Duncan Keith shares some painful personal reality
Duncan Keith has always been one of my favorite players. I consider him a prototypical defenseman in today’s NHL. And he has proven it with his outstanding playoff performance that resulted in a Cup for Chicago and Conn Smythe award for himself.
You would think that Duncan would be on top of the world.
But just like everyone, life is composed of more than a successful career.
And Keith has had a tough personal life over the past year.
He won’t be attending the Chicago Blackhawks Convention this weekend. He felt like he owed an explanation to the fans and opened up to the Chicago Tribune.
From David Haugh at the Trib:
Besides, since last summer, skating always has been the easy part for Keith no matter how many minutes he played as he found refuge in the rink. Any physical challenges paled in comparison with the emotional struggles Keith has endured since the separation from his wife, Kelly-Rae, a year ago. Intensely private, Keith decided to broach the personal issue publicly only now to help explain his absence from this weekend’s Blackhawks Convention. In short, dad duty called and Keith answered, opting to spend the weekend in Canada with 2-year-old son, Colton, who takes after his father in the energy department based on Keith’s proud description.
“Obviously, I’d really like to be there at the convention because I always enjoy meeting new fans and seeing old ones, so that’s a little frustrating not being able to celebrate with all of them,” Keith said. “But in my own situation, I am going through a divorce. I’ve been separated for over a year now. I think right now my time needs to be spent with my son and I’m doing everything I can to spend as much time with him and dealing with a lot going on right now. I hope everybody can respect that and our privacy. Kelly and I are doing our best to co-parent Colton and raise him in a loving environment whether he’s with her or with me. This is part of that.”
And beyond his personal life, he is also coping with the loss of teammates and friends:
Turning to hockey, Keith sighed when asked about all the changes since he and his Hawks teammates hoisted the silver chalice. Keith occupied the locker next to Brandon Saad’s in the dressing room the last three years. Fellow defenseman Johnny Oduya always sat across from Keith on team flights. Sharp, in Keith’s words, “is along with Seabs (Brent Seabrook) one of my two best friends in hockey.” All three players became former Hawks thanks to the salary cap, an NHL reality Keith understands more than he accepts.
“Anytime you play with someone for a long time you’re going to develop chemistry, a bond and a friendship and I was really close with those three guys,” Keith said. “Sharpie, I played with for 10 years. It’s tough to say goodbye. They’re all difficult. As hockey players, we’ve been through this before when we know it’s part of the business. But at the same time, it sucks. There’s no other way to put it.”
Keep your head up Duncan. This too shall pass…
Image courtesy of Anna Enriquez.
