It has taken the deaths of three enforcers over four months, but now NHL players are starting to ask some tough questions in public.
Ex-Leafs Jamal Mayers and Tyson Nash raised eyebrows on Twitter with their thoughts following the death Wednesday of former Leaf Wade Belak.
“Sad day for the entire hockey fraternity! We really need to take a deep look into the WHY?” tweeted Mayers, now a Chicago Blackhawk but a member of the Leafs from 2008-10.
Although we don’t know what caused Belak to hang himself in a Toronto hotel, Mayers' question of “Why” resonated — was he depressed? Could someone have helped?
Meanwhile Nash, a longtime Coyotes agitator and briefly in the Leaf organization in 2006-07, raised the ire of the NHL Players' Association by suggesting the NHLPA let Belak down.
“Hard for people to understand but retirement is the hardest thing a player will ever go through. Nothing can prepare u for it ... Ur entire life is dedicated to hockey and then one day it's all over and ur kicked to the curb! And the NHLPA does nothing to prepare u,” tweeted Nash, now a colour commentator for the Phoenix Coyotes.
The players' association took issue with Nash's tweets, pointing out a variety of programs run cooperatively among the association, the league and the league's alumni association.
“It's not true, there are programs in place that assist players in transitioning,” retired NHLer Mathieu Schneider, who now works for the association, told the Fan590. “There's one called BreakAway. We haven't had a ton of guys use it, but it's there, it's available.”
There's an emergency assistance fund, and an opportunity to take courses online through Ryerson University for players to find work or start businesses, said Schneider.
“Is there more we can do, I think so,” said Schneider, pointing out it might be too early to rush to judgment that Belak's suicide could be directly linked to his retirement from hockey. Schneider added that Belak appeared to have his post-hockey career in order — he had his firefighters' licence, TV jobs lined up in Nashville and was going to be on CBC's Battle of the Blades.
“He was a happy guy,” said Schneider. “There's nothing out there that would leave you to believe there were any issues.”
Nash added later: “People it's my opinion from someone who has been through it. I don't expect sympathy but it is an issue for retired players is all ... Depression and heartache doesn't discriminate! Money doesn't = happiness. Job loss is terrible but I'm just airing an athlete’s view.”
