Daniel Carcillo lost his best friend in hockey when Steve Montador, who played with him in the Chicago Blackhawks, was found dead in his home at age 35 back in February.
Like Carcillo, Montador had battled substance abuse. Like Carcillo, Montador suffered through the effects of concussions. But Monty had retired in 2013, while Carcillo played on with the Blackhawks. His life had direction, had meaning. He had a support system within the team and among his teammates.
Montador, through this own admission, had none of that anymore. “He was trying so many things to reverse the symptoms and feel normal, and he couldn’t,” sad Carcillo.