from Mike Chambers of the Denver Post,

This COVID-19 calendar year — a year many of us want to forget — has been life-changing for Jim Montgomery.

The former University of Denver hockey coach has identified the silver lining of his very public alcohol-induced dismissal as head coach of the Dallas Stars last December, and he embraces it. It’s almost like he’s thankful it happened — because if it didn’t, he wouldn’t be a liberated and healthy family man and assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues.

“I always used to say in Denver when players were suspended, ‘They didn’t do the right thing.’ Well, I didn’t do the right thing and sometimes it takes an unbelievable breakdown to have an undeniable breakthrough,” Montgomery said in a phone interview with The Denver Post. “Right now I’m a much better person and I think I’m going to be a much better coach because of everything that’s happened.”

Montgomery, 51, says he is now 10 months sober and has a much better understanding of who he is and how he must conduct his life.

“I learned that alcohol is no longer a viable option for me, because it had become a problem,” he said. “Once you realize that and you understand the disease, moving forward doesn’t become easy but you start to understand the coping mechanisms you need and it becomes incredibly liberating.”

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