InGoal had a chance to catch up with Scott Darling just as fans in his hometown Chicago celebrating the five-year anniversary of him helping the Blackhawks win the 2015 Stanley Cup, and as usual it was an entertaining and informative chat with the 31-year-old self-described goaltending geek.

Darling shared tips and insights from a 10-year pro career that includes stops everywhere from the Southern Professional Hockey League right up to the NHL, and over to Austria last season, how Covid-19 has affected his plans for the immediate future both on and off the ice, including a cancelled wedding, and his plans to keep playing. He talked about important lessons he learned about managing his game as a backup sometimes caught between being target practice for teammates and needing to stay sharp himself, including for that crucial First Round relief appearance that helped Chicago win the Cup in 2015; how he learned that there is such a thing as studying too much video of yourself; his early inspirations and first set of pads and ensuing gear obsession, including how he came to have a glove model linked to his name; and the grassroots origin story of why he will never again wear anything other than pads and gloves from Brian’s Custom Sports.