McSweeney’s WHL Community Collective: Victoria Royals
Victoria, B.C.- Jayden Kraus has steered aside a lot of shots this season, but he’s not just piling up wins.
The Victoria Royals Foundation is donating a dollar for every save Kraus makes from November 1, 2024 to the end of the regular season to the Canadian Mental Health Association through Kraus’s Saves for Mental Health initiative.
“I think the topic of mental health, and especially men’s mental health, in the past has been something that’s been stigmatized,” Kraus said. “I don’t think it should be at all, because it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but I think the only way that you get rid of the stigma is by just talking about it and having more people bringing awareness to the cause.”
For Kraus, the initial spark that led to Saves for Mental Health was struck well before his time in the WHL.
He was inspired by his hometown Prince Albert Mintos U18AAA Head Coach (and former Prince Albert Raiders Assistant Coach), Tim Leonard, who spoke candidly with his team about his mental health journey and ensured players knew what resources were available to them.
“(He) shared his story a lot of times, which was really cool of him,” Kraus explained. “He made mental performance and mentality a day-to-day priority. I think that stemmed from kids that needed help. They got that help when they needed it… In terms of being an athlete and having mental performance coaches, he was very keen and very focused on having that support system for us. So that’s kind of where it started in my U18 years, and then here in Victoria, we have all those support systems to help any player who needs it, and at the end of the day, they help us be the best hockey player we can be.
“And no matter how little or how much you’re struggling, I think it’s important to have support systems regardless of when you need it, if you need it.”
Kraus, 18, has been on fire in his first full season as Victoria’s starting netminder.
Not only does the 2025 NHL Draft-eligible netminder sit seventh among all WHL goaltenders in wins, he’s piled up 870 saves since November 1 and earned additional donations for more than $1,000 raised with six games left on Victoria’s regular season slate.
The money will fund local CMHA programs, including several that focus on helping individuals build mental health strategies, assisting new parents navigating the postpartum period and de-stigmatization amongst young people.
Yesterday, Jayden Kraus visited the HEADSTRONG Youth Summit, put on by the Canadian Mental Health Association where he spoke to high school students about the importance of mental health and why he chose to raise money for CMHA BC this season.
So far, Jayden has helped raise… pic.twitter.com/UxzEgpLqPX
— x – Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) February 13, 2025
While he says seeing the dollar total grow is nice, he’s also proud of being able to use his platform to speak out about the importance of taking care of your mental health.
In February, Kraus spoke to students in Grades 7 and 8 about normalizing conversations around mental health and how to show support in their social circles at the CMHA’s HEADSTRONG Youth Summit in Victoria.
“I think for lots of kids of that age, it hasn’t been talked about to a huge extent,” Kraus added. “It’s kind of just planting a seed early that it’s okay to not be okay, or if you need help, go seek it… At the end of the day, it’s all health and being the strongest human being you can be.”
To donate or learn more, visit Kraus’s fundraising page.
The Western Hockey League strives to promote and foster a welcoming environment in communities close to our 22 clubs in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Every team has the creative freedom to allow their players and staff to work with the organizations and groups that they are most passionate about. The end goal is to create and maintain long-lasting relationships and ongoing partnerships within their community.
Through the McSweeney’s WHL Community Collective, we aim to highlight these outstanding initiatives done by each club throughout the season.
Loading ...