The Winnipeg Jets hockey stars took a break from the ice Wednesday to deliver an important message to hundreds of high school students across Manitoba.

Members of the city’s NHL club, currently experiencing a historic but high-pressure start to the season, spoke with children about mental health, getting support and how they deal with the stress of the NHL.

“Step away from the game and talk to my family and close friends. So I take my mind off the stressful parts of my day and focus on what makes me a friend and family member,” Jets guard Connor Hellebuyck said.

The effort to connect hockey greats with kids locally is part of Project 11. It was created in honor of late Jets forward Rick Rypien and has been running for over a decade, with 2024 marking the 11th year.

By providing students and teachers with lessons and support for tracking their mental health, as well as coping mechanisms, the project aims to promote mental health wellness, whether you’re an NHL star or whether you were just trying to get through a hard day at school. , everyone needs a helping hand from time to time.

Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi explains to students – from 38 Manitoba high schools – how he deals with stress.

“I’ll call my mom if something’s wrong or just to vent,” he said. “Even the dog, it’s good to talk to the dog, there is nothing wrong with talking to the dog.”

It was important for the young people in attendance to hear the professional athletes talk about how they, too, struggle from time to time, said Suzi Friesen, director of educational programs for the True North Youth Foundation.

“I just had such a positive impact in helping students open up and feel good,” she said of the event. “Obstacles surface (but) I will build my resilience or turn to my coping strategies.”

And she’s not the only one to say that this event was powerful.

“We need to talk about real-world issues,” said Kevin Landreville, a teacher at Ravenscourt School in St. John’s. “And that really starts with understanding ourselves better and understanding that we control a lot more than we give ourselves credit for.”

He believes that Project 11 has had a positive effect in fostering conversation about mental health among his students and would like to see more students participate.

“Be comfortable being uncomfortable. It’s okay to not be okay. It’s not just talk, it’s real,” he said. “If we can get more of the province to tap into the resources that Project 11 has, I think our young people and the teachers who lead them will be better off moving forward.”