Apr 27, 2022
“Don’t lie to the person in the mirror.” Darren McCarty
Denise talks to Darren McCarty, former NHL star for the Detroit Red Wings. In addition to being proud to have been a part of the team to win four Stanley Cups, he’s also proud to be six years sober and of all his charity work. He co-founded Operation Valhalla to support U.S. Veterans and their families.
What are some of his secrets to facing adversity and maintaining his confidence? Number one, never quit. As Babe Ruth once said, “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
His experience as a professional athlete also taught him the importance of having a strong work ethic. He considers his Red Wings teammates as brothers—the entire organization his extended family. Because he always felt taken care of, he takes nothing for granted. In fact, he’s fortunate to be alive to be able to give back. His struggle with addiction taught him the importance of loving yourself.
Darren realized he could lie to everyone else, but when he faced life or death, he knew he could no longer lie to the man in the mirror. Now, through faith in something greater than himself, his family and friends, and journaling (you heard it right!) he continues to enjoy life and inspire others.
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Born in Canada, Darren McCarty is a former professional hockey player and four-time Stanley Cup winner in the American National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings. He is best known as the team’s enforcer, and a key member of the infamous “Grind Line.” In 2013 he authored a book about his life on the ice and has his own comic book and graphic novels by Mess Bucket Comics. He hosts a daily show on the Woodward Sports Network, hosts the Darren McCarty Show on Friday nights on WJR radio and has developed his own line of cannabis products. He co-founded Operation Valhalla, a non-profit that provides financial assistance to veterans and their families. McCarty has four children and lives with his wife Sheryl in Clawson, Michigan.
His book, My Last Fight: The True Story of a Hockey Rock Star, is available wherever books are sold.
You can find Operation Valhalla – Veteran Support Charity on Facebook.
Denise Ilitch, an owner of Ilitch Family Companies and President of Ilitch Enterprises, has been a part of Detroit’s business and philanthropic community for over 40 years. As a mother, lawyer, entrepreneur, devoted community servant and tireless advocate for women and children, she learned early, from her father, that everyone is worthy of contributing to the world. Her passion for affordable, accessible, quality education stems from her own experience as a first-generation student, earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, where she currently serves on the Board of Regents, and a law degree from the University of Detroit Law School.
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