PROVIDENCE — “I know something’s wrong but nobody talks about it. I don’t want anyone to judge me or think that I’m different, so I’ll just deal with it.” That was common thinking in hockey dressing rooms when David Berard was a player. It didn’t change much in his early days as a men’s college coach. 

Berard remembers speaking to his teams at Holy Cross about mental health in the late 2010s. Those conversations were among the first times he could recall the subject being discussed openly and without judgment. A sport that lionizes athletes for masking anything perceived as weakness stereotypically wouldn’t be such a venue. 

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Saturday night’s event at Schneider Arena was another step toward eliminating that mindset. A host of former prep and college players with area ties gathered for a fundraiser that brought in more than six figures in revenue. Berard was among those watching the first edition of the Check the Stigma Classic — sons Brady and Brett squared off on opposing teams. 

“There’s much more awareness now than there’s ever been, and I think that’s great,” said Berard, who now works as an associate athletic director on campus at Providence College. “It’s hard. When I was growing up and playing, you just had a bad day — ‘Get through it.’  

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“It’s always been around. You just didn’t bring it up. The fact that it’s brought up a lot more now and there are more resources available for kids, it’s tremendous.” 

The three-period game, assorted auction items and food trucks just off the venue’s lobby all stemmed from Toby O’Brien. The development coach for OverSpeed Hockey and former NHL scout was in the process of getting such an event off the ground when COVID-19 halted society in March 2020. Personal struggles were heightened through the passing of friends and family, widespread job loss and long periods of isolation — O’Brien exited the pandemic even more determined to put together such a program. 

“Try to help,” O’Brien said. “If someone had cancer or heart disease, we’d know what to do. These things are invisible.” 

The ceremonial faceoff featured someone who was touched by tragedy in January 2011. Paul Cavanagh was out alongside O’Brien for the puck drop — his brother, Tom, a former hockey star at Toll Gate, Harvard and in the NHL, committed suicide at just 28. Current players struggling with mental health can utilize the Redline program, a service available to all members of the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. 

“The mental side of it is just as challenging, if not more challenging, than the physical side,” said Tommy Cross, the former Boston Bruins defenseman. “You never know what somebody is going through between their own ears and behind closed doors.  

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“I think when you approach things that way, it brings a level of empathy and curiosity and willingness to help. A lot of people are going through stuff — it’s all unique to them, but people can relate. Everyone has their own challenges.” 

The event mirrors the Commonwealth Avenue Classic, which is held in Boston. Rosters included more than a dozen state natives — Brett Berard netted a pair of goals and chipped in an assist for Team HHP, which cruised to a 6-3 win over Team 988. Joey Spagnoli’s black and gold goaltender’s equipment clashed with his blue jersey — the Cranston native is the longtime emergency netminder for the Providence Bruins. 

“It’s not even that you look for it or notice something — it’s part of the initial conversation,” David Berard said. “You do it before you get into the X’s and O’s or the hockey part of it.  

“It’s more about building relationships with the student-athletes. Now it’s front of mind.” 

Visit checkthestigma.org for more information. If you or someone you know needs support, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. 

bkoch@providencejournal.com  

On Twitter: @BillKoch25 

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