#Nhl 21 create a team ideas pro
#Nhl 21 create a team ideas professional

'The one thing most participants expressed was there was a lot of talk in the industry but not much changing systemically at the base level,' Crawford said.Įfforts toward de-stigmatization, such as players sharing their personal stories, are making a difference, changing what it means to me a 'good team player.' The pair hopes the study helps boost what they describe as a slow shift, though they say 'much more' is needed from the top of organizations like the NHL. Worried about job security and future opportunities, players said they became wary of team doctors and sport psychologists.Ĭrawford and Beauchamp said something that became apparent through the interviews was a 'general culture of silence and suspicion' in hockey organizations. Many shared that they didn't have much trust in team personnel: they were worried if word got back to general managers or coaches, they'd lose their jobs. 'We saw that if a team member had a bad experience with receiving help from a professional, then that will spread like wildfire and completely shut down any future help seeking on the team,' Crawford said. Some said they'd watched others' experiences and made assumptions from that. Some said they were worried about the attention mental health care might put on them, or being seen as asking for too much and 'sucking up resources,' Crawford quoted. Instead, they only got help if it was seen in a way that benefited the entire team, they said in their interviews. Some athletes told her they'd minimized or dismissed their conditions because they worried about being labelled as selfish.

They interviewed a group of current and recently retired players, the majority of which (18 out of 19) have NHL experience.Īccording to Crawford, whose father was a former coach and brother works in the NHL, the findings of the small peer-reviewed study suggest there are key barriers.

#Nhl 21 create a team ideas pro

Previous studies, they say, suggest up to one-third of current and former pro athletes experience mental health issues.Ĭrawford and Beauchamp's work looked at why those athletes are reluctant to access support, and when they do, why they don't receive what they actually need. She and co-author Mark Beauchamp, a UBC professor, say that other studies have looked into the mental health of elite athletes, but none have looked specifically at why male ice hockey athletes don't seek help when they need it. 'Despite several extreme and unfortunate cases, and the fact that they've had numerous athletes openly struggle with mental health, the NHL hasn't really taken concrete steps to provide adequate and impactful support,' Crawford said in a news release from UBC Wednesday. 15, 2001, and had a history of clinical depression. Her study was released after the anniversary of the death of former Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien. Katie Crawford, a student of the University of British Columbia's kinesiology program, said cultural and systemic factors are at play, and the league hasn't done enough to support its players.

#Nhl 21 create a team ideas professional

A Canadian researcher with a brother working for the NHL says there's a reason professional hockey players don't seek mental health help when they need it.