Stars Foundation joins Stephen Johns on his journey across the country

Truth be told, Stephen Johns is flying by the seat of his pants.
The former Stars defenseman, who announced in June that he was retiring from hockey because of a long battle with post-concussion syndrome, decided to partake in a journey across the United States rollerblading and riding in a truck with good friend Jeff Toates. The two are recording the trip in hopes of making an inspirational film, and two weeks into the journey, they're announcing that the Dallas Stars Foundation will help in a fund-raising effort.

Johns said much of the initiative has been impromptu, but having the Stars Foundation's help makes all of this seem a lot more real.
"The theme of the trip has been that we're just trying to figure it out along the way," Johns said. "We'd love to raise money and help people who don't have resources to help them get through their tough times."
The Stars Foundation will combine with Mental Health America of Greater Dallas and use the hashtag
#MentalMiles
to help bring in donations. They'll then help distribute the funds and help people who are struggling with mental issues.

"It kind of came together pretty quickly, but I'm glad we can help," said Stars Foundation President Marty Turco. "We've tackled a lot of tasks, so we feel we can be a big help here."
Turco was a leader in community service as a player, but said he had to learn a lot about the administration end of the business when he retired. Bottom line, someone must do the behind-the-scenes work, but you also need a voice that can stir fans into action.
"My perspective has always been Do something,"' Turco said. "You don't always know how to do it, but the fact you want to help is the first step. That creates a conversation, and we can continue the conversation. For Stephen, I think he's like,Let's talk about it.' That's important. It's a microcosm of our world. He's been open about his career and the pain he has had to deal with, and now he wants to try to help as many people as he can."

Johns said the goal of this trip was not only to help himself, but to serve as an inspiration for others. He's skating along as many quiet roads as he can find and riding in the truck when the road gets busy. He's using "Mental Miles" as a motivational talking point for people to deal with whatever issues are in their heads.
Johns had to deal with concussions when he played and that led him to a 22-month absence from playing. He returned in 2020, but again had headaches and other problems typically associated with concussions. That forced him to consider retirement, and the entire process of leaving the game at 29 years of age caused even more depression.
On June 13, Johns posted this on social media:

He and Toates put their plan together and have been traveling from Johns' home in Pennsylvania to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, he has stopped to see old friends at his alma mater Notre Dame, visited Stars teammate Joe Pavelski in Wisconsin and spent time with Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan in Idaho. Johns said reconnecting has been huge, as has been the quiet time when he's rollerblading.

"I think about everything, different highlights of my career, I think about my family, I think about my buddies, all of it," he said of his thoughts on the road. "I just let whatever thoughts come. It's been freeing. It's been incredible."
Johns has spent hours in physical therapy and with psychiatrists and psychologists. He said he knows the cost and wants to allow people who might not be able to afford it at least consider the option.
"My sessions were pretty expensive, and I don't know if I would've gone if it hadn't been covered," he said. "I'm lucky to have the insurance or the union helping me, so I understand just how expensive it can be. That's the sad reality and it's kind of time to change that."
He added that his hope is people also can help affordably face their issues by running, biking or rollerblading - or simply having conversations with a friend or family member. That's why the hashtag #MentalMiles is important. If you do an exercise, post an entry on Twitter with that hashtag, and that can open a conversation with people across the internet.

"That's the message we want to send," Johns said. "I know people don't have the time to take off across the country, but you can still dedicate time to yourself. Whether that's a physical activity or having conversations with your friends. If you're having a bad day, let the people around you know. It's important to be honest. I lied to myself, I lied to other people, family, friends, just so I wouldn't have to have the conversation. It's the worst thing you can do."
Now he says he feels great. He's addressing his own needs and also helping others, and that's a huge help to his mental health. He said he wants to find a way to continue that good feeling.
"It's a week or so away from the trip ending and it's already starting to get sad because I don't want it to be over," Johns said. "So there's definitely a future to all of this. I kind of look at this as the first chapter."
In a book the Stars Foundation hopes will be very big, Turco said the hope has always been that the Foundation can do more than just things like help charities with sticks or jerseys, so this is a program that's a perfect fit.
"We were a very traditional organization, but we've really tried to expand," Turco said. "I think even from five years ago, we're in a lot better position to help Stephen with a cause like this. We want to continue to grow, and I think Stephen is going to help us. He's pushing all of us to do more and be better."
You can follow Johns on his journey by following him on his

and
Instagram
accounts or by using the hashtag
#MentalMiles
.
Photo credit: Jeff Toates
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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.