Chiefs captain Mattila excited for home-opener

Kelowna Chiefs captain Myles Mattila is looking forward to the Chiefs home-opener on Friday.

 

Mattila is the founder of MindRight, a not-for-profit society, that helps provide resources for hockey players and young individuals with mental health issues. He will be introducing his Remembering Grant Sheridan Scholarship. He is very much looking forward to this special event as the scholarship will be presented prior to puck drop at 7 p.m. against the Chase Heat.

 

“It’s going to be a very special night. It’s going to be very emotional due to the fact it is going to be our first home game without Grant Sheridan,” says Mattila.

Regarding the upcoming home-opener, Mattila repeated the words that Chiefs marketer Alex Draper has said to local media outlets in that “there isn’t going to be a dry-eye in the stands.”

 

Mattila described Sheridan as an enthusiastic mentor, and a great leader in the community.

 

“He has helped out so many individuals,” says Mattila, who worked with Sheridan on MindRight. “There are many great things that Grant has done. Inspiring young individuals to follow their dreams and their passions. I feel like our home game is truly gonna be very emotional. Hopefully the team is going to be playing for Grant Sheridan that night.”

 

Beyond hockey, Mattila, 20, is focusing his energy towards the MindRight website, making it mobile-friendly. The MindRight website is an information resource centre within each individual’s community. Mattila wants to shine a light on some smaller initiatives, local initiatives.

 

“I do find that sometimes by word of mouth, people have a great experience at one place or maybe not the best time at one place, it wasn’t suited for them,” says Mattila, who was working on an app, but discovered it was expensive and very time consuming and has put that project on the side for now. “I am trying to facilitate all the organizations and trying to put all the professionals in practically a one-stop shop. They can check out some resources, learn about what is mental health. Make the information easily accessible for individuals.”

 

The Chiefs continue to sell GS stickers, with funds raised to be split 50/50 between Mind Right and the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club, Sheridan’s favourite organizations.

 

“Very fortunate that they decided to go with my not-for-profit society. Fifty per cent of that is going to be raised from the stickers are going to be going to a scholarship in Grant’s name, Remembering Grant Sheridan Scholarship. That is going to be very exciting.”

 

To see information available on the website, visit MindRight.info.

 

The Remembering Grant Sheridan Scholarship is available to all Kootenay International Junior Hockey League players.