Michigan Family Believes Son Died Because Of Depression Linked To Politicians Taking Away Hockey

Michigan's decision to block winter high school sports may have led to the death of Mona Shores High School senior Brennan Dethloff. Brian and Rona Dethloff believe their son's January 18 death resulted from depression exacerbated by the state's decision to push the hockey season back twice, sending Brennan to his breaking point.

“You could see it in his face and his body language and his demeanor that it just took it out of him. We both noticed it and did what we could and … ultimately that night, something set him off,” Brian Dethloff told MLive.com. “You know, unfortunately, he chose to do what he did.”

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer took to the airwaves on January 28 to tell students that contact sports could return in "weeks or days."

Winter sports were supposed to return today, February 1, but the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services extended the ban yet again, this time until February 21. Michigan families like the Dethloffs are fed up, and many participated in a Let Them Play rally at the state capitol in Lansing.

 

Whitmer clearly knows families have been driven to their breaking points but still won't rule out the possibility that the state could change its mind on the Feb. 21 start date.

“It’s not about changing our mind, it's about being smart and when the numbers support taking this next step," she said during her January 28 TV interview. "We’re in a stronger position than most other states in our region and even across the country. So that is a very possible thing that may happen in the coming weeks or days.

“But the fact of the matter is the variant is very concerning. We know that the one that came out of the UK has been present in Washtenaw County, probably beyond. There is a variant that’s coming out of Brazil that’s even more deadly, and so that’s the context that matters when we’re looking at these numbers too. But trust me, as a parent of a high schooler myself, I’d love to get this part of life reengaged, but getting the kids back in the classroom, that’s paramount.”