When the Maple Leafs take to the Air Canada Centre ice Wednesday, they'll do so in the midst of the eighth annual Bell Let's Talk Day in support of mental health awareness. And from Toronto's players to its coaching staff to the team's management, everyone from the organization is acutely aware of the importance of the issue, and of the need to continue the conversation so that everyone is comfortable discussing it.
"What the message is, mainly, is 'Don't suffer in silence'," Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said Tuesday after practice. "There's lots of help out there, whether that be some support through a psychologist, whether that be medication, doctor's help, whether that be your family, your people at work - there are so many ways that you can get help."
On Bell Let's Talk Day, Leafs Continue Conversation for Mental Health
© Jeff Vinnick
"It's more in the open, which is I think the most important thing," added winger James van Riemsdyk. "(Mental health is) one of those things that was - I don't know if 'swept under the rug is the right term, but just not really confronted and kind of pushed to the side. So it's nice to see that kind of conversation about that stuff make people who maybe are struggling with things feel comfortable about talking it out and finding the help that they need."
Bell Let's Talk Day - a multi-platform initiative that encourages discussion on social media and features a five-cent donation for every interaction featuring the #BellLetsTalk hashtag - has been growing since its inception in 2011. Bell has donated a total of $86.5 million to mental health programs and reached nearly half-a-million young people in that span. Providing Canadians with care, access and research into mental illness is the goal, and when high-profile individuals like athletes and entertainers discuss their own experiences in dealing with mental health, only good things can happen.
"What I really appreciate are the people - whether it be (TSN personality) Michael Landsberg, whether that be (Canadian Olympian) Clara Hughes, whether that be (former Maple Leafs defenceman) Paul Ranger - all these people that have been through it, and now step out and show they've been very successful in their sport; they're obviously very mentally tough, they've been very driven, and yet they still suffer.
"I just know of a couple people we've lost in the past couple of years - C.E.O.s of companies that seem to have everything great, have wives, have kids…and the next thing you know, they take their own life. It's just a sad, sad thing. So obviously, the more people in position to use their notoriety to draw attention to it, I think the better off you are. So that's, to me, why we're involved."
Their visibility is unparalleled in Canada, but hockey players are no different than anyone else: they've got stresses and pressures at work and at home, and juggling them can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and helpless. If there is a difference, though, it's that elite young hockey stars begin experiencing those pressures at a very young age, as expectations regarding their on-ice performance skyrockets. That said, Hockey Canada and leagues in general are doing a better job of providing support to players and their families and helping them recognize signs and symptoms of individuals who are struggling.
"I think we're really trying," Babcock said of the hockey community's response to mental health issues. "I know in (our) major junior hockey league, the Canadian Hockey League across Canada, they've done a real good job educating their players. Everybody takes a course now and (opens) up about it."
Babcock also spoke to the personal impact mental health problems have had on people in his life.
"When it really hit home for me (was) when a couple of friends lost family members - a son and a husband in a short period of time. But the other thing that happened in my life is my kids were getting ready to leave home - whether that be leaving to play junior hockey, or leaving to go to college. In your own little town, in your own little school, everything was a controlled environment, and you'd had success. (But) suddenly you're out there in the real world, and maybe your marks aren't quite as good, maybe you're not getting to play, maybe the stresses on you are unreasonable - you've got to have a way to manage that.
"I'm not saying when you're under stress that means you have any sort of mental illness. What I am saying, though, is I think it's very important to talk to your kids and listen to your kids and make sure you know what's going on with them. Because you don't want to find out too late. You want to be involved as much as you possibly can as a prudent parent."
The Leafs' players are idolized by youngsters and adults alike, but all players understand what appears to be a glamorous lifestyle on the surface can mask the trials and tribulations that can weigh down someone's existence. That's why a program like Bell Let's Talk is so crucial - it underscores why we need to recognize that nothing - not money, not fame, not a Stanley Cup championship - is a substitute for a serious medical issue. Family, friends and coworkers can provide empathy and be understanding as someone deals with what ails them, and a more aware society will lead to exactly that type of support.
"We're human beings too, and even though at the surface it may look like everything's great, deeper down there could be a problem," centre Nazem Kadri said. "So I think it's very important for people to speak out. I think that's what that whole process is for, to make people more aware of it and to give people options to seek help if they need it."
"I think the main support system has to come from the people who love you - family, friends - that's the most important support system you can have," added winger Connor Brown. "I remember watching something on (American Olympic swim star) Michael Phelps, and he was saying if you think successful people aren't depressed, then you don't understand mental health. So it goes on even at high levels with people you think might have it all, so it's important to find the right outlets to help you get through it."
