Women’s hockey team targets mental health

By Ry Clarke - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on February 7, 2023.

Herald photo by Ry Clarke Amelia McLean drops the puck at the second annual Mental Health Memorial Game between the Lethbridge Eagles and the Cochrane Chaos at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

The Alberta Junior Female Hockey League’s Lethbridge Eagles held its second annual Mental Health Memorial Game this weekend at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

The game paid tribute to player Emily Middagh, who passed away in February 2021, after a struggle with mental health – the reason why the memorial game was established in her honour.

“It was to respect her memory and give us something to rally around. Mental health is a huge dominating conversation, and I think COVID brought that out even more with the isolation and people feeling lonely adding as a stressor,” said Eagles co-head coach Megan Skelly.

“It takes an emotional toll, even for a lot of our new players who didn’t know Emily. There is still someone in their life that may have experienced mental health illness – it has an impact and can be an emotional game.”

Before playing against the Cochrane Chaos on Saturday, the Eagles took time before the game to pay respect to Middagh and her influence on the players.

Eagles captain Genelle Lind spoke about Middagh’s impact on her life and the struggles she had, talking about the importance of their friendship and happy for the turnout in her honour.

“I didn’t know the battle she was fighting behind closed doors. I think it is important to get notice out there and letting people know you never know what is going on behind that closed door,” said Lind.

“The organizations we are fundraising for today are people that love to help with mental health issues. They are great resources that you wouldn’t think to reach out to, like Youth One. This is a great opportunity to get that word out there and let us know that there is somebody out there for that.”

Funds raised at the game came from silent auction items and a 50/50 raffle with proceeds going to groups including Youth One and Companion Paws. A portion of the money is being set aside for the team to help support players who may be struggling with mental health issues of their own.

“Last week at practice, we had a sports psychologist come in. She gave us a little bit of insight of what she was all about, and helped us through this weekend. She even looked forward into playoffs, which gets to be a stressful time,” said Lind.

“It has been amazing to have somebody come in, even just once a month, to check in. Sometimes you don’t have people around you that you can talk to. But having somebody like this that is confidential and open, means everything is just there for you.”

Paying tribute to Middagh, the Eagles rallied together by showing an understanding of the importance of teamwork, both on the ice and off the ice.

“Sports and mental health come hand-in-hand. Mental health can often be seen as quite invisible and by bringing awareness to it, we are allowing people to reach out and get the help they deserve,” said Eagles assistant captain Juliana Gulayets.

“We are a family, not just a team. I know that sounds cliché, but there is always somebody that has you back, and it is really important to know that, and know that they are here to fight that battle with you.”

Players were also joined by Amelia McLean, a youth in Lethbridge who was diagnosed with a lesion on her brain back in December, 2022. McLean skated with players during their warmup and dropped the puck for the ceremonial face-off.

“We are really excited to have her. She’s a little girl that loves hockey and has had her struggles. She’s ended up being really important to the team,” said Skelly.

Paying tribute and raising awareness, the Lethbridge Eagles scored plenty of goals.

“The primary focus is to make sure that the message transcends through all female players,” said Skelly. “For me, mental health and hockey were always tied. It was my oasis to get away and go play and have fun. I think we all need that.”