This season, the Colorado Avalanche have struggled to build team chemistry with several new players, which has led to inconsistency, and there are a few nagging injuries that haven’t helped either. Many Avalanche faithful unsurprisingly smacked the panic button – even though the team ranks third in the Western Conference and leads the Central Division.
For the past month, defenseman Samuel Girard hasn’t been concerned with any of the drama going on with the team – and it’s because he’s selfish. However, that’s a good thing. Girard stepped away from the team on Nov. 24 to enter the NHL’s Player Assistance Program. After a month away, he’s poised to make his return soon. Not only will the Avalanche welcome the defenseman back, but they should also respect what Girard has done to return.
Girard’s Rocky Start & Facing His Demons
Girard has been a crucial part of the Avalanche defense since he joined the team as part of the three-team trade that sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators in 2017. He’s never been a player to light up the score sheet, as he’s never scored more than six goals in a season. However, he’s always been a reliable skater who stays out of the penalty box and will eat up 20-24 minutes per game.
He got off to a slow start again this season, recording just four points in the first 15 games – three of those points came in his last two games. He was also a minus-7. However, there was something else going on, and Girard took the brave step to get help. The day after Thanksgiving, he entered the NHL’s Player Assistance Program – to help him deal with severe anxiety and depression that led to alcohol abuse.
Related: Avalanche’s Depth Tested With Girard Entering Assistance Program
Few people outside of the Avs organization knew this was happening, but the franchise was more than accommodating. After spending about a month away, Girard returned to practice on Dec. 21. Head coach Jared Bednar said that management was in contact with Girard multiple times during his time away, and they’re looking forward to his return.
How the NHL Player Assistance Program Works
The program has been around almost as long as the Avalanche. Created in 1996 by the NHL and the NHLPA, it was formed to assist players and their families who are dealing with mental health, substance abuse, and other issues. Mental health has been under the spotlight in recent years, particularly after goaltender Robin Lehner spoke out about his personal struggles in 2019. Lehner gave a particularly moving speech about his mental health problems when he received the Bill Masterson Trophy that same year.
The program gives players access to a confidential phone line, and counselors are available in every NHL city. Players can be in the program for an indefinite period and must be cleared by those running it to return. While Girard spent a month in the program, others have spent much longer.
The driving force behind the program is privacy. The reasons for entering the program are not released, but like others, Girard mentioned his own reasons for entering it. It is an important benefit for players, and the response to Girard’s return has been nothing but positive so far.
What Girard’s Return Means
Cale Makar casts a big shadow, but Girard has been a stalwart for the team. In his six seasons with the Avalanche, Girard has missed more than double-digit games only once. He played in every game in his first two seasons and had a crucial goal in the Avalanche’s overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of the second-round playoff series in 2022.
The team’s defensive unit has dealt with other injuries, but now Makar and Bowen Byram are back, and the team got some fine play from Sam Malinski over the last month. Girard has generally played alongside Byram this season, and his return should give the Avalanche some much-needed depth on the blue line. He should also bring some more consistency to a crew that has lost six of its last 10 games.
Girard played well in the 2022 Playoffs – which ended with Colorado hoisting its third Stanley Cup – but he was injured two games after his goal against the Blues. He suffered a broken sternum after a hit from Ivan Barbashev, but that’s the only major injury he’s suffered with the club until he spoke up and decided to do something about his mental health. That’s no small feat.
Related: Avalanche Need Girard Now More Than Ever
A player’s mental health should be treated like any other injury, which needs time to heal. The Avalanche will likely be a better team now that Girard has returned, and getting the veteran back should also help their consistency. But the most important part of this story is seeing Girard admit he needed help – and his team and the league stepped in to assist. The Avalanche might not win the Stanley Cup again this season, but they’ve already had a pretty big win with Girard getting the help he needed.
