Carson Shields has a love-hate relationship with the game of hockey.
The 25-year-old’s promising junior hockey career was cut short after he endured a traumatic hazing by his teammates.
After the incident, Shields life went into a tailspin. He battled drugs, anger management and was even arrested after a fight at a bar.
Shields bounced around eight teams across Canada before calling it quits in 2009.
It wasn’t until recently that Shields opened up about what he endured and now he’s doing what he can to help raise awareness about hazing so that it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
Shields set up an email account where athletes can reach out to him for support. He has written a book about his experiences and is raising awareness about mental illness by speaking at schools.
Shields has also gotten back involved with hockey – behind the bench as a coach. His goal is to provide a safe environment for players both on and off the ice.
On Aug. 26, Shields was chosen as one of the five recipients of the Manitoba Heroes Award, recognizing local heroes.
