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Capitals to host Hockey Talks Mental Health Awareness Night on January 26

By Chris Cerullo

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January 24, 2023 2:48 pm

The Washington Capitals will host their third Hockey Talks Mental Health Awareness Night on January 26 when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at Capital One Arena. The team will do so in partnership with MedStar Health and Morgan’s Message.

Hockey Talks is an initiative that focuses on promoting mental health and wellness, raising awareness, and helping end the stigma around mental health.

Before the Capitals take on the Pens, they will host a pregame mental wellness panel for student-athletes affiliated with Morgan’s Message.

The panel will feature Capitals senior director of team and organizational development Dr. Aimee Kimball, MedStar Health physician executive director for behavioral health Dr. Steven Epstein, Georgetown University Athletics head of athletic counseling services Dr. Erica Force, and women’s lacrosse ambassador at Howard University Taylor Matthews.

The team’s press release for the night describes Morgan’s Message as “an organization focused on student-athletes and mental health”. It adds that their mission, “is to amplify stories, resources, and expertise to strengthen student-athlete mental health, build a community by and for athletes through peer-to-peer conversations and to provide a platform for advocacy.”

In addition, there will be in-game messaging and social media content pertaining to mental health and an information table will be available on the 100- and 400-level concourse. Fans are encouraged to visit the table for resources and for the opportunity to fill out a Hockey Talks sign in support of mental health awareness.

Players will also wear Hockey Talks decals on their helmets to further raise awareness.

Here’s the full press release from the team which includes further initiatives that you should definitely check out:

Capitals to Host Hockey Talks in Partnership with MedStar Health on Jan. 26

ARLINGTON, VA – The Washington Capitals will host their third Hockey Talks Mental Health Awareness Night in partnership with MedStar Health on Jan. 26 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hockey Talks is an initiative that focuses on promoting mental health and wellness and encourages teams to use their platform to continue the conversation and share resources around the topic.

In collaboration with Morgan’s Message, an organization focused on student-athletes and mental health, the Capitals are hosting a pregame mental wellness panel for student-athletes affiliated with Morgan’s Message. The mission of Morgan’s Message is to amplify stories, resources and expertise to strengthen student-athlete mental health, build a community by and for athletes through peer-to-peer conversations and to provide a platform for advocacy.

The panel will feature Capitals senior director of team and organizational development Dr. Aimee Kimball, MedStar Health physician executive director for behavioral health Dr. Steven Epstein, Georgetown University Athletics head of athletic counseling services Dr. Erica Force, and women’s lacrosse ambassador at Howard University Taylor Matthews, who founded the Howard Chapter of Morgan’s Message in 2022 and serves as the chapter president.

Capitals in-game messaging and social media will feature content pertaining to mental health, including player PSAs, a feature on Morgan’s Message, a feature on Capitals alumnus Aaron Volpatti, and more. There will also be an information table on the 100- and 400-level concourse. Fans are encouraged to visit the table for resources and for the opportunity to fill out a Hockey Talks sign in support of mental health awareness. Players will wear the Hockey Talks decal on their helmets to further raise awareness around mental health.

In addition, the Capitals will highlight the Sydney’s Scholarship Art Auction through a video feature on Jan. 26. Card artist Luke Weaverling, also known as Luke the Cardist, is hosting an auction featuring cards signed by Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin at cardsforsydney.com to support the Sydney E. Holcomb Memorial South Carroll Stagelighters Scholarship. The auction will open at 7 p.m. on Jan. 26 and conclude at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2. The scholarship was created in 2021 to aid and assist drama students in their transition from high school to college in honor of Sydney Holcomb. Holcomb was a Capitals fan whose favorite player was T.J. Oshie. Holcomb and her mother collected hockey cards as a hobby together.

Fans can join the conversation online using the hashtag #HockeyTalks. For more information on the initiatives, visit washcaps.com/hockeytalks.

The Hockey Talks mental health awareness initiative began in 2013, following the tragic passing of Canucks player Rick Rypien in 2011. Rick was a hockey hero, a son, a brother, a teammate, and a friend. Rick’s wish was to support others and help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness by being a spokesperson for this issue. The Capitals first Hockey Talks Mental Health Awareness Night took place in 2020.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB

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