Robin Lehner‘s new mask carries a special message for those facing mental health hurdles.
The Chicago Blackhawks goalie tweeted a photo of the mask on Tuesday. It features the hashtag #SameHere on the side, a reference to the #SameHere Global Mental Health Movement that Lehner is an advocate for.
“#SameHere is an expression which means: I’ve faced challenges in life too,” Lehner wrote on Twitter. “Those challenges have affected my mental health. It’s a sign that we hope will unite the world to once and for all, normalize how universal this topic is.”
Lehner first opened up about his struggles with mental health issues in September — including revealing that he had been diagnosed as bipolar — and spent much of last season advocating for more open dialogue on the issue.
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On the ice, he posted the best numbers of his career while with the New York Islanders, ultimately winning the William M. Jennings Trophy and Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, and finishing as a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.
“I’m not ashamed to say I’m mentally ill, but that doesn’t mean mentally weak,” Lehner said in his Masterton trophy acceptance speech. “I took that first step, got help and that was life changing to me. It’s something that we’ve gotta keep pushing for and we’ve gotta end the stigma.”
Now with a new team, and new helmet, Lehner is continuing that fight.
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