‘IF THEY NEED IT, I’M THERE’
New director to help Broncos
Mark Popovic’s ears are on standby.
If you play hockey for the Humboldt Broncos, if you need somebody to talk to, to bounce thoughts off of, to confide in, Popovic — a former NHL player and newly hired Broncos addition — is ready to listen.
“I’m a hockey nerd, too,” he says. “So if you want to talk hockey skills and that kind of stuff, that’s what I love.”
The Broncos — who lost 16 people in an April 6 bus crash — have brought Popovic on board as their director of personal development and leadership, as well as a skills coach. Popovic is a close friend and former teammate of Broncos’ head coach and general manager Nathan Oystrick, and he has a long history with young players.
He has served as a mentor, and runs an elite hockey camp. On Wednesday, he was on-ice at the Broncos’ practice, working with the hockey side. But that’s not the most important part of his job.
“My role is going to be to serve the players,” said Popovic, whose 15-year professional career included 81 NHL games. “I’m outside the normal coaching staff, and I’m here to help them become better people, become leaders, and develop any aspect of their life they want to. It could be about hockey. It could be about school. It could be about anything they want.”
Popovic, who lives with his young family in Colorado, will spend one week a month in Humboldt, and he’s available to talk any time. He’s not a mental-health counsellor, and his job is integrated with Humboldt’s Partners Family Services, which has worked closely with the community both before and after the April 6 bus crash.
“These kids are under a microscope in a way that a junior hockey team typically isn’t,” says Hayley Kennedy, the executive director at Partners. “So the recognition on the part of the Broncos that there needs to be that additional piece put in has been pretty remarkable. And that they’ve been able to put it in so quickly ...
“Nathan wants to make sure his players have full access to the supports they need, and part of that’s going to be Mark’s role,” she adds.
“And our role will be to support Mark as he does that work with the players directly. As he gets to know players more, if he knows there’s somebody struggling and specifically has a mental-health need, then we become that point of access to ensure they’re able to get that immediately. Whether that’s through us or one of our partners within Humboldt or within the province, we’ll make sure they’re able to have access to that immediately.”
The Broncos opened training camp last Friday. Popovic has been around for a few days, getting to know players and staff. His sister, Meg Popovic, was recently hired to do a similar job with the Toronto Maple Leafs, so both have a natural resource to bounce ideas off of.
“I’m a listening ear,” he says. “I made it very clear to all the players, I’ve been meeting with them all one on one, about what I plan to do. They don’t have to work with me. I’m there if they need it. We did some team leadership stuff today, and I’ll continue to do that when I’m here. In terms of the one-onone stuff, they just need to know I’m available 24/7. If they ever need to call somebody, I’m here.”
Popovic’s exact job details remain a work in progress. It will evolve as everybody feels their way through this new dynamic, he says. The crash and the trauma is never far away, but he said he’s impressed by the supports the Broncos have put in place.
“I think we’re all aware of (what happened on April 6),” he said. “That’s the reality. The players who were on the team last year who are here, and even the new ones ... that’s just what it is. They have a lot of people there if they need to talk. Hayley and her whole team, and myself ... one thing I’ve really witnessed this week is some amazing people.
“I’m not going to force it upon them. It’s a resource I wish I had when I was a young guy, to have a former pro I could call anytime. If they need it, I’m there.”