Utah’s Ingram in player assistance program again

Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram reentered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program Sunday, saying he has not been himself since his mother died of breast cancer in early December.

Ingram posted a message on social media explaining his thought process a half-hour after the NHL and players’ union announced that he would be away from the team indefinitely while he receives care.

“At this point in my life, I need to put my health first and take the proper time I need away to come back at 100%,” Ingram said. “Though many view the program as a resource for substance abuse, I want to recognize all that they do. I am once again privileged to have access to their network of world class health professionals to hopefully avoid long-term negative effects of putting your health second. With the program’s assistance, I look forward to getting the medical help I need and returning to a happy and healthy life.”

Ingram, 27, spent time in the program in 2021 when he was in the Nashville Predators organization. He has since spoken publicly about his undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder that led him to drink to cope with anxiety — which led him into the program then — and won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy last season for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey after establishing himself as a full-time NHL player.

Help is offered for such issues as alcohol or drug abuse, mental health, sleeping problems or a gambling addiction. Confidentiality is guaranteed for players and their family members. An announcement is made only when a player becomes unavailable to his team during the season.

Ingram is the second player to be announced as entering the program since this season started. Detroit Red Wings goalie Jack Campbell went in a few days before opening night. Five players took part last season, the same number who participated over the previous three years combined.

Earlier this season, Ingram took a leave of absence after losing his mother.

When playing, Ingram is 8-9-4 with a 3.27 goals-against average and .882 save percentage. He ceded the starting job to Karel Vejmelka, who just agreed to a five-year, $23.75 million contract extension. Ingram last played Feb. 22.

He was on Nashville’s practice squad early in the pandemic-delayed and shortened 2021 season when he went into the player assistance program and left the Predators in late January. He returned to play a handful of games for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League that spring, but it wasn’t until he sold his house and cars and moved from his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Nashville that summer that he met his fiancée and got back on track.

“I just restarted,” Ingram said last year when he won the Masterton. “It was good for me, and it was good to restart.”

Ingram made his NHL debut Oct. 24, 2021 — roughly nine months after going into the program — and appeared in four playoff games in the spring of 2022 when Juuse Saros was sidelined by injury and David Rittich faltered in the first-round opener. Ingram was claimed off waivers by Arizona in 2022.

Utah recalled goaltender Jaxson Stauber from the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League. Stauber, 25, has posted a 2-1-1 record with one shutout, a 2.23 GAA and .925 save percentage in four games this season with Utah.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.