By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer
Content warning: mentions of substance use disorder, alcohol addiction, domestic violence, suicide, head trauma, and mental illness.
The conversation surrounding mental health in hockey has been evolving in recent decades, only really gaining traction in the early 2010s. Hockey Talks, a mental health awareness initiative, was created by the Vancouver Canucks in 2012 after former Canuck Rick Rypien died by suicide the year prior.
Rypien was one of three former NHL enforcers who passed away in a short four-month span in 2011. Wade Belak had recently retired and was found dead due to an apparent suicide in Toronto only two weeks after Rypien’s death, and Derek Boogaard died of an accidental overdose three months prior while recovering from a concussion.
At the time, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expected a review of the “extensive” programs the league and players’ association supported, alluding to the lesser-known player assistance program that would become more prevalent in the years to come.
In the present day, there is a growing number of current and former NHL players who are publicly revealing their struggles with mental health, a number of which come after their entrance into the player assistance program. Current goaltenders Connor Ingram and Spencer Knight entered the program in 2021 and 2023 respectively, both later revealing their struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Former NHLer Mark Borowiecki also publicly acknowledged his struggles with OCD during his playing career, but did not seek out the player assistance program. Former goaltender Corey Hirsch revealed his issues with OCD and anxiety 11 years post-retirement in a 2017 Player’s Tribune article, and has since been an advocate for mental health awareness in hockey.
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) established the Player Assistance Program in 1996 to help players and their families combat mental health struggles, substance use disorder, and other issues. Many players have entered the program since its inception, although it’s seen a rapid increase in intakes over the last few years, with six players entering the program in the last year. While seeking help, players continue to get paid, and can only return to their team once cleared by the program.
Alex Galchenyuk announced his intention to enter the program in July 2023 after his contract was terminated by the Arizona Coyotes for a string of charges, including a private property hit-and-run. Galchenyuk later signed a contract with SKA Saint Petersburg of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.
Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins and Samuel Girard of the Colorado Avalanche both entered the program in November 2023. Lucic entered after his arrest for an alleged domestic violence incident, and while the case has since been dropped, he is still on indefinite leave from the Bruins for the remainder of the season. Girard released a statement acknowledging how severe, untreated complications from anxiety and depression resulted in alcohol addiction. He would return to playing with the Avalanche in late December.
Valeri Nichushkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Patrik Laine all entered the program in the new year. Nichuskin entered for personal reasons, which were not disclosed, and returned to play in early March. Kuznetsov also entered the program for personal reasons, which were unknown. The 31-year-old was previously suspended without pay for three games due to “inappropriate conduct” in 2019, shortly after he was banned from international competition due to a failed drug test.
There is also a large portion of players, current and former, that deal or have dealt with substance use disorder. Bobby Ryan of the Ottawa Senators entered the player assistance program in November 2019 and didn’t return until February 2020, due to alcohol addiction. Legendary Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price also entered the program after leading his team to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, releasing a statement discussing his admittance to a residential treatment facility for substance use.
Earlier this season, the Chicago Blackhawks terminated Corey Perry’s contract, leading to him to announce his search for help with alcohol-related substance issues. Last month, Arizona Coyote Adam Ruzicka had his contract terminated after a video surfaced involving himself with a white powder substance that was allegedly cocaine.
While substance use disorder has also become more acknowledged in hockey circles, it still flies relatively low under the radar while the league worries itself about matters such as rainbow tape. In 2021, former Boston Bruins forward Jimmy Hayes died due to “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine.” His family and close friends struggled with this, as they thought his issues with substance use had improved since he left the world of professional hockey.
The league has also neglected to acknowledge the link between the highly physical nature of hockey and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by repeated head trauma, which can occur easily in hockey through fighting and hits to the head — both of which are still prevalent in the sport at many levels. This disorder can only be diagnosed after death, and symptoms can include cognitive impairments, behavioural changes, substance misuse, suicidal thoughts and ideation, mood disorders, and motor skill degeneration.
Bettman told NPR in 2023 that he does not believe there have been any documented studies suggesting any link between playing in the NHL and the diagnosis of CTE. Despite his claim, Boston University released a 2022 study suggesting that “each year of ice hockey play may increase the odds of developing CTE by 23%.” Rypien, Belak, and Boogard were all diagnosed with CTE after their deaths.
There may not be a definitive link between current NHL players and CTE, but due to the diagnostic procedure for the disorder occurring after death, it will potentially be decades until the truth is revealed. That’s too long to wait to treat the mental welfare of our athletes.
There may be a growing understanding of the importance of mental wellbeing in hockey, but the culture surrounding this hypermasculinized and highly physical sport still often neglects the basic needs of its players. Fighting is so deeply ingrained in all levels of the sport, along with multiple instances of neglecting serious injuries to seem “tough.”
In its Universal Declaration of Players Rights, the NHLPA states, “Every player must be provided with a safe and secure workplace and sporting environment, which promotes the player’s safety, physical and mental health.” Even with the strides the NHLPA and NHL have made in recent years, how much longer will it be until a significant change is made regarding mental health and substance use disorder in hockey, if the change will ever come?
