Our Alumni | Nicholas Blagden, a champion both on and off the ice
Nicholas Blagden has been getting involved in his community for a long time. In fact, he was barely 10 years old when he first joined his grandmother to deliver food to the Romero House homeless shelter, in Saint John.
He has also coached several minor hockey teams over the past decade. Last year, he guided a U15 AAA squad in Saint John, as well as regularly standing behind the Sea Dogs bench.
“I grew up learning that it is important to give back to the people around you. Those are the values my parents instilled in me. I want to use the Blagden name and put it to good use,” he says.
Just a few months ago, the 20-year-old winger had put junior hockey on the back burner and instead joined a senior team in the Port City. But just before the holidays, the Sea Dogs recalled him for four games, in which he managed to pick up three points (2G-1A).
“I went from being a coach to a player in one week! It was a little weird,” he laughs.
From there, the 20-year-old would go on to finish the 2022-23 season with the University of New Brunswick Reds, up in Fredericton.
“Coach Gardiner MacDougall called me and asked if I was interested in joining his team. I didn’t hesitate for a second,” he admits.
The two men were familiar with each other as MacDougall guided the Sea Dogs to the Memorial Cup last season. Their reunion definitely paid off in the end, as the Reds were crowned U Sports National Champions this year.
In addition to his involvement within the hockey world, Nicholas Blagden also gives conferences on mental health, often opening up to dozens of strangers about his own mental health issues.
Since 2021, Blagden has spoken to more than 400 people through nearly 20 conferences he’s given across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
He can also be heard on his own podcast, where he details his journey through some of the most difficult times he has faced.
“I want to explain to everyone that it’s okay not to feel okay. It’s starting to catch on and I love every second of it!” he admits.
“I think my message goes over well with younger people because I’m practically their age. The connection with them is immediate. I was in their shoes not too long ago and I know exactly what they are going through.”
Blagden has been through some very dark times. In fact, he admits to having thought about suicide at one point.
“The pressure of playing sports at a high level sometimes becomes overwhelming for young people. I invite them to reach out to me through social media if they need help. I try to guide them to the people who can give them all the help they deserve,” says the Saint John native.
“Everything I do is free, because I’ve been there before. I was confused, I needed help, but I didn’t know exactly what I had.”
Today, he wholeheartedly hopes that his testimonies will incite more youngsters to talk to someone around them about their own situation.
“I suffered for four years myself, and I should have told someone long before that. I want to let those people know that there is hope, and that they can get through this.”
