CASTLETON, Vt. (WCAX) – A Castleton University hockey game is turning into a tradition as the Spartans on Friday host a match that benefits the Rutland area’s efforts to support mental health.
Castleton players are skating away the stigma for the third straight year at the Breaking the Ice event.
“I think it’s pretty special for them to play for a cause that’s not just affecting them but again their peers and the athletes we play against,” said Kyle Richards, Caslteton’s Mens hockey coach.
About 27,000 people were treated for mental health issues in 2022, according to the Vermont Department of Mental Health, and one-third of the patients were children. The Rutland Regional Medical Center treated 900 patients alone.
“These kids, they want hockey in their lives, they want it more and more. This is what this whole cause is showing — that we love hockey, we love mental health, we love everyone, and we’re trying to get it going,” said Jeremy LaPlante, a Castleton forward.
The past two fundraisers raised about $15,000 combined. Proceeds from the sale of player’s jerseys and ticket sales went to help patients at the local hospital.
The Castleton Women’s Hockey Team also hosts a fundraiser for RRMC called Pink the Rink and just surpassed its 15th annual game, raising a total of over $100,000, making a big impact on the lives of fans who support the Spartans.
“For all three years, these guys have been great. Their coach is a great leader and taking the initiative to bring this together. It’s a supportive group, and again, for young men to take a stance on breaking the stigma of mental health, we couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this,” said RRMC’s Sheila Sharo.
“After the first game, it was a movement that everyone was in love with, and everyone wanted to keep it going. So, it was a very easy choice second year to do it again, and we did it even bigger,” LaPlante said. He says he needed time away from hockey for his own mental health and now hopes to support others during his final season with the team. “Every time I go on the ice, I will say a little bit of tears going down because it’s a lot of emotions having all the guys behind me, the whole program, the whole town, Castleton, everyone rallying with each other for such a great cause that we don’t talk about enough.”
The puck drops against Southern Maine at Spartan Arena at 4 p.m. Friday.