The New York Rangers, and the rest of the NHL for that matter, are bracing for the start of training camp, leading into the preseason and the regular season. The NHL is slowly but surely returning to regular operations after a long offseason.
Just before the start of training camp, former Rangers alumni and Stanley Cup champion Glenn Healy is working alongside the NHL to provide a brighter future for players once their time in the league is over with.
On Tuesday, the NHL, NHLPA, and NHL Alumni Association announced the creation of the Retired Players Emergency Healthcare and Wellness Fund, and the league and player’s union will jointly contribute $4 million annually to it.
Healy says that this fund will allow players “whether you played one shift or 10,000 games” access to a family doctor and a mental health professional. The fund is officially a part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which remains in effect until 2030.
Former Rangers Stanley Cup champion Glenn Healy helps NHL retired players with healthcare fund
This is a huge step in the right direction for the NHL. Fans know just how physically demanding the sport of hockey is. In the playoffs, fans become well aware of the injuries players continue to power through to help their teams win the Stanley Cup. Whether it be a broken foot or a punctured lung, NHL players are a different breed of athletes.
Given how demanding the sport is and the prevalence of concussion issues in the sport, providing retired players with a fund to help them find a physical and mental health doctor is simply a necessity.
This is something that Healy has been fighting for for years. Healy told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen earlier this year that he was approached by Wayne Gretzky about helping retired players get access to health care after former Edmonton Oilers player Dave Semenko was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer, who passed away 10 days after Healy was named the president and executive director of the NHL Alumni Association.
"Oh, it's ridiculous. It's overwhelming. It's why we do it. It's what drives the passion in us," said Healy of his and the Alumni Association's work. "We do it because we get up every day with our feet on the ground and know we have made a difference for guys that don't know where to go to get help or their wives. Their wives are saying I want my husband back, or the kids are saying I want my dad back. We can bring them back. They just have to call, and we can give them the hope and the help."
This has been a passion project for Healy for years, and now, he's seen the NHL officially provide a healthcare and wellness fund to retired players.