The Anaheim Ducks Help the Senators Raise Awareness for Mental Health

Last night during warm-ups, the Anaheim Ducks took to the ice wearing mysterious black toques. What exactly do these hats represent?

If you’ve been watching the Anaheim Ducks for any length of time this season, you know how difficult it has been to rationalize supporting this team. That is why writing an article about why we love hockey doesn’t really make sense. Especially after the embarrassing shut out the Ducks suffered at the hands of the Ottawa Senators last night.

However, there comes a point in time where we all realize that we don’t just love hockey because it’s a fun sport, we also love it because of the men who play. The NHL holds their players to high standards and, for the most part, the league is full of genuine players who not only care for their fans, but for the entire hockey community.

The Anaheim Ducks have been a prime example over the years. They have built an incredible reputation for themselves as a team who prides themselves in building up their community. Their sense of community is a huge reason many of us admire these players not just as a team, but as individuals.

Last April, after a horrible tragedy shook the hockey community, the Ducks stepped out of their community “bubble” and stepped in to help the Humboldt Broncos. The “sticks out for Humboldt” campaign swept through the hockey community, the Anaheim Ducks being one of the forerunners in the United States.

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The sticks they left in front of the Wild Wing statue were auctioned off to raise funds for the victims’ families. They went a step further to encourage the fans to get involved by leaving their own sticks. All of the sticks left were donated to The Rinks youth program to help those in financial need, in honor of the Humboldt Broncos.

Last night, the Anaheim Ducks stepped up to help not just their own community but the entire hockey community at large when they joined the Ottawa Senators for warm-up’s donning black toques.  Many of us were left wondering what these black hats really represented.

The temperature in Ottawa was a high of 27º yesterday, so maybe they were trying to keep their ears warm? Joking aside, these to toques carry quite a significant meaning behind them. By wearing them, the sole purpose of the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks was to raise awareness for an organization called D.I.F.D.

What is D.I.F.D.?

D.I.F.D. is an acronym that means “Do it for Daron.” You may be wondering, who is Daron? Daron Richardson is the daughter of Luke Richardson, who was previously an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators. In 2010, at the young age of 14, the beautiful young girl took her own life.

As disheartening as this is for me to say, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and that is for people who succeed. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention it is estimated that 1,400,000 people attempted to commit suicide in 2017 alone.

The leading cause of suicide is due to mental health issues, which can include things like anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, PTSD, and more. As much as we’d all like to think we know the signs, the symptoms often associated with mental health are often kept hidden by the people who suffer. In an interview with NHL.com, Luke Richardson stated as much.

“People think mental health there’s stereotypes, very visible, whether it be addiction based or real serious mental health problems. Daron suffered in silence. We didn’t see any signs.”

Richardson’s sole purpose in starting the Do It For Daron (D.I.F.D.) Youth Mental Health Awareness initiative was to get people talking. For many struggling with mental health issues, they often feel alone in their fight as if what they are dealing with is taboo.

Unbeknownst to quite a few of us, the likelihood that the Anaheim Ducks have fans that are struggling with their own mental health is exponentially high. The fact that they are using their platform as public figures to promote this initiative envokes gratitude and is inspiring.

By wearing these hats and making D.I.F.D a known resource, they are sending a message to their fans, as well as the fans of other teams, that talking about mental health is okay. The battle is not something people have to fight alone. It is important that they know there are people out there who want to talk to them and it’s important that they do just that.

Luke Richardson’s only hope is that no other family has to go through the pain of losing their loved one the way he did when he lost his daughter. The Anaheim Ducks stand beside him in his fight to raise awareness for mental health.

If you are a member of Ducks Nation., or the hockey community at all, who is struggling with your mental health, take this message from the Anaheim Ducks to heart. You are not alone in this battle, there are people who will fight alongside you!

Again, if you are in a place where you are struggling with your mental health, there are resources out there for you. Do not continue to fight this battle alone!