The Coyotes played a good game last night, despite not beating the Oilers for once. However today I would like to discuss Craig Cunningham, Coyotes player and recent heart attack victim.
Playing for the Tuscon Roadrunners (he's the captain) on November 19, Cunningham suffered a heart attack prior to the game and nearly died. His recovery is being hailed as an odds defying miracle. I won't rehash it here, as I'd only be cribbing the story from someone else, but it's really quite spectacular and I encourage you to read up on it if interested.
The upshot is that Cunningham is awake and talking to people and expected to make a full recovery, despite long odds.
The Coyotes got him off the Bruins a couple years ago, and whether it was in the Bruins or the Coyotes system, he's been a player who has shuffled back and forth between the AHL and the NHL.
He's played 63 career games and has 3 goals and 5 assists. So those aren't great numbers, but Cunningham was only averaging nine + minutes per game whenever he did get a shot. The NHL is a tough league to make, but a lot of the time making it is all you can control - once you're there, it's as much opportunity as it is skill, since we're talking about a league that is best of the best, where microscopic skill differences are seen as massive.
Sure, 9 points in 53 career games doesn't sound like much because we are used to talking about hockey casually, in a sense that talks about anyone who isn't close to elite as a loser. We're just idiots, really. Bored by greatness.
To make the NHL at all is a massive accomplishment. If Craig Cunningham never plays another game, he should be happy he achieved something almost no one can. He was one of the top 1000 or so best people in the entire world at what he chose to do, and almost no one does that.
Another thing is that people talk about people who experience hardship in the politest way possible. The thing with Cunningham,. was that it was sincere - he really is considered one of the hardest working and most liked, best overall people in the entire game.
When it comes to the NHL, we talk about leadership and character to a degree that is ridiculous. Mostly it's just cliches, confirmation bias and storyline driven nonsense. However, with Cunningham, you get the feeling this guy is genuinely the real deal.
Not in the sense of attributing a skill to a grinder, but in the real-life, 'we should all be more like that guy' sense.
It appears to be medically remarkable that Cunningham is alive, and he also appears to be a remarkable person.
It's a great story. It's a legitimate feel good story. What else is there to say? Hockey is a pretty big luxury and all that.........
Merry Christmas