Torture, abuse, and assault as part of hockey culture in junior hockey

[YEGCanuck]

The people who condone this behavior or who look the other way need to be exposed. There will be no significant change unless the people in positions of power are removed for gross negligence. 

[stawns]

4 hours ago, Coconuts said:

I wasn't really sure what to titled this as I'm admittedly a bit affected by what I just read. If someone else has a more appropriate title for this thread I'm open to altering the title.

 

 Let it be known that the details covered in this article are disturbing. I didn't see a thread for this, the article dropped today. 

 

https://ici-radio--canada-ca.translate.goog/sports/1955866/hockey-chronique-martin-leclerc-abus-hockey-junior-canada-recours-collectif-cour-superieure?partageApp=rcca_appmobile_appinfo_android&_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr&_x_tr_pto=wapp

 

 

I saw all of that first hand and was a major reason why my Jr career ended.  I remember when I was 17 and we were on the bus home form a game in Merrit and the vets, with the coaching staffs encouragement, had all the rookies strip naked and forced to walk up and down the aisleway while veteran players hit them with shoes, or whatever they could get their hands on.  Then they were made to get in the bathroom together.  Clothes were tied together in a knot and tossed in the bathroom with them.  Rookies were taunted and humilated as their screams were heard outside the bathroom.

 

I was a rookie and my exact words were "f*** you, I'm not doing that".  

 

 

Things weren't as bad in Portland, as far as intiation went, mostly because we all knew the owner/GM was a sexual predator (as were scouts) and we all looked out for each other.  Adults were well aware of all of this.  But the abuse of women was just as prevalent

 

I also know of more sexual assaults on females than I would evercare to admit.  Assaults were reported to coaching staff and nothing was ever done.  As a player, you had no power and if you spoke up, that might end your dream of being a hockey player and the adults in charge knew it.  It was beyond disgusting and is the main reason why I always say that the absolute worst people I've known in my life were hockey players. 

Edited February 14, 2023 by stawns

[stawns]

3 hours ago, Odd. said:

That is awful. And it’s crazy because there were adults who could have done something. Instead they were active participants. 
 

I really hope there can some sort of justice to come out of this. This needs to have more national attention, and there should be a massive inquiry and investigation of every single junior team between 1986-2015 (oldest victim in the lawsuit played in 86, youngest played up until 2014). 
 

It is unfathomable to me, quite literally mind boggling, that someone feels the need to initiate such acts on another human being as part of some ritualistic process in order to accept them as part of their team.

 

I could tell you stories of WHL scouts preying on 13 and 14 year old boys, inviting them to their hotels, plying them with alcohol and dreams of playing in the WHL, manipulating and threatening them......stories that would make you sick to your stomach.  Always fnding the most vulnerable ones, the ones from broken homes or negligent parents and no one to look out for them.

[Coconuts]

3 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

That stuff has been happening forever.  Even when I was in high school, we had sh*t like that.  If they haven't fixed it by now I am not sure they ever will.  The judge also threw out the class action lawsuit and said they would need to all sue individually, which means they would have to expose who they are.  So not sure many people will come forward as a result.

It's worth a shot, whatever that looks like. Similar pressure to what happened with Hockey Canada should be applied. Yes, it's absolutely a complex issue but it's still worth trying to make better. 

 

Read the bit about the judge, it's disappointing. 

 

Hockey culture is gross, and I know it's not just hockey culture but that's what the article was about and that's what I'm talking about. I hope we progress is made somehow, nobody should have to suffer like that. Obviously it'd be better if this behavior didn't take place in general, but progress needs to be made on many fronts. 

[stawns]

Just now, Coconuts said:

It's worth a shot, whatever that looks like. Similar pressure to what happened with Hockey Canada should be applied. Yes, it's absolutely a complex issue but it's still worth trying to make better. 

 

Read the bit about the judge, it's disappointing. 

 

Hockey culture is gross, and I know it's not just hockey culture but that's what the article was about and that's what I'm talking about. I hope we progress is made somehow, nobody should have to suffer like that. Obviously it'd be better if this behavior didn't take place in general, but progress needs to be made on many fronts. 

hockey is dying in Canada and I often think it's best to just let it happen.

[Coconuts]

2 minutes ago, stawns said:

hockey is dying in Canada and I often think it's best to just let it happen.

Can't say I know enough about that to comment on it 

 

Obviously I was paying attention to the Hockey Canada stuff but beyond that idk 

[stawns]

1 minute ago, Coconuts said:

Can't say I know enough about that to comment on it 

 

Obviously I was paying attention to the Hockey Canada stuff but beyond that idk 

Working in the school system, I can tell you there just aren't that many hockey kids anymore........granted I work in a lower middle class area and most families simply can't afford for their kids to play hockey.  Kids would rather play soccer, ski, snowboard or game than play hockey these days.  I'm sure it's still popular in the prairies, but for how long?  Stories like these expose what really happens with these kids when they leave home to play Jr and what parent would ever want their kids exposed to that.   Imo, in 20 years, hockey will be a secondary sport in Canada

[Coconuts]

4 minutes ago, stawns said:

Working in the school system, I can tell you there just aren't that many hockey kids anymore........granted I work in a lower middle class area and most families simply can't afford for their kids to play hockey.  Kids would rather play soccer, ski, snowboard or game than play hockey these days.  I'm sure it's still popular in the prairies, but for how long?  Stories like these expose what really happens with these kids when they leave home to play Jr and what parent would ever want their kids exposed to that.   Imo, in 20 years, hockey will be a secondary sport in Canada

Well it's not a poor man's game anymore, there's no doubt there 

 

It ain't a blue collar man's game anymore either, it's why you see the sons of so many former players continue to pop up 

 

Other sports are more accessible and affordable, no doubt 

 

Guess we'll see

[Nuxfanabroad]

Buncha' F***ing perverts, am sure.

 

Not gonna bother reading..too tired of hearing how this trash & gross indecency is spreading throughout society. They say it's a tell-tale sign of a spent & fading empire.

[nuckin_futz]

Reading this 2 things came to mind #1) This reads like what happens in Russian prisons. #2) Reminds me of the USA women's/girl's gymnastics scandal with Larry Nassar.

 

Given the almost obscene glorification of hockey in this country there should be a government inquiry into this matter. The CHL needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom. If the CHL cannot do it themselves then government should step in and do it for them. The CHL maybe even needs to be bankrupted and a new league formed without any of the usual losers running things.

 

Sounds like a lot of this abuse happened while David Branch was President of the CHL. He needs to be questioned under oath and while they are at it they can strip him of his Order of Canada.

 

Lastly I am surprised one of these young men hasn't gone berserk and come back with a weapon. 

 

 

[stawns]

11 minutes ago, Nuxfanabroad said:

Buncha' F***ing perverts, am sure.

 

Not gonna bother reading..too tired of hearing how this trash & gross indecency is spreading throughout society. They say it's a tell-tale sign of a spent & fading empire.

most of this case goes back to the past century, from what I can tell

[MeanSeanBean]

13 minutes ago, Nuxfanabroad said:

Buncha' F***ing perverts, am sure.

 

Not gonna bother reading..too tired of hearing how this trash & gross indecency is spreading throughout society. They say it's a tell-tale sign of a spent & fading empire.

Unless it's important or valuable to you, I actually wouldn't suggest reading it. It's really disturbing and truely sad. 

[Nuxfanabroad]

2 minutes ago, stawns said:

most of this case goes back to the past century, from what I can tell

I like to think there's a judgement for how we conduct our affairs in this lifetime. A big referee in the sky, especially for the sickos & twisted pervs.

[Nuxfanabroad]

2 minutes ago, Shayster007 said:

Unless it's important or valuable to you, I actually wouldn't suggest reading it. It's really disturbing and truely sad. 

Well thanks, not really curious either. I've read enough fiction to realize this world now is even stranger. Feel bad for my kid's generation.

[-DLC-]

I'm not going to read it....that kind of stuff really sticks with me.

 

Every single adult that turns a blind eye or, even worse, participates should be jailed. For a long time.

[Elias Pettersson]

1 hour ago, Coconuts said:

It's worth a shot, whatever that looks like. Similar pressure to what happened with Hockey Canada should be applied. Yes, it's absolutely a complex issue but it's still worth trying to make better. 

 

Read the bit about the judge, it's disappointing. 

 

Hockey culture is gross, and I know it's not just hockey culture but that's what the article was about and that's what I'm talking about. I hope we progress is made somehow, nobody should have to suffer like that. Obviously it'd be better if this behavior didn't take place in general, but progress needs to be made on many fronts. 

I don’t think anything is going to happen, but I would love to be proven wrong. It didn’t only happen in hockey either, I played football and it happened there too.  Even worse, it happened in my high school. Grade 12 students abusing grade 8 students. It was normally the more vulnerable grade 8 kids that were abused. 

 

I’m actually shocked it’s still happening now, or at the very least as late as 2014.  That’s crazy. That’s over 30 years for sure. Maybe longer. 

Edited February 14, 2023 by Elias Pettersson

[King Heffy]

Read the whole thing, and I'm no longer hungry.  I'm not sure what the solution is, but it's clear that the problem won't solve itself.  A good start would be for these kids to have adult supervision on the road other than the coaching staff who benefit professionally by sweeping this under the rug.

[hammertime]

7 hours ago, Warhippy said:

It's not just equipment.  Wouldn't be so bad if it was.

 

Camps, training, enrolment etc.

 

My nephew was denied a try out at a local club because he had not attended a previous week long training program that cost $3500 to attend.  He was also informed had he been accepted that a summer camp through the OHA was also mandatory which was 2 weeks and almost $6500.  My dude, these are literal camps created JUST for these kids to be able to go for tryouts and are such a short time period as to be almost useless in relation to their costs

Equipment is one thing; the investment in time is another.  But if you have kids who are serious about hockey the fees, camps etc which are all essentially mandatory now are absolutely brutal.

This is so true. It's been this way for years. Hockey s a rich kids sport if you want to make the next level. 

[beni]

7 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

That stuff has been happening forever.  Even when I was in high school, we had sh*t like that.  If they haven't fixed it by now I am not sure they ever will.  The judge also threw out the class action lawsuit and said they would need to all sue individually, which means they would have to expose who they are.  So not sure many people will come forward as a result.

100%

 

I heard some crazy stories from people I knew in the Shuswap area regarding the Silverbacks.

 

This stuff is everywhere and not just limited to this case. 

[UnkNuk]

Should we assume these types of things happened to every young guy who played junior hockey?  And that every player in the NHL went through this and/or inflicted it on others?