Nashville Predators' Spencer Stastney reveals lifelong battle with anxiety, depression

Predator Overcomes Mental Hurdles to Return to Ice

Nashville defenseman opens up about lifelong battle with anxiety and depression.

Nashville Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney has returned to the ice after a difficult period away from the game. In a recent interview on "32 Thoughts: The Podcast," Stastney revealed he was battling anxiety and depression that nearly led him to retire in 2024.

“I was thinking that I'm done. That I'm absolutely done with hockey,” Stastney confessed.

The announcement of his absence from training camp in September 2024, two months after he received a two-year contract at arbitration, sent shockwaves through the organization. Now, Stastney sheds light on his struggles, tracing them back to his youth hockey days in Milwaukee.

"It was at the end of the Milwaukee Admirals' deep run in the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2024 when Stastney realized he needed to step away from hockey," the podcast revealed. After consulting with his agent, Pete Rutili, Stastney even prepared retirement papers, convinced he could no longer play.

“I thought it was going to be a sigh of relief, that I was going to get up in the morning and feel great. I was going to apply for jobs, like I'm a new person. I'm free finally. And I was still miserable,” Stastney admitted.

Seeking help through the NHLPA’s player assistance program, Stastney began therapy and uncovered family dynamics contributing to his anxiety and depression. His parents' eventual divorce, coupled with other stressors stemming from moving with his mother and brother to Chicago at a young age, took a toll.

“Knowing that everyone was having a tough time while I was having a blast with friends and living my best life, that guilt really weighed upon me and added up to a lot of things that I came to realize in therapy,” Stastney explained. “Pretty much everything went south in my family after the Chicago move.”

The weight of this guilt made hockey unbearable for him.

“I didn't take care of myself," he said. "Slowly things started to deteriorate. I wasn't doing anything outside of the rink. I'd go to the rink, I'd come home, I'd sit on my couch, like what do I do now?"

Through months of therapy and support from Predators development coach Mark Borowiecki, Stastney began to feel excited about hockey again. He rejoined the Admirals in November 2024, making his debut on December 7th. Due to injuries on the Preds roster, he was recalled to the NHL in January 2025 and played 23 games for the Predators.

While Stastney has made a remarkable comeback, he acknowledges there is still work to be done.

“I’m still trying to figure out my relationship with hockey," he said.