i think the best approach to helping normalize mental health concerns for players is having ex-players like Big Ern sharing their stories. If things are kept quiet, or the ex-players who have experienced struggle are kept to the margins, all that does is reinforce the stigma around seeking help.
Embed this in every team, backed by a medical staff and a central support body. I get that the NHL is invested in it's own program, but it concerns me that Daly seems so reticent to back a team-by-team approach, favouring the central model.
Why can't it be both? Teams can afford the salary to a guy, and if you consider the impact of losing a player or prospect due to a preventable issue, then you could also say that they cannot afford not to have someone in this role. LA had to have a crisis to do this, then once the storm clears, it is no longer a focus. Mental health support should be the model, not crisis intervention.
One thing I know myself working in a helping capacity is that while it is valuable to have a professional to go to, often the best icebreaker is to have a peer to whom you can relate as an entry point. You aren't asking that peer to be a therapist, you are asking them to listen, validate, normalize, empower and refer.
The best framework IMO is a peer to go to, who can help the professional medical/therapy staff in both referral/triage and in service feedback/reporting gaps, then a professional team to provide the clinical/therapeutic support. Two levels, two entry points, with communication (whilst maintaining individual confidentiality) between the two layers.
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