Former NHL-er suffering from OCD reveals how a rookie Jack Eichel was there for him when others turned a blind eye

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Oct 03, 2023 17:27 GMT

Former NHL player Colin Wilson has recently opened up about his battle with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and anecdote with Jack Eichel. In a recent CAM and STRICK podcast, he shed light on the challenges he faced during his hockey career. While discussing the extent of his struggle with OCD, Wilson revealed a surprising source of support during his journey: a rookie Jack Eichel.

In the podcast, Wilson shared the extent of his OCD-related rituals, recounting how he would often tie his skates so frequently that his fingers would bleed. These compulsions, while intensely personal, didn't go entirely unnoticed by his teammates.

Wilson was asked,

"And I've read your story where you said you would tie your skates so many times that your fingers would bleed. Like, how many times do you think ... add it all up ... And did any of your teammates ever say, dude, like, you're tying your skates a lot?"

Wilson admitted that he would re-tie his skates approximately 20 to 30 times during the process of getting ready for a game:

"If I had to guess, I don't know, like, 20-30 times, maybe. I mean, it's very hard to know."

Interestingly, it was a young Eichel who took notice of Wilson's repetitive behavior during a summer skate. Eichel questioned Wilson about his constant re-tying of skates, a habit that seemed peculiar to his fellow skaters.

Wilson said,

"And the only person who actually said anything was Jack Eichel during a summer skate, because I would, like, constantly, all of a sudden, I'd go to the back of the line for a drill in the summer skate, and every single time, I was retying my skates, and he was like, what are you doing there? And he's the only person who actually ever said anything."

More from the Colin Wilson's conversation on Jack Eichel

The podcast conversation was lighthearted, with hosts playfully suggesting that he might have responded to Eichel's comment with a "Shut up, Jack."

Wilson said,

"(Laughs) Yeah, I think he was actually even going into his rookie season. But, hey, good on him."

Eichel's decision to address the issue, even as a rookie, was much needed.

Wilson, a former NHL forward, played a total of 632 games in his career, scoring 113 goals and providing 173 assists, accumulating 286 points along the way.

Wilson spent eleven seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Nashville Predators and later with the Colorado Avalanche. Wilson was drafted seventh overall by the Predators in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.