From the NHL to Minor Hockey, Hockey Talks Keeps the Conversation Going

More than a decade after it began, Hockey Talks continues to turn personal loss into meaningful conversations for the next generation of hockey players.

The event was in partnership with lululemon and brought around 40 players from the U15 North Vancouver Minor Hockey Association and Burnaby Female Ice Hockey Association and their coaches to Rogers Arena on Monday to talk about the importance of mental health and supporting one another.

The Hockey Talks mental health awareness initiative began in 2012, following the tragic passing of Canucks forward Rick Rypien and the organization honours Rick by continuing to tell his story and carry on his legacy by providing education and support for youth and families surrounding mental health.

This is the 14th year of Hockey Talks and Rick’s brother Wes, talked about the importance of the Canucks’ platform to spark conversation around mental health and reduce stigma at all levels of the game.

“Having NHL teams like the Canucks step forward and continue to do this year after year is super important,” Wes said. “This platform can reach so many different people, fans of the Canucks, and their families and friends. Seeing that trickle down hopefully through minor pro hockey into Junior, and then down into grassroots for minor hockey players, I think it’s beneficial that NHL teams are starting this.”

The three major talking points that the event focused on were how to be a good teammate, communication, and the difference between being mentally tough and having mental health issues.

“I think that’s really important for kids to realize that, especially as they’re getting older now, that if somebody is going through something, it’s just as important that their teammates are there to support them as well as parents as coaches,” Wes said.

The participants listened to presentations from 1616, and Foundry BC, who went over a variety of mental health topics, and the kids put that knowledge to the test in a game led by lululemon, splitting into teams and answering questions. They attended morning skate to watch their favourite players on the ice and capped off the event with a panel discussion with Canucks alumni Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Chris Higgins, and Wes Rypien.

The players talked about the importance of mental health and that they’ve touched on the subject at school, but taking a deep dive into it with the Canucks and getting advice and knowledge from former NHLers on how to handle the pressures of playing hockey was invaluable.

14-year-old Asher is a defenceman, and said a big takeaway for him was a roadmap on how to approach obstacles.

“This whole event was a really great way to open your perspective on how even people – like former NHL players or current NHL players – experience the same sort of stress issues that you might,” Asher said.

"The way that they tackle these problems at the professional level, that makes them able to like compete [at the highest level], it helps me, personally, by giving me ways I can work through these issues.”

Ben, 13, is a winger and agreed that hearing from former NHLers made a big impact, helping break the stigma around mental health. Just like in a game, moving swiftly to help someone who might be struggling is the best course of action.

“I learned to control the controllables, and if you see a teammate that looks like he's down and needs some help, just help him out,” Ben said.

A centre, Charlie, 13, learned new tips and tricks about the mental preparation for a game on and off the ice. Making the dressing room an inclusive space means that if everyone is feeling their best, they are going to have a better chance of playing to their fullest potential.

“I came across a few things I was expecting to hear, but there were a few things that are new and things I'd be willing to try to keep people involved and included,” Charlie said.

Chiara, 13 and Sabrina, 13, have played hockey together for four years and oftentimes have played on the same line. They have each other on the ice, and the Hockey Talks session was a great reminder that they’re not just playing hockey; they’re making memories.

“I've learned that the people I meet in hockey, like Sabrina, that I really have to cherish the moments that we'll be together. I have to help my team out, be kind to them, not put so much pressure [on them]. Have fun most of all and just be a good person,” Chiara said.

“This experience was really cool, getting to see people that have experienced something maybe I've experienced from anxiety or other things. I also thought it was really cool that I got to watch the Canucks practice and see them have all that fun on the ice.”

Sabrina echoed Chiara’s sentiments of gratitude, and it was a great reminder that there’s always help if you need it. She enjoyed the educational videos they watched that shared methods for managing mental health through time management for school, hockey, and other activities.

“I also learned today that not everyone gets to experience this – it's like a once in a lifetime type of thing,” Sabrina said. “You have friends and family that can help you with mental health and there's people who care about you and make sure that you're okay.”

“If you join any sports, it's a good opportunity to make friends. I’ve made so many new friends this year on a new team and we all want to make sure everyone's included and feels welcomed.”

For more information on Hockey Talks or resources for navigating mental health issues please visit here.