NHLPA

The dark side of hockey

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…

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