Connor Carrick is a professional hockey player with the New Jersey Devils, mental health advocate, and total coffee-lover. Coffee is his favorite morning ritual - it provides the promise of a fresh day, and the feeling of indulgence! When he’s not drinking a great cup of coffee, he’s playing hockey, spending quality time with his new baby, cuddling his french bulldog, and being a self-proclaimed all-star husband. We sat down with Connor to talk about everything from pro hockey, to fatherhood, to the best mental health tools for managing stress and anxiety.

“The greatest gifts in my life choose me. Our child arrived when he was meant to; also, I thought having a dog was a bad idea until he changed my life forever. Similarly, hockey chose me. Billions of people work hard every day, and I was lucky enough to be recognized for my talent at an early age and to be taken care of by great mentors. I greatly value the platform pro sport has given me and I hope to give something back to the world that has smiled so graciously on my career.”

“Pro sport is a bottom line, results-oriented world filled with hard men with stern faces. However, behind that seriousness amongst teammates and coaches, and in the mirror, I recognized the stress, the numbness in relationships, and the lack of professional passion. As athletes, we work daily, using hours to grow our physical tools, but mentally and spiritually, hope is the strategy of choice. I want to be a champion for athletes everywhere who are hungry to be their very best, while also committing to holistic wellness and energetic leadership.”