The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League is partnering with one of its own players to spread awareness about mental health.
Kelowna Chiefs Right Winger and Mental Health Advocate Myles Mattila is working to build a network of mental health ambassadors around the league.
"We're just trying to let players know that it's okay to talk about the subject without being judged."
The ambassadors will support players by acting as a source of information and helping to connect them with mental health resources in their community.
"If we get a phone call from Creston, we have a general idea of where to lead that person to." said Mattila. "If we could have an individual who lives in that community and can feed us that support or that information, it'll be used in a proper manner."
Mattila is also the founder of MindRight.info, a website that connects youth with mental health resources. With enough education and open conversation, he hopes to erase the stigma around mental illness in hockey.
"For me, it started a few years ago."
As a 13 year-old playing in Prince George, Mattila noticed a close friend and teammate was struggling. His first instinct was to tell the team's head coach.
"The coach actually kicked him from the hockey team, which was very devastating"
"My friend just wanted help. We found later that he was actually going through depression"
With the threat of similar repercussions potentially silencing other players, Mattila hopes to create a culture where athletes, coaches and the community can talk about mental health openly.