laugh.

I let them all see him before putting him in the bassinet. We rejoin Chelsea in the hospital room as they make sure she is good to go. We wouldn't leave until tomorrow at the earliest but everyone was healthy and happy and I just had quite possibly the craziest week there ever was in sports.

"Patches" Chelsea whispers and I turn to her. She was looking up at me with those big green eyes and I just smile.

"Yeah baby" I say.

"I love you so much" she smiles and I smile back.

"And I love you, more than anything" I promise.