Patrick O'Sullivan was a talent on the ice, but the former NHL player had to overcome a great deal of adversity and abuse off of the ice in order to reach hockey's highest level.
According to Lori Ewing of the Canadian Press (h/t Yahoo Sports), the 30-year-old native of Toronto revealed in his soon-to-be-released book, Breaking Away: A Harrowing True Story of Resilience, Courage and Triumph, that his father, John, physically and mentally abused him as a child.
Per Ewing (h/t Yahoo Sports), O'Sullivan's father pushed him to ridiculous lengths and attempted to justify the abuse as a means of "toughening" his son up:
When I came off the ice after practice or a game, I never knew exactly what was next, but I knew it was going to be bad.