What is the NHL player assistance program?
Created in 1996, the player assistance program is a joint venture between the NHL and the players’ union that’s meant to help players when they’re struggling with mental health, substance abuse and other issues. The program, which has been around since 1996, is also available to players’ family members.
Players who enter the program, which is strictly voluntary, continue to get paid while receiving counseling, treatment and other services. The program also offers a hotline that players and their relatives can call to speak with mental health professionals.
Since these are sensitive topics, the program and hotline allow players to get the help they need confidentially. The league and NHLPA never disclose why a player has entered the program. Typically, they simply announce that the player will be out indefinitely and that he’ll return once he has been cleared by the program’s administrators.
While some players never publicly reveal why they entered the program, others are willing to share. For example, when Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard entered the player assistance program in 2023, he was very open about it and encouraged others to seek help if they’re in a similar place.
“I have made a proactive decision to take care of my mental health, and will be entering treatment for severe anxiety and depression that has gone untreated for too long and led to alcohol abuse,” Girard said in a statement. “Taking care of your mental health is of the utmost importance, and I encourage everyone to speak up and seek help should you feel like you need it.”
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