WASHINGTON, D.C. – The moments come fast, like camera flashes, and whenever they do Derek Ryan tries his damnedest to hang onto them. Usually it happens before another game with the Carolina Hurricanes, as the forward stands on the bench and listens to the national anthem. “Be grateful for this,” he reminds himself. “It’s not something a lot of players get to participate in, especially someone who’s gone through my journey.”
Here is another moment, fortunately a little longer lasting: One Sunday afternoon in January, Ryan sits in the glitzy lobby of the JW Marriott in downtown D.