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Late Canuck Rick Rypien's brother pleased club has kept up mental health message

Wes Rypien will be at Rogers Arena Thursday as part of the team's Hockey Talks mental-health initiative

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Eight years after his brother died, Wes Rypien admits he still has many questions.

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“I do reflect on him, it’s hard to believe it’s been this long. There’s still lots of questions, the why and how he was,” Rypien, whose brother Rick was a hard-hitting fan favourite for Vancouver Canucks fans a decade ago, said Wednesday.

Rypien will drop the puck in a ceremonial faceoff ahead of Thursday’s Canucks versus Arizona Coyotes game at Rogers Arena. Mental health professionals will be in the arena to speak with fans about how they can start their own conversations with family and friends and reduce stigma many still feel about mental health.

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“I go out to represent the family, supporting Rick’s cause and the Hockey Talks cause,” he said. “It means a lot to both myself and my family that the Canucks continue to do this. The fact they’ve been able to keep it going and grow the initiative … being able to expand across the league, that is fantastic.”

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Rick Rypien’s death in August 2011 was one of several shocking deaths in the hockey world that summer. It was later revealed that the 27-year-old’s death was related to a struggle with mental illness. One in five Canadians deals with a mental health or addiction struggle every year.

About 70 per cent of all mental health issues first emerge during adolescence, but research has found that early intervention has long-term positive benefits.

In 2013, the Canucks hosted their first Hockey Talks night. Seven years later, the Canucks are still hosting the night — and it’s expanded to 14 other teams, including every Canadian team.

Then-Vancouver Canuck Rick Rypien signs autographs for fans in September 2010.
Then-Vancouver Canuck Rick Rypien signs autographs for fans in September 2010. Photo by Lyle Stafford /PNG files

On social media, they are promoting the hashtag #HockeyTalks.

“The core message is there is help out there and people just need to be directed to get to the people that can help them,” said Rypien, who lives with his wife and kids in Lundbreck, Alta., just east of the Crowsnest Pass.

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Mental illness can affect anyone, popular or not, successful or not.

“He was well liked by all his teammates, very active with all his friends, my friends, our parents, their friends,” Rypien said of his late brother. “It’s a double-edged sword, people might think they’re withdrawn but you look at Rick’s situation — here’s a person who seemed to have everything going for him but it wasn’t enough — it’s hard for us, the message is it doesn’t matter, he’s not the only person who’s struggling.”

Rypien will be joined at centre ice Thursday by his seven-year-old son Luke. None of his kids knew their uncle, but they’re well aware of him.

“My kids are getting old enough now, they’re starting to ask questions about their uncle, we haven’t gotten right into it, but they know Rick was sick and passed away,” he said. “We felt that it’s important to start bringing his story forward with them.”

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Foundry — which took over the Canucks’ original Mind Check initiative — and the Canadian Mental Health Association will be on the concourse at Section 111 to share information with fans.

Officials from the B.C. Ministry of Health will be at Section 101.

Other sites with information on mental health include:

• Movember Canada

StopOverdoseBC.ca

foundrybc.ca

cmha.ca

jack.org

headsupguys.org

The Canucks are also organizing six free, one-day Balancing Our Minds mental health youth summits in 2020. The Canucks for Kids Fund has granted more than $500,000 to mental health programs at B.C. Children’s Hospital as well as supported the development of a youth-focused mindfulness app called Breathr.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

twitter.com/risingaction

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