Coyotes' Connor Ingram reveals his struggles with mental illness as he looks to establish himself in the NHL

Connor Ingram, the Arizona Coyotes goaltender, has bravely opened up about his struggles with mental illness, specifically his battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Ingram's journey has been far from easy. His OCD, which went undiagnosed for years, led him down a path of excessive drinking and an overwhelming fear of contamination.

“I always feel bad because these little kids are hanging over the glass, they want a high five. I know if I’ll do it, it might ruin my day," Ingram said.

This condition has been a part of his life since childhood.

“They were like, great, you’re getting your schoolwork done, A-plus,” he said. “But then the older I got, it turned on me. Like, not everything was positive anymore.”

The isolation brought on by the pandemic worsened Ingram's struggles. The extended periods alone in a hotel room allowed his compulsions to intensify.

“It was transient. It was lonely,” he said. “No doubt about it. But I wasn’t the only guy in the League who went through that. Obviously, guys handled it better than I did.”

Through therapy, in-patient treatment and exposure therapy, he has learned to manage his OCD.

“You’ve got to put the work in to feel good,” Ingram said. “You know what sets you off or what makes you calm, whatever it may be. It’s like addiction. You know if you go anywhere near that, it’s going to cause you problems."

"So I stay away from anything that might cause me to have a flare-up or be anxious or anything like that. It’s just putting in work, going to therapy, taking care of yourself."

“It’s like a nagging injury. If you don’t take care of it, it’s going to get worse. For the rest of my life, I’ll sit in a stranger’s chair and tell them my problems once a week. It’s just a fact of my life.”

Connor Ingram’s performance this season

Connor Ingram has been a game-changer for the Arizona Coyotes this season. He has a record of 13-8-0, boasting a commendable goals-against average of 2.61 and an impressive save percentage of .916.

He has four shutouts, which places him at the top of the league along with Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ingram’s impact on the Coyotes has been crucial in their pursuit of a playoff spot. He is on course to exceed the number of games he played in his NHL season, as he has already participated in 24 games compared to 27 games last year.