Behind the Jersey: No. 25

Loyal. The perfect word to describe right wing 31-year old Darren McCarty. McCarty is known for his loyalty to family, to teammates, and to Hockeytown. By the age of five, McCarty already decided what he wanted to do in his life - play in the NHL. His parents, Craig and Roberta, had strong doubts about him being capable of fulfilling his lifelong goal. �We were constantly telling Darren he had to have a dream other than the NHL. We encouraged him to work at his school classes so he could have an education if his dreams of hockey did not come through,� Craig McCarty said. However, Darren was determined to get to the NHL and through the many ups and downs of his hockey career he succeeded. In 1992, the Detroit Red Wings selected Darren as their second pick of the draft. Darren and his family were ecstatic as the Wings were the closest NHL team to his hometown: Leamington, Ontario. McCarty made his NHL debut in the �93-�94 season and scored his first goal against the Winnipeg Jets on October 21, 1993. Even as a rookie, McCarty was known for his fighting. �Fighting may have gotten Darren on the team but he had to develop his other skills if he was to stay. He would stay after practice for an hour to work on his skating and stick handling. As the season progressed he was improving and getting more playing time,� Craig said. He finished the season with 17 assists, 9 goals, and 181 penalty minutes in 67 games. Darren�s father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone. In July of 1996, Craig was going to Toronto for a stem cell transplant while Darren headed to rehab to fight his alcoholism. The two decided to work together and fight the two battles together no matter what. �Cancer is a disease that is bigger than both Darren and me. Alcoholism is also a disease that is bigger than both Darren and me. Unfortunately, I have cancer. And unfortunately, Darren is an alcoholic. We decided to deal with our diseases together, no matter what the outcome, to be there for each other,� Craig said. In 1997, Darren called his father the day before Father�s Day telling him that he was going to start a foundation to raise money for research for multiple myeloma. Together they ran the foundation called The McCarty Cancer Foundation. Craig lost his fight with cancer in 1999 and Darren continues to run the foundation with his mother. To date the foundation has raised over 3 million dollars through raffling memorabilia, the foundation�s annual "Golfing for the Goal" event at the Birmingham Golf and Country Club, and many other fundraising events. Darren is loyal to his fellow teammates. For example, Colorado Avalanche player Claude Lemieux drilled Kris Draper, McCarty�s current roommate on the road, head first into the boards inflicting serious injuries to Draper requiring reconstructive facial surgery. March 26, 1997- the next time McCarty played the Avs he fought Lemieux before the game had even started to avenge his friend�s injuries. Darren also supported his three teammates, Vladimir Konstantinov, Slava Fetisov, and Sergei Mnatsakanov, after the limousine accident shortly after the 1997 Stanley Cup win. �It was John Morton, our trainer�s idea for me to form a band and do a song for the local tribute album to raise funds for the injured Red Wings,� McCarty said. This past summer, Darren spent time touring around the Midwest with his band, Grinder. A portion of all proceeds earned by the band and by the book Rinkside, written by Craig McCarty, goes to the McCarty Cancer Foundation. Darren�s loyalty extends to Hockeytown, both the city and the fans. Early this summer, the Wings were uncertain if Darren would be playing for them next season, as he became an unrestricted free agent. He never wanted to leave Detroit, but at first it looked like a deal suitable to both sides couldn�t be made. "I mean, where do I start? My family loves it here, the schools, the golf courses, the McCarty Cancer Foundation, all the friends I've made here the past 10 years. It's everything. But to be a Red Wing, that's first and foremost. It's just home, that�s what this is. And I couldn't imagine myself not being here,� McCarty said. After many negotiations, a deal was made for four years and worth 8.75 million dollars. Darren has ties to the community as well. McCarty, along with many other Wings, makes solo trips to Children�s Hospital in Detroit. �We get to know them, their families and what they're going through. It's sad to have to see the same kids over the years, still fighting to get better. This really makes you count your blessings. This is the best part of being a hockey player: helping these kids. You can't beat that,� McCarty said. He�s active with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and is the team spokesman for Motor City Mitten Madness, a collection of items such as coats, hats, and gloves for the homeless and less fortunate in the Detroit area. This past summer, Darren was awarded a $25,000 grant to advance his work with the McCarty Cancer Foundation after receiving the sixth annual NHL Foundation Player Award. "We have a tremendous level of interest in Darren the person, Darren the family man, Darren the hockey player. That's something we all care about. He's not just a jersey number. He has a lot of support from his teammates,� head coach Dave Lewis said. Speaking of jersey numbers, McCarty did not get the jersey number that he would have liked. He originally wanted the jersey number 19 or 10 because he wore both of those numbers before reaching the NHL. However, Captain Steve Yzerman already wore 19 and Alex Delvecchio�s No. 10 had been retired in 1991. So he had decided on No. 27, but someone else snatched that number up. "Micah Aivaoff had more minor league games than me. He was older and got to pick first, he picked 27. I would have picked 27 if I had first choice. It's just a cool number,� McCarty said. So he went with the next best number � No. 25. "It was my second choice, my first year. Twenty-five was better than 14 or 18, whatever was left," McCarty said. Nowadays, it just wouldn�t seem right for McCarty to be any other number, as No. 25 has become a staple to the Grind Line and the Detroit Red Wings. �It's sort of synonymous. I wouldn't know how to write another number on my autograph,� McCarty said. Sources: Rinkside (book written by Craig McCarty) Inside Hockeytown- Feb/March 2002 issue & Feb 2003 issue Detroit News Detroit Free Press Score! Music Magazine