‘Lost for words’: Third annual Mental Health Classic hockey tournament sees record turnout

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“Two-hundred and thirty athletes, and it was awesome. It’s a lot of hard work for Mitch and myself to put on a tournament like this, but we could say this year was really smooth.”

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Mental Health Classic co-organizers D Jay McGrath (left) and Mitch Berg oversaw a record-breaking year during the third edition of the youth hockey tournament (Image Credit: Scott Roblin/650 CKOM)

The two-day tournament in Saskatoon brought together young hockey players from many different backgrounds and age groups, as they competed on teams with a focus on having fun with relaxed scrimmages throughout the weekend.

According to Berg, the real work revolved around different mental health workshops for the kids, and a push for the skaters to put words to their feelings at a young age.

“We’ve prepped for this for the last eight or nine months,” Berg said.

“When these days come, we know we’re running around. It’s always chatting with people, talking about how great this event is and how much it means to them. That’s all that kind of matters to us.”

Berg added it was striking to see the difference in the players’ confidence from opening registration on Saturday to the final scrimmages on Sunday.

“Everyone’s a little bit shy. Everyone is heads down a little bit,” Berg said.

“Coming in this morning even, a huge difference. They spent all day with their team or met new friends. It’s just a massive change in their overall vibe.”

The tournament has grown rapidly since the inaugural event in 2024, with the addition of several guest speakers throughout the weekend.

This year’s keynote address was given by former NHL player and mental health advocate Sheldon Kennedy, who shared his story of abuse, trauma and addition, as well as the tools he’s used to address his recovery.

Kennedy’s address took place in the Merlis Belsher Place gymnasium on Saturday. Other workshops were held in Smuker’s Lounge, while teams played their games in the rink below.

Berg said he heard about the impact those stories had from both kids and parents.

“I think a lot of the kids relate to the speakers, and they leave the (lounge) with a smile on their face and are pretty pumped about that,” Berg said.

Both McGrath and Berg have delved into mental health education following their junior hockey careers, with McGrath founding the tournament after battling addiction for more than a decade.

He said the conversations happening in the hallways, dressing rooms and concession lines this weekend were just as important as any goals scored on the ice.

“There still a lot of work to do in the mental health area and breaking that stigma around mental health,” McGrath said.

“I know Mitch and myself are doing what we can to break the stigma, to let these kids know it’s OK not to be OK. It’s OK to have a problem. It’s OK to have feelings, but talk about it.”

McGrath said registration for the fourth edition of the Mental Health Classic is already open, with the goal of even more participation in 2027.