TAIT: Goals

Hockey Talks. You could very well assume phrases like "skate", "shoot", "pass", "what a save," and, of course, "what a goal" are perpetual phrases heard during a hockey game. But during the month of January, other words, hopefully, turned from silence, into whispers, to heartfelt words with deep profound meaning on a subject that seems to be growing daily - but, clearly, we're not completely comfortable to discuss.
Mental health.

This marked the sixth season the Edmonton Oilers and the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF), along with every other Canadian team in the National Hockey League, supported the campaign to raise awareness about mental health. Local groups - the CASA Foundation, Kids Help Phone, Canadian Mental Health Association, the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation and the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta - had displays on the Rogers Place concourse during Oilers home games. It gave fans a chance to be informed, and potentially, get help themselves.
The Oilers Ladies got a head start just before Christmas. The request was simple, yet so great: the CASA Foundation, a major community-based provider of mental health services for infants, children, adolescents and their families, needed volunteers to help do some Christmas baking. Oilers Family Liaison Jill Metz quickly gathered Alicia Chiarelli (wife of Peter, Oilers hockey Vice-President and General Manager), Jody Johnson (wife of Oilers Assistant Coach Jim), Jackie Woodcroft (wife of Assistant Coach Jay) and their two daughters, and Ilariia Gorelova (wife of player Yohann Auvitu) and had a tour of CASA Centre.
"The ladies baked Christmas cookies with kids that are clients of CASA and had a tour of CASA Centre," Metz said. "What stood out for us is how impressive the facility is and the wide variety of services that they offer. Some of the kids seemed very excited and uplifted that people from "the Oilers" came to spend time with them."
Dr. Denise Milne, CASA Foundation CEO echoes the impact. "CASA was so appreciative of the time these ladies took to spend with our kids during the holiday season and know that they had a great impact on our kids as the visit brightened their day and they got to go home with tins full of cookies and stories to tell to their families."
The number of young people being diagnosed with mental health issues is on the rise. In fact, CASA Foundation statistics show 700 new cases are being reported to Alberta Health Services a month. The result means names are stacking up on wait lists, and getting the right services can be an issue. National figures are, perhaps, more alarming - estimates suggest 10 to 20% of young Canadians live with a mental illness or disorder. The main concern is only one in five Canadian children get the help they need.
Tragically, suicide is among the leading causes of death in 15-24 year-old Canadians. And those who need help the most may not be receiving the services they need.
That's why Hockey Talks provides an opportunity to discuss the issue and have compassionate conversations in a safe environment.
"The support of the Oilers and other NHL clubs is instrumental in normalizing an individual's struggle with their mental health," said Dr. Milne.
"Creating opportunities to encourage open and transparent conversations about mental health in our daily lives can change one's life choices to have a positive and supportive outcome. We are all in this journey of wellness together."
The EOCF has played an active part in the other charities who were dispatching information at home games. The foundation has a strong relationship to the Community Foundation Family Room in the Royal Alexandra Hospital's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, which opened in 2015. Using a hockey theme, the room gives pediatric mental health patients and their families a different, more positive environment when spending time at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Hockey Talks skates through until March. Ironically, the Oilers hosted organizations during the month of January, one of the busiest months of hockey season. Countless minor hockey players lace up their skates and take to the ice. Fans cheer encouraging phrases, in the game they love, to build confidence for our young citizens.
Hockey Talks: starting meaningful conversation for all kinds of goals.