Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division and CMHA branches and divisions across the country congratulate the 88 junior hockey players from teams who participated in the Talk Today program this past season and were selected in the 2024 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft June 28-29.
On the heels of the completion of Talk Today’s 10th season supporting junior hockey – during which the program saw more teams and participants trained in mental health awareness and suicide prevention, more support provided to athletes, and more community awareness games completed than in any season before – nearly 40 per cent of all players taken in the 2024 draft were from Canadian Hockey League (CHL) clubs who took part in Talk Today this season.
Included in this group are the five players who filmed videos with positive messages about mental health and seeking support for Talk Today during the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. CMHAs offer a special congratulations to these now-NHL prospects:
- Ben Danford, drafted in the first round, 31st overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Spencer Gill, second round, 59th overall, Philadelphia Flyers
- Carson Wetsch, third round, 82nd overall, San Jose Sharks
- Kieron Walton, sixth round, 187th overall, Winnipeg Jets
- Ryerson Leenders, seventh round, 219th overall, Buffalo Sabres
Good luck to Kieron Walton, Carson Wetsch, Ryerson Leenders, Spencer Gill, and @danford_ben who took the time to shoot these positive mental health messages at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game 🏒@Sudbury_Wolves @WHLHitmen @OHLSteelheads @Oshawa_Generals @oceanicrimouski pic.twitter.com/Fd1ZLjzWmM
— CMHA Ontario (@CMHAOntario) June 27, 2024
Thank you, Ben, Spencer, Carson, Kieron and Ryerson for supporting CMHAs and Talk Today in creating mental health awareness in communities across Canada.
Find the full list of CHL players selected in the 2024 NHL Draft here.
Since Talk Today’s inception in 2014, more than 11,000 participants have received mental health awareness and suicide prevention training across junior hockey, collegiate programs and minor sports organizations.
One of the most comprehensive sports mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs in Canada, Talk Today aims to promote suicide prevention, the mental health of young athletes and spread awareness about the benefits of positive mental health throughout communities across the country. Launched in 2014 as a partnership between CMHA Ontario and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Talk Today has since expanded into the top two levels of junior hockey nationally, the CHL and its member leagues (OHL, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League), as well as eight member Jr. A leagues in the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
In addition to mental health education, local Talk Today partnerships between CMHA branches and sports organizations provide athletes with connections to community supports through a dedicated mental health coach, as well as opportunities to raise mental health awareness through community events.
For more information about Talk Today, visit www.talktoday.ca and subscribe to the Talk Today podcast on your preferred podcast app.