CMHA's Talk Today Program Wraps up Successful 12th Season in CHL
WHL Western Hockey League

CMHA's Talk Today Program Wraps up Successful 12th Season in CHL

Published on March 20, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


TORONTO, ON - As the regular season winds down across the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), the Canadian Mental Health Association's Talk Today program continues to make a meaningful impact on players, staff, and fans across the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

Each season, all WHL, OHL, and QMJHL clubs take part in Talk Today mental health and suicide prevention training, helping ensure players, staff, and billet families have access to important education, resources, and support. Over the past year, more than 1,100 participants across the CHL completed the program, bringing the total number to more than 7,500 since 2014. Delivered by local Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) branches and divisions across the country, the training also helps connect participants with vital community-based mental health services and support.

Throughout February's Talk Today Month, more than 45 Canadian clubs across the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL hosted game nights in partnership with their local CMHA to promote positive mental health in their communities. Meanwhile, many American CHL clubs also staged their own mental health awareness nights. Together, these events featured a wide range of in-arena activations aimed at sparking conversation and raising awareness, including concourse information kiosks, ceremonial puck drops, player video messages, and public service announcements highlighting local mental health resources.

This season, more than 178,000 fans attended Talk Today and mental health awareness games across the CHL, while related social media content reached more than 862,000 people - helping reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and extend the program's impact beyond the rink.

"Talk Today continues to make a meaningful impact across the CHL by providing players, staff, and families with education, support, and access to important mental health resources," said Dan MacKenzie, President of the Canadian Hockey League. "The program is also an important part of David Branch's legacy. He understood the importance of supporting athletes beyond the game, and his leadership helped make Talk Today a vital part of player development across the CHL. We are proud to carry that vision forward alongside the Canadian Mental Health Association."

Launched in 2014 as a collaboration between CMHA Ontario and the OHL, Talk Today later expanded to include the WHL and QMJHL, growing into one of the most comprehensive mental health initiatives in Canadian sport. Focused on education, early intervention, and ongoing support, the program has become an essential part of player development across the CHL.

The continued success of Talk Today reflects the lasting legacy of late OHL commissioner and CHL president David Branch. A longtime champion of player well-being, Branch played a central role in helping establish Talk Today and in supporting its growth from the OHL to the WHL, QMJHL, and other levels of hockey and sport. His vision helped ensure that mental health education and support became a meaningful part of the athlete development experience.

This season, the CHL and CMHA communities mourned Branch's passing at the age of 77, but his commitment to athlete mental health continues to be felt through the ongoing impact of Talk Today.

"David Branch understood that through the game of hockey we could have a tremendous impact on the future of these young athletes and the communities where they play," said CMHA Ontario CEO Camille Quenneville. "David's commitment to ensuring players had access to mental health education and support helped shape the Talk Today program and the influence it continues to have across sports."

In addition to its educational impact, the CHL's ongoing support of Talk Today has continued to generate meaningful fundraising for the program and local CMHA branches. During the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, the CHL raised more than $10,000 in support of Talk Today and local CMHA branches, contributing to more than $140,000 raised through CHL national events over the past three seasons as part of the league's three-year commitment announced in March 2024.

For more information about Talk Today visit www.talktoday.ca.

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