When Jakob Chychrun returned to Canadian Tire Centre for the first time as a Capital, his homecoming matchup held extra meaning even before the game began.
Chychrun’s aunt and uncle Stephanie and Luke Richardson participated in the pregame puck drop Thursday ahead of the Ottawa Senators’ annual Hockey Talks night, with Chychrun representing the Caps in the ceremony.
Tonight, Jakob Chychrun and his aunt and uncle, Stephanie and Luke Richardson, partook in puck drop for the @Senators' #HockeyTalks Night.
The Richardsons founded Do It For Daron (@difdroyal) in honor of their daughter Daron (Jakob's cousin) who lost her life to suicide in 2010. pic.twitter.com/r1DW8zX8AT
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 17, 2025
The Richardsons founded the Do It for Daron (DIFD) initiative at the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, which supports young people dealing with mental illness through education, awareness, and research. Do It For Daron honors the Richardson’s daughter Daron, who died by suicide at age 14 in 2010.
Chychrun’s support of DIFD dates back before his NHL career. While in the OHL with the Sarnia Sting, he convinced the team to host Do It For Daron Nights in her honor, both raising awareness and generating funds through a specialty jersey auction.
We all skate together #DIFD 💜 pic.twitter.com/ne7EuqD9lN
— Sarnia Sting (@StingHockey) February 12, 2016
The Arizona Coyotes joined in to support the initiative while Chychrun played there, commemorating Daron’s life and legacy with DIFD stickers on their helmets for their Yotes Talk night.
Tonight, let's do it for Daron. #DIFD 💜 pic.twitter.com/Js0Hr9ePrB
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) February 8, 2019
“Anything you can do to raise mental health awareness, it goes a long way,” Chychrun told Kevin Weekes in 2021. “It helps a lot of people, knowing they’re not the only ones that are out there struggling, and that things will get better. It’s just important to know that sometimes it’s okay to not be okay, and things will get better.”
The Washington Capitals will hold their own Hockey Talks night when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night, partnering with Morgan’s Message, an organization supporting student-athletes’ mental health, and Shoulder Check, an initiative focused on peer-to-peer support.
