A compelling look behind the mask of a professional hockey player offers understanding and hope to anyone living with mental illness By the time he was twenty-two years old, goaltender Corey Hirsch had won an Olympic silver medal, realized his childhood dream of playing in the NHL and drunk from the Stanley Cup. But these accomplishments no longer mattered to him. Hirsch was plagued by persistent dark thoughts and ceaseless anxiety. Even while he continued to excel in the net, his illness deepened. On days when he could barely get out of bed, he was able to push his misery aside for long enough to win a game. But as soon as he got back to his locker, the terrifying cycle started all over again. And it continued, until finally one night he drove his car toward a cliff, braking just before the edge. The near accident finally led him to confide in a team trainer, who helped him get the professional treatment he needed. Hirsch was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder, and he was able to embark on the rocky road to recovery. As Hirsch says, I am not insane. I am not a bad person. I am not weak. I have an illness, and there is a treatment.