Dion Phaneuf puts bitter rivalry aside to do something incredible.

Despite the fact that there in no question he is a talented National Hockey League player, for one reason or another Dion Phaneuf has not been what you would consider one of the most well-respected players in the NHL.

Fans of the league tend to resent him either due to the fact that he earned a massive contract from the Toronto Maple Leafs despite being a "pylon" or because of his lack of success while wearing the "C" for the Maple Leafs, but that may be about to change. 

On Wednesday night beloved NHL forward Derek Dorsett made a surprising revelation during a one on one interview with Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, a revelation about the character of Dion Phaneuf. 

Despite the fact that Phaneuf and Dorsett have been bitter rivals since both men were just teenagers, when Phaneuf heard about Dorsett's career ending-injury he reached out to let him know how much he respected him and to show his support for a man going through a heartbreaking forced retirement. 

It's an incredible show of class from Phaneuf and one he likely never expect to get credit for in the yes of the public, which makes it seem that much more genuine. I hope that this will cause every person reading this story to respect Phaneuf just a little more, if not as a hockey player at least as a man.