A “first-cut” of the music video was publicly previewed on Valentine’s Day (February 14th), in Perth, Ontario for the local hockey team’s home game. As a community, Perth is still reeling after a rash of young men died by suicide in 2010. Pegg says, “Perth is representative of communities across Canada and around the world. Like anyone, I want these terrible and tragic stories to end, especially for our young people, sons and daughters who we lose so senselessly and in an instant.”  The first-cut reached more than 40k views on youtube before being replaced by the final version with credits and information regarding the associated website, www.TheHockeyProject.ca.

Scroll down to view the powerful and emotional pre-release promo video, also found at the project’s website. www.TheHockeyProject.ca. It captures preparations for the shoot and images of the CIHA students hearing Pegg’s moving story of losing his daughter to suicide at a presentation he made on January 28th (Bell Let’s Talk day).

LIFE and HOCKEY : The 1 in 5

One in five Canadians will be affected by a mental health illness during their lifetime. For Pegg the metaphor is glaring. “That’s like putting 1 in every 5 Canadians in the penalty box. As a nation we’re permanently short-handed and we’ll never win with this endless deficit. For Canada, or any nation, to be at our most healthy and efficient we need that extra player out of the penalty box and back into the game of life.” Pegg goes on, “This is a global issue.” Pegg adds, “While no death is easy or acceptable, most of Canada has an average suicide rate, but our Northern peoples suffer one of the highest rates in the world, so this mental health story is also about Canada’s failure in protecting its northern and native peoples, and not to stop there, it includes our armed forces and front-line responders such as fire fighters, police, paramedics, nurses and doctors who are all showing high rates of PTSD (Posttraumatic stress disorder), and of course our young people for whom suicide is the second leading cause of death. This is an epidemic.”

Don’t Stop Stompin’ 

This awesome song combines the joys of music and sport, even drawing on the messages of The Beatles when the announcer wearing a Beatles 1964 replica suit references “Across the Universe” later brandishing a heart poster on the ice, as if saying “All you need is Love.” Pegg’s daughter loved the Beatles and he is consciously acknowledging this connection, believing in the universe of hockey (that she loved) taking lead on this issue. Pegg points out, “the community of hockey is already strong and motivated to drop the gloves and help in their respective communities.”

Reaching-Out After Sochi

As “the” globally-recognized nation of hockey, and thanks to the Sochi worldstage on which our hockey athletes, both men and women, earned gold, Pegg believes there is real potential for Canada’s athletes to reach out to and engage  many worldwide. He’s asking Canada’s athletes and the “world of hockey” to use the momentum from Sochi to lead on this issue.

“We need to get Canadians stomping for our teams, for Stompin’ Tom’s legacy, for our collective hockey passion, and to show the world not only how crazy we are about hockey, but how concerned we are for all people. We need to do this in arenas, pubs, theatres and homes across the nation and throughout the world of hockey, and we can do it now to this music” explained Pegg.

PRE-RELEASE PROMO

OFFICIAL VIDEO “Hockey is Great. LIFE is BIGGER!”

FAST FACTS/LINKS

• Young athletes involved are from: Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Switzerland, Australia, England, USA, New Zealand, Turks and Caicos and Canada.
• 90% of proceeds from the sale of the album “Hockey is Great. Life is Bigger” are being donated to Do It For Darren (D.I.F.D) a grassroots movement whose mission it to crate awareness, inspire conversations and transform youth mental health. (CLICK HERE for full details)
• Learn more at TheHockeyProject.ca