SYDNEY, N.S. — Tyler Smith isn't ashamed to say he struggled with poor mental health after surviving the Humboldt Broncos bus accident in April 2018.
Before the accident, which resulted in the deaths of 16 of the 29 people on the hockey team's bus, Smith might have ignored his mental health but now the 22-year-old has learned "it's OK to not be OK."
"I never really, obviously, knew what that kind of meant. Being that male hockey player, being that dressing room figure, I felt there was never a situation that I could come in and not be OK," said the television broadcast student.
"I always had to be on my game and I always had to just show that you're tough and just show that you can get through it and show that you are just obviously doing fine. That was just something that I kind of lived by and I think that's something that a lot of hockey players always live by, you don't bring those emotions and stuff to the rink. You don't show that you are struggling."
Smith is passionate about spreading the message that good mental health is important and he's using his personal experience to do so.
"I felt the fact that people just need to hear stories of hope and inspiration to help them get through the bad days when they are struggling. Whether they are reading it or watching it, it strikes a chord for some people whether it's a 45-year-old father or a three-year-old boy," said Smith.
"My goal is to see if I can help make an impact, inspire change, inspire people to put mental health at the forefront and to help create positive change."
AFTER ACCIDENT
Seriously injured with a number of broken bones, a punctured lung and nerve damage in his hand, Smith needed multiple surgeries but was able to return to the Broncos lineup six months later.
That's when the Leduc, Alta. native said he started realizing that although he had healed a lot physically, he wasn't mentally healthy.
"I started to not feel myself and I started to really come to terms with the fact that, OK, I might be struggling and I should do something about it or it is going to spiral," said Smith.
"They all expected I was going to be this big dressing room guy, this big light in the room and always laughing and always smiling. Because, I mean, that's just what they heard. I had only played with two guys on the team — Derek Patter and Brayden Camrud — from the year before. So they could definitely see that I wasn't obviously the person I was before."
With support from his billet mom and dad plus guidance from other influential people in his life, Smith made the decision to leave the Broncos and go home to focus on getting healthy. A decision he calls the "most challenging, tough and best" one he's ever made.
"It's an everyday thing. I mean, there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about that day or think about everybody that we lost that day," said Smith.
"It was just coming to terms with the fact that there's really nothing wrong with struggling and there's really nothing wrong with being yourself or not being OK. I think the people that truly love and care for you will realize that, will understand that, will recognize that and will do whatever they need to do to help you. I never understood the magnitude of that or never utilized the people around me (before the accident)."
CAPE BRETON CONNECTION
Lynn Levatte was with her son in Edmonton at a Gretzky Hockey School camp when she met Smith and decided she wanted to bring him to Cape Breton to share his message "it's OK to not be OK."
Smith and fellow Humboldt bus accident survivor Grayson Cameron were junior coaches at the camp where Levatte learned Smith had recently started to speak about his experience and the importance of good mental health.
Plans were made to bring him to Cape Breton in April 2020 to speak to minor hockey players but that trip had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While waiting to have Smith come in person, Levatte had him speak virtually with one of her education classes who in turn wanted to help Smith spread his message and did outreach with minor hockey teams and Membertou First Nation junior council. Levatte still hopes Smith will come to Cape Breton when the pandemic is over.
"Our students were so grateful to speak with Tyler. He was so sincere and compassionate," she said. "Having someone like him speak to them directly about their experience going through a tragedy like that, about how we need to reach out to supports and how it's OK when you're not feeling OK, that awareness about the importance of mental health is so important. The students really appreciate him for being so sincere with them."
Nicole Sullivan is an education, enterprise and diversity reporter for the Cape Breton Post.
