Winning: The Stanley Cup and Something Even Bigger

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darryl_sutter-childrenIn the wake of last night’s crazy madness over the big win, I happened to remember seeing a shot of a short young man with a sweet, round face holding the Cup over his head (with a little help). I wondered, only briefly, who he was; perhaps a special, challenged young fan with on-ice privileges. This morning I discovered that the “fan” was none other than L.A. Kings Coach Sutter’s son, Chris. According to Rich Hammond’s 2012 article from NHL.com, Chris Sutter “was born with the form of Down syndrome known as Trisomy 21, a genetic disorder that, to various extents, impacts a child’s mental and physical development.” The Sutters were told their son would likely be deaf and blind, and wouldn’t live long. That they should hand him over to state services. But his parents didn’t give up on Chris, as evidenced by last night’s happy display. The 21 year old is a high school graduate, plays guitar and participates in Special Olympics. He loves hockey and he loves his dad’s team. Now THAT’S a triumph worth celebrating.