In the world of pro sports, you occasionally hear about a team, player, or coach transcending the game. A story so good that it goes beyond the limits of the boxscore or sports section and into our daily lives.
That's exactly what the Ottawa Senators accomplished with their 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs run that ended Thursday night at the hands of the reigning Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
The defeat was only a small part of the storyline that made this season special for Guy Boucher's men.
Whether it was Craig Anderson's wife battling a rare form of cancer, Clarke MacArthur returning from four concussions in 18 months, or captain Erik Karlsson playing through multiple fractures in his heel, the 2016-17 Senators were nothing short of inspirational.
Through all the adversity it had to face, the club taught us about a lot more than just hockey.
It taught us that life - much like a career in the NHL - is not only difficult, it's precious, and that it takes courage and perseverance to succeed, no matter what it is you do.
Following Thursday's Game 7 defeat, Boucher offered up a bit of insight that more than just hockey fans can benefit from. Praising his group for its accomplishments as hockey players, and perhaps more importantly, as human beings.
"They gave it their all, they put their soul into it," Boucher said early Friday morning from PPG Paints Arena. "They deserve to get credit for how wonderful these individuals have been and how resilient and together this group was, it was a real special, special group."
Special indeed.
Boucher will be at the helm of a club that will be in the mix for a playoff spot for the foreseeable future, so naturally the coach was asked about whether he felt a sense of pride with how his group has performed.
"I think it's beyond pride to be honest with you," said Boucher. "It was a lot more than hockey this year."
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
Results on the ice are obviously paramount in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately NHL that we all live in, but this year was different in Ottawa, where being a good teammate off the ice was just as important as succeeding on it.
"Obviously, hockey-wise, a lot of going through adversity, a lot of building, a lot of individuals grew to a level that, I will be honest with you, I never thought they would get there in a few months," Boucher said.
"This was a real team," the head coach added. "The reason why we're here is because it was a team, and every player at some moment or another had a terrific contribution, whether it was on the ice in terms of results, or it was inside of the room or it was off ice."
Uplifting personal stories aside, the Senators earned the right to play in a deciding Conference Finals Game 7 with their season on the line. Despite being underdogs from the jump, Ottawa's playoff run put the league on notice: The Senators will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come in the East.
Hockey is a magnificent game and as a society we can benefit a lot from it, and the Ottawa Senators are the latest example.
Courage, determination, and a will to win.
These are the things that we can learn from a group of men that truly showed the best of what this beautiful sport has to offer.
