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The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division, the Kingston Frontenacs and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) are pleased to announce Jacob Battaglia as the first official spokesperson for CMHA’s sports mental health awareness and suicide prevention program, Talk Today.

February is Talk Today month in the OHL, where teams across the league shed light on mental health in partnership with their local CMHA branches. A star forward for the Kingston Frontenacs, Battaglia has participated in the Talk Today program throughout his time in the league and will be showing his support for the program by raising awareness and encouraging positive conversations about mental health throughout the month.

“I am so excited to have this opportunity to create and share an open space where individuals feel seen, heard, and understood.” said Jacob Battaglia. “This is a commitment to breaking down the negative stigma surrounding mental health one step at a time. I just want to really get the message out there that you’re never alone.”

“We’re excited to welcome Jacob as our first spokesperson for Talk Today,” said CMHA Ontario CEO Camille Quenneville. “OHL players have an important platform, and when players like Jacob share their stories, it plays a crucial role in breaking the stigma that surrounds mental health. With his support, we hope to empower more people to embrace open conversations about mental health and seek support when they need it."

Some of the activities Battaglia will be leading include:

  • Launching a new campaign called Pass the Puck, where teams across the OHL will challenge each other online to share positive messages about mental health and “pass the puck” to another team.
  • A unique new collaboration between CMHA Ontario’s Someone’s Someone campaign and Talk Today program where Jacob will use his platform to highlight that behind all the mental health and addictions stats, we’re all someone’s someone.
  • A social media takeover on CMHA Ontario’s accounts, showing how he supports his mental health.

“Our entire organization is incredibly proud of Jacob for taking the lead on this.” said Kingston Frontenacs’ Manager of Marketing and Digital Media, Spencer Loeb. “When he came to me last season with the idea of raising funds for the Talk Today program, he was very eager, and I could tell this program meant a lot to him on a personal level. Jacob told me he wanted to do more this season and take it to the next level, and it's been awesome to work with him to make this a reality. He’s a great young man with an even better head on his shoulders and he’s the perfect choice to be the OHL’s first official spokesperson for the Talk Today program.”

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Battaglia has 62 points (27G, 35A) in 44 games with the Frontenacs this year

“For more than a decade, this program has meant so much to so many people across the league,” said OHL Comissioner Bryan Crawford. “Having Jacob step up and be an advocate for mental health speaks to his character and it’s great to see him working alongside our great partners at the CMHA in this very important effort.”
Launched in 2014 as a partnership between CMHA Ontario and the OHL, Talk Today has grown to become one of the most comprehensive mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs for amateur sports in Canada. Talk Today aims to promote suicide prevention, the mental health of young athletes and to spread awareness about the benefits of positive mental health throughout communities across the country.

Since 2014, nearly 13,000 individuals have received mental health and suicide awareness training through the program. Most individuals trained are athletes, but coaches, staff, billets and parents have also participated in training, helping to create cultures of openness within athlete support networks.

For more information about Talk Today or to check out a Talk Today awareness game near you, visit www.talktoday.ca.

For more information on Someone’s Someone, visit www.someonessomeone.ca.