The most delicious part of the late-season Luke Schenn redemption arc is the revelation Randy Carlyle believed none of this could ever happen.
As the story goes, Carlyle essentially told Schenn, who is among the kindest, friendliest giants in the sport, that he should quit the sport.
When asked about it, Schenn didn’t name names but here’s what he said:
“I don’t want to get into too many of the details,” Schenn said. “But when I was leaving Anaheim, there were comments. I was asked if I really wanted to go down and actually play in the minors (as opposed to leaving professional hockey) at 29 years old.
“I was asked if that was the right decision for me.”
How did that make Schenn feel?
“Well, the first day I got there, Dallas Eakins told me to come sit down in his office. We talked for 45 minutes straight.
“I said, ‘Dallas, I’m going to try to do whatever it takes to help this team win.’
“His words were: ‘It would be great to keep you here all year but you come here and help us win, we’ll do whatever it takes to get you back into the NHL and the right situation.’
“I don’t think too many coaches would say that. He was unbelievable with me. He knew my situation and my family, and the commute I had.”
That commute was roughly 90 minutes from Newport Beach, Calif., to San Diego where the Ducks’ farm team played.
“Dallas would give me the odd morning off for rest so I didn’t have to get up at 6 a.m for a morning skate and make that drive.
“He did so many little things like that for me,” Schenn said.
“I always believed that I could get one more opportunity if I caught the right break.
“I never really lost faith.

Egy Athletic-es cikkből van. Iszonyatosan gáz, ha ez igaz. Nagyon felháborító hogy mit meg nem enged magának az az ember, miközben eddig minden csapatnál csúnyán felsült. Nem kérdés most már, hogy ő volt itt a legnagyobb probléma, nem pedig a játékosok hozzáállása. Ugyanakkor Eakins-szel kapcsolatban is megerősít, hogy ő kell nekünk.