We were blessed to run into a terrific story last week abouthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Christian"> Jeff Christian, a professional hockey pioneer here in the Valley as an original member of the Steelhounds.

Jeff was part of the original team that played here when the Covelli Centre first opened, and his personality made him a great face for the new team.

Still to today, folks in the circles that I cross, when they learn that I’m a hockey nut, will drop the “I knew Jeff Christian” line.

I never met him.

But the story I found last week from a sports magazine out of Canada, SportsNet, was a must-read for anyone who ever dreamt of being a pro athlete and a solid father.

Jeff’s long road in professional hockey ended last season, but a tough battle as a dad awaited him as his daughter was stricken with cancer.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/magazine/2011/11/15/jeff_christian_big_read/">Dan Robson of SportsNet wrote a terrific portrait of Christian’s life chasing his dream in North America and in Europe, and its tragic turn with his daughter. It was such a good story, that trimming its massive length was harder than finding a way to run it over three days.

So that’s what we did starting Monday. It continued Tuesday and ends Wednesday. It’s a print-only feature for The Vindicator.

The final installment runs Wednesday. Check it out. Get to Monday's and Tuesday's editions as well.

You don’t have to be a hockey person to like the story.

Have a dream as boy. Become a man of courage. Grow into a dad with heart.

That’s who this story relates to.