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<\/p>\nTARRYTOWN, N.Y. \u2014 A few hours after competing against each other at Madison Square Garden, NHL brothers Darren and Taylor Raddysh anxiously boarded a late flight out of Newark Liberty International Airport.<\/p>\n
They were headed to Toronto to visit their ailing father, Dwayne Raddysh, who was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer in May and was reaching the end of his initial prognosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought that was the last time to see him,\u201d Taylor said of the Nov. 29 trip.<\/p>\n
Neither Darren, a defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning, nor Taylor, a forward for the New York Rangers, were scheduled to play again until Dec. 2, which provided the opening. Both organizations encouraged the brothers to go, with the Lightning going so far as to help charter a flight so that Darren\u2019s wife Selena and 1-month-old son Beau could join them from Tampa.<\/p>\n
Darren traveled with Taylor, his wife (also named Taylor) and their 1-year-old son Bennett, with both families converging at the Raddysh residence with Dwayne and their mother Gwen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the first time all six of us got to go up and see Grandma and Grandpa,\u201d Darren recalled on a phone call with The Athletic last week. \u201cSo, we wanted to make sure that he did get to meet my son, and get to see my brother\u2019s son, as well, and get to spend that quality time. \u2026 It meant a lot for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next two days were spent running through the gamut of emotions, reliving fond memories and saying all the things they didn\u2019t want to regret holding back. The brothers cherished those moments while bracing for the possibility that this could be goodbye.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctor told us he might not even be around until Christmas,\u201d Darren said.<\/p>\n
While the Raddysh brothers fight to sustain NHL careers, their father is facing a much grimmer opponent. He\u2019s beaten the doctor\u2019s prediction and held on well into the new year, but the demands of a professional hockey schedule have forced his sons to largely watch from afar as Dwayne is increasingly weakened by the disease.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve played every shift with heavy hearts, yet found strength in their father\u2019s courage and motivation in his pride.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the season and how much we\u2019re traveling and how much we\u2019re playing and how busy we are, it obviously takes a toll,\u201d Darren said. \u201cYou\u2019re just trying to make sure you\u2019re doing this for the right (reasons). You know how hard Mom and Dad worked for us to get to the point that we\u2019re at now, and when we are playing, it makes it special for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they\u2019re watching and listening, I know they\u2019re smiling from ear to ear when they hear our name or they see us on TV.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Taylor, left, and Darren Raddysh as children. (Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Lightning)\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I knew something was wrong\u2019<\/p>\n
Darren flew to Washington last spring to watch Taylor, then a member of the Capitals, play the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the NHL playoffs. After the Caps were eliminated in Game 5 on May 12, Darren called his father to get his thoughts on the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could hear something in his voice,\u201d he said. \u201cWhenever he talks to us, he never really asks for both of us to talk at the same time. If he\u2019s going to talk to my brother, he\u2019ll call him separately, but he asked for both of us. I knew something was wrong from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taylor was with his Washington teammates, still processing the end of their season, so they decided to wait and deliver the news about Dwayne\u2019s diagnosis until the next day. Soon after, the Raddysh brothers were heading home to hear what the doctors had to say about the next steps.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey gave my dad four to six months,\u201d Taylor recalled. \u201cWhen you hear it, you\u2019re shocked, sad, scared, feelings for him, feelings for all of us individually. It was an emotional time and something you never expect to happen. When it does, it rips your heart out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the stunning timeline and overwhelming sorrow, the Raddyshes quickly shifted their focus to a plan that could beat that bleak timeline.<\/p>\n
The message, as Darren put it, was unwavering: \u201cHow do we fight this as best as possible?\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Dwayne Raddysh, left, with Darren. (Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Lightning)<\/p>\n
Family man<\/p>\n
As both Darren and Taylor emphasized, that determination stems from their father.<\/p>\n
Throughout their childhoods in Caledon, Ont., Dwayne logged grueling hours as a warehouse manager while remaining steadfast in his commitment to help his kids pursue their hockey dreams.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad would get up at 4 in the morning, go to work, and he wouldn\u2019t come home,\u201d Darren recalled. \u201cHe\u2019d pick us up, take us to practice, and he wouldn\u2019t get home till 9 at night, then go to bed and do it all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost dads would do it for their kids,\u201d Taylor added. \u201cI was lucky my dad was one of those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both brothers described a household that was full of love. Their parents were devoted and caring, but Dwayne could also be \u201chard on us,\u201d as Darren described.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always wanted us putting our best foot forward and making sure we\u2019re getting the most out of whatever we\u2019re doing,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Work ethic was non-negotiable, as was making time to be there for each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t really appreciate that until growing up,\u201d Darren said. \u201cThat\u2019s something that I want to take into my life and give to my son, and just give him the best life that I can, because I know my dad did the same thing for us. Every car ride and every hockey tournament, he was always there. Any time I had any event or any accomplishment, he was always there by our side. Him always being around and helping us through whatever problems we had or whatever accomplishments we had were definitely the best moments for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Darren Raddysh celebrates a goal with his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates in 2024. (Mike Ehrmann \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Darren\u2019s perseverance<\/p>\n
Darren turned 27 on Feb. 28, 2023, at which point he logged 339 career games in the American Hockey League \u2014 including 108 for the Rangers\u2019 AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack \u2014 and only four in the NHL.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s rare for any player to break through at that age, a reality Darren admitted was difficult to block out of his mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were definitely times four or five years into my pro hockey career where I maybe thought, \u2018Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?\u2019\u201d he recalled. \u201cPlaying the AHL is a great opportunity, and people make a great living, but did I have it in me to make it to the NHL?\u201d<\/p>\n
Whenever doubt crept in, Dwayne was usually his first call.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always believed in me,\u201d Darren said. \u201cI think it\u2019s something that I\u2019ve taken into my career now, and the way I play is, \u2018Never give up, and always make sure you\u2019re trying your hardest. Eventually, you\u2019ll get rewarded.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
That moment came shortly after Darren\u2019s 27th birthday. He was recalled by the Lightning two days later and hasn\u2019t returned to the minor leagues since.<\/p>\n
As Darren approaches his 30th birthday on Saturday, he\u2019s in the midst of a breakout campaign. He ranks sixth among all NHL defensemen with 52 points (17 goals and 32 assists) through 49 games played, making him one of the league\u2019s best stories of perseverance.<\/p>\n
This success comes as no surprise to Taylor and the rest of the Raddysh family, who watched as Darren went undrafted, then responded by winning OHL defenseman of the year in 2016-17 and persisting at multiple AHL stops.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been doubted everywhere, but I feel like when he\u2019s put in the right position \u2014 and this is the way he\u2019s been his whole life \u2014 with the right amount of ice time, he can contribute,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cEven defensively, he gets knocked a lot, but he always plays hard. He\u2019s not the biggest guy, but he\u2019ll give you everything he\u2019s got. And offensively, he\u2019s always had that, so it\u2019s nice to see him being rewarded on the power play on that team, and he kind of took it full force. I\u2019m super pumped. It\u2019s obviously not been an easy year for both of us, but for him to do that, it\u2019s a great source (of pride) for our family.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Taylor Raddysh has had a challenging season for the struggling Rangers. (Sarah Stier \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Taylor\u2019s perspective<\/p>\n
The younger of the two Raddysh brothers took a more straightforward path to the NHL.<\/p>\n
Taylor was a second-round pick for Tampa Bay in 2016 and debuted during the 2021-22 season. His rise was much steadier, yet he never felt a hint of jealousy from Darren.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always wants me to do better than him,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n
While Taylor had more initial success, including a 20-goal output with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022-23, the roles reversed lately. Darren\u2019s career took off as a member of the first-place Lightning, while Taylor and the Rangers are stuck at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n
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