OHL Notebook: Mental Health program on the horizon?

According to a report, the Ontario Hockey League is set to announce a new mental health program.

A recent story in the Guelph Mercury says the new program is expected to be unveiled in early-October. The program, which teams have a draft copy of in order to provide feedback before it is made official, will cover managing mental illness. The program will include identifying, educating, referral and how to handle various situations when it comes to mental illness.

“It’s an extensive program,” OHL Commissioner David Branch told the Mercury. “It’s all-encompassing. We’ve taken the position that it’s important to educate. It’s important to support.”

The program comes after the tragic death of former Saginaw Spirit forward Terry Trafford last winter.

Branch said that the league looked at the police investigation as well as the OHL’s own handling of Trafford’s death to help build the program.

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FLURRY OF MOVES

The league has seen teams tinkering with their rosters of late with a pair of goaltenders among those moved.

The Kitchener Rangers were involved in a pair of trades on Tuesday, both involving goaltenders.

In their initial deal, the Rangers acquired goaltender Dawson Carty from the Mississauga Steelheads. Carty got into 12 games with the Steelheads last season and has yet to see action this season.

The move left the Rangers with three goaltenders on their roster and led to a second move. The second move saw the Rangers deal veteran goaltender Jordan DeKort to the Barrie Colts.

On Monday, the Windsor Spitfires acquired overage forward Jamie Lewis from North Bay. The Battalion acquired three picks in the deal.

The move give the Spitfires another overage forward after Brady Vail signed an American Hockey League contract recently.

For North Bay, Lewis is in the midst of an eight-game suspension for violating the OHL’s anti-doping policy.

In dealing Lewis, the Battalion opened up a spot for overage forward Ray Huether who was acquired earlier in the day from the Sudbury Wolves.