The Montreal Canadiens talk about mental health

MONTREAL - For the ninth consecutive year, the Montreal Canadiens are hosting their Hockey Talks program, an initiative supported by the National Hockey League to encourage conversations about mental health.

Joining forces with 17 other NHL teams, the Montreal Canadiens reiterate their commitment to building awareness among their fans about mental health, while also supporting the actions of organizations that help those in need.
On Thursday night, the Canadiens are dedicating their first home game of the season against the Calgary Flames to the Hockey Talks program and encourage the public to take to social media to share personal messages of support to create an open dialogue about mental health, using the #HockeyTalks hashtag. On the ice, players will also sport Hockey Talks decals on the back of their helmets to demonstrate their commitment to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
SHOP: Hockey Talks T-shirt 💬
Fans who wish to show their support to the cause will also be able to purchase a Hockey Talks T-shirt starting today from
Tricolore Sports' online store
. All proceeds from the sale of these shirts will be donated to
Kids Help Phone
, Canada's only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support in English and French to young people. Each year, Kids Help Phone provides millions of youth in crisis or in need with a safe, trusted space to talk over the phone, through text or via the Facebook Messenger app. According to
Statistics Canada
, young Canadians aged 15 to 24 are significantly more likely than their elders to show signs of distress, anxiety and poor mental health since the outbreak of COVID-19. Kids Help Phone reported a 150% increase in their services across phone and text during the first three months of the pandemic. In total, the organization received more than 4.5 million calls and texts from young people in 2020, compared to 1.9 million the previous year.
Bell Let's Talk Day is January 28
On Thursday, Montreal Canadiens players and members of the organization will also take part in the global mental health conversation. Fans are invited to join in on a wide range of communications platforms and directly drive Bell's donations to Canadian mental health programs simply by participating.
On Bell Let's Talk Day, Bell donates 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every applicable text, local or long distance call, tweet or TikTok video using #BellLetsTalk, every
Facebook
,
Instagram
,
Pinterest
,
Snapchat
,

,

and
YouTube
view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video, and every use of the Bell Let's Talk Facebook frame or Snapchat filter, all at no cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service provider for online or phone access.
About Bell Let's Talk
The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is focused on 4 key action pillars: Anti-stigma, Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership. Since its launch in September 2010, Bell Let's Talk has partnered with more than 1,100 organizations providing mental health services throughout Canada, including hospitals, universities and other care and research organizations. To learn more, please visit
Bell.ca/LetsTalk
.