Riverkings’ Darling wins Stanley Cup

The Chicago Blackhawks took a 4-2 series victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning to claim the coveted Stanley Cup Trophy for the NHL. What many fans may be unaware of is Blackhawks’ goalie Scott Darling (who helped save Chicago’s Stanley Cup dreams by becoming a major force in defeating the Nashville Predators) was a regional favorite for many Hardeman County fans before he made the bright lights.
Scott Darling found a home with the Mississippi Riverkings in 2011-2012 and in 35 games he played with the Riverkings, he was 15-17-1 with a 2.92 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. After receiving numerous call ups that year from the ECHL, AHL, and CHL, Darling eventually found himself splitting time this current season between NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
Darling became the first SPHL, and first Mississippi RiverKing, to make it to the NHL when he was called up to the Chicago Blackhawks in October. Now, he has become the first SPHL and Mississippi Riverking to win the Stanley Cup.
Darling appeared in five games during the Blackhawks’ run to the title, where he was 3-1 against the Nashville Predators in the playoffs, in which he was 2.21 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. Darling relieved Corey Crawford following the first period of R1G1 and proceeded to stop all 42 shots on goal in his postseason debut, which sent the Blackhawks over the Predators and well on their way to the Stanley Cup.