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Life after hockey could have taken Courtnall down a dark and destructive road. But the Victoria native has not only navigated the twists and turns in his life — successes and failures on the professional and personal fronts — he claims to be a better person for it all.

He’s grateful, happy and well balanced. He has become a better father to sons Adam, 30, and Justin, 28, and becoming a philanthropist has given his life more meaning.

However, the biggest assist to living a full and rewarding life came from his lifelong friend and former roommate Cam Neely.

Photo by Jason Payne / Postmedia News

Losing his way, life-changing call

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver were a never-ending party. And nobody celebrated better than Courtnall. He was always up for a good time — maybe to forget the bad times.

If there was ever a cause for celebration that had the beer flowing and corks popping, it was Canada’s gripping 3-2 overtime gold-medal victory over the United States on Sidney Crosby’s heroics. And in the middle of all the hoopla were Courtnall and his buddies. It would be the final drink Courtnall consumed.

He paused and gathered his thoughts before coming clean on being at the fateful fork in the road.

“I was here for the entire Olympics and basically drinking from 11 in the morning until 2 a.m.,” he recalled. “I had a great time, but I had been sort of pushing the limit of drinking too much. A lot of red wine and having a lot of fun, and thinking it was great and more important in my life than the important things.