Video: Stanley Cup champ Brent Sopel on hiding reading struggles “behind his stick”

When Brent Sopel was growing up, he hated school. That’s because he felt paralyzed by reading. His escape? Playing hockey.

Sopel was so talented on the ice that he was dismissed as a “dumb athlete.” His talents took him so far that he became a professional hockey player — and won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. As Sopel’s career wound down, his daughter started struggling with reading the same way he had. He still struggled with reading, and he had no choice but to address his challenges head-on.

Watch his inspiring story — from “hiding behind his stick” as a child to the work he’s doing now to help kids with dyslexia.