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On Monday, a heartwarming tale of the incredible generosity of Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling began making the rounds on Twitter.

It was shared by a recreational hockey goalie who happened to get a ride from an Uber driver in Arizona who randomly had a story involving Darling and a man in need. Here is the remarkable tale relayed by Kane Van Gate:

Darling later confirmed the story on Twitter.

He also shared a few more details with Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune.

"I just started talking to him, was interested in his life, seemed like a good guy and just needed a helping hand," Darling said. "That's how it happened."

Darling said he met the man Wednesday in Scottsdale, Ariz., where the Hawks were staying in advance of their game Thursday against the Coyotes. Darling, who did not divulge the man's name, said he was surprised to see the story gain traction on social media considering the only person he told was his fiancee.

"I had no idea how anyone even found out about that," Darling said.

Darling would have otherwise let this good deed go unnoticed. Had the Uber driver not seen Van Gate’s goalie pads, this may have never reached the public at all. This wasn’t a look-at-me effort, though that’s not a surprise given Darling’s low-key demeanor. When Van Gate's tweet started to go viral, it was kind of unavoidable for the netminder.

The Blackhawks’ backup would also know better than most what it’s like to fall on harder times. On his incredibly challenging road to the NHL, he had to battle alcoholism. It sent him on a winding path from being kicked off the University of Maine’s hockey team, to numerous minor league circuits and finally, to a job with his hometown Blackhawks. His career really could have been over had he not had a good support system in his family. Now he’s a Stanley Cup champion and apparently a pretty great person, too.

"I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for that situation — people battling stuff that other people don't understand," Darling told the Tribune. "He seemed like a really nice person. I'm in the position to help somebody like that. I'm happy to do it."

Darling is not among the richest players on the team. In fact, he’s making the league minimum ($575,000) this season. That might be a lot more than the rest of us regular Joes will see this year, but paying someone’s way at a hotel for a month is probably a fairly significant financial commitment. Not only that, but to do it for a stranger? It's the kind of situation that makes you wonder how you would act if given the same situation.

As Darling said in his tweet, he was just trying to pay it forward and that he was lucky to be in a position to help. And to think, if not for a chance meeting between two completely random individuals in an Uber car, only a handful of people would have ever known about it.

Scott Darling did something rather incredible for someone in need. (USATSI)
Scott Darling did something rather incredible for someone in need. (USATSI)