We are Jeff Totes (Director) and producers Sterling Beaumon, Derek McKenna, and Sy Huq. Together, we’ve made Mental Miles, a documentary about former NHL defenseman Stephen Johns and his courageous journey to confront depression after his career came to an abrupt end.

The film follows Stephen as he navigates his mental health struggles, coinciding with the close of his NHL career. It takes an inside look at his life through some of his darkest moments that led to an inspirational decision to rollerblade across America to combat depression and raise awareness.

Production spans from Stephen’s playing days through to this year, when he sat down with musician Mike Posner on his podcast to reflect on his journey.

The film is complete, the story is ready and with your help, we can finish the last steps to share Mental Miles at festivals, on streaming platforms, and with the communities who need it most.

What We Need & What You Get

Your contributions will help us cover the final costs needed to launch Mental Miles into the world. Funding will go toward:

Licensing & Rights – clearing NHL game footage, podcasts, interviews, and music (including tracks by Mike Posner).

Legal, Insurance & Deliverables – essential protections and technical requirements for release.

Festival Run & Outreach – so the film can screen at top festivals, build word-of-mouth, and spark dialogue around mental health.

We’ve already:

Secured a partnership with the NHL and locked all major licenses. Now we need to pay for them.

Gained strong distribution interest from Victory+, who want to release the film sometime in the coming NHL season to pair with their broadcast rights for the Dallas Stars.

Even if we don’t hit our full target, every dollar raised goes straight to getting the film released, with additional support fueling our festival and impact campaign.

Perks: We’ve built special ways to thank you, from digital access and behind-the-scenes updates, to signed memorabilia and producer credits for top supporters.

The Impact

Your support does more than finish a film, it gives power to a movement.

By contributing, you’re helping to:

Break the stigma around mental health in sports.

Bring visibility to the battles athletes often face in silence.

Inspire anyone struggling with depression, transition, or identity loss.

Stephen’s journey shows us that even in the darkest moments, there’s always a reason to keep moving forward. With your help, we can make sure his story reaches the audiences who need it most.

Risks & Challenges

The film is already complete. The hardest part is behind us.

What remains are logistical hurdles: final licensing, legal clearances, insurance, and festival/distribution costs. Our team has the experience and partnerships in place to overcome them, and with NHL support and distributor interest, we’re confident Mental Miles will have the platform it deserves.

Other Ways You Can Help

Not everyone can contribute financially, but you can still make a huge difference:

Share this campaign with friends, family, and your hockey community.

Spread the word on social media, in locker rooms, and with anyone who cares about mental health.

Use Indiegogo’s share tools to amplify Stephen’s story.

Every share, every conversation, and every contribution helps bring Mental Miles across the finish line.

Together, we can make sure this film doesn’t just get released, help it make an impact.

— Jeff Totes (Director), Sterling Beaumon, Derek McKenna & Sy Huq (Producers)