Understanding alcohol use and recovery in professional hockey: a case study of NHL player Bobby Ryan's stories in media narratives

Abstract

The objective of the research was to understand alcohol use and recovery meanings and the implications for professional high-profile athlete’s mental health and lives, through a critical exploration of mainstream digital news and sport media narratives. 84 media articles were collected and analyzed about Bobby Ryan’s alcohol use and recovery stories. Ryan is a National Hockey League (NHL) player whose stories received considerable contemporary media attention related to alcohol use and recovery. A thematic narrative analysis was used to explore how the media narratives surrounding Bobby Ryan's alcohol use and recovery shape hockey culture and alcohol use in this sport. The following narrative themes were identified 1) Heroic struggles with alcohol use and mental health, 2) Paradox between mental health and performance, and 3) Beyond the surface of a hockey player/misunderstanding of mental health and alcohol use. The results demonstrate that the mental health of athletes is not a priority for the NHL and that the possibility of joining the player assistance program (NHLPA) reinforces the stigma of mental health in the NHL. Ryan's alcohol use has been linked to his traumatic childhood and decline in performance. The impact of the media (e.g., exposure) and the hegemonic masculinity present in hockey culture may have delayed his request for help. The results of this research demonstrate the importance of studying media to understand the impact of mental health and substance use stigma within the NHL. Expanding the study of media representation of athletes who have experienced trauma and made a spectacular comeback would be a relevant avenue of research to understand the impact of trauma on sports performance. Media studies on mental health and substance use can be a way to encourage athletes living through similar experiences to pursue rehabilitation.