One of the Nashville Predators’ depth goaltenders will not be with the team for the immediate future as Connor Ingram will be voluntarily taking part in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.
No other comment has been made from the league or the Predators. The program, which is a confidential service provided by the league and union to help players and their families with mental health, substance abuse, and other issues, has seen several players take leaves over the last few seasons, most publicly Bobby Ryan, then of the Ottawa Senators.
Ingram, 23, was a star for the Milwaukee Admirals last season, posting a .933 save percentage in 33 appearances. He signed a new three-year contract with the Predators last March and looked like the team’s third-string option heading into this season. It is not immediately clear how long Ingram will be away from the organization.
Guess the program really isn’t confidential after all….
Honestly, I’d rather never see any players mentioned with this program, just for that reason – confidentiality. They aren’t in it for addiction to stubbed-toe meds, but rather something more serious. Even in the somewhat rare cases of voluntary disclosure, I’d be OK with them keeping it close to family and friends only, and not the rest of the universe. What they are going through is none of my business, other than to hope they get through their issues in one piece. Yeah, I know, it’s a novel thought, isn’t it?
In terms of confidentiality (and perhaps I should have included this in the piece), the only players who are publicly announced are the ones who voluntarily take leaves from their teams. Others that are just using the resources of the program are kept completely confidential by the league.
That doesn’t necessarily mean their names won’t end up in the papers (or message boards, these days), but unless it has a direct impact on the team’s roster, the player’s contract status, or some other transaction-based impact, you won’t see it here at PHR.
@Gavin – My bad, again! I should have specified the NHL and the program and not implied PHR or other hockey forums. Sorry about that! PHR is one of, if not the best, in not propagating rumors or “leaked” stuff, which happens with far too much frequency on social media sites.