CHL panel finds ‘unspoken code of silence’ enables misconduct off the ice
Global News
The league tasked an independent panel with reviewing the CHL's policies and practices around hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying in July 2020.
Allegations of abuse against players and volunteers, coupled with coverups by teams who field complaints, are so widespread that they’ve turned off-ice misconduct into a “cultural norm” within the Canadian Hockey League, a newly released report has found.
The league, which includes the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, tasked an independent panel with reviewing the CHL’s policies and practices around hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying in July 2020.
The panel, chaired by former New Brunswick premier Camille Theriault, and including former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy and former Canadian women’s hockey team coach Daniele Sauvageau, submitted its report to the CHL in December 2020 — but the league did not make it public until Friday.
The report found a “code of silence” existed when it came to reporting misconduct.
“Maltreatment that, outside of hockey, would not be acceptable has become an embedded behaviour in this hierarchal organization and the level of acceptance is too high,” the report’s authors wrote.
The panel also found the league did not seek player feedback on policies or education and awareness programs.
“This is a significant void,” the report said. “It is counter-intuitive to think that developing and implementing structures to protect players from maltreatment would exclude their voices regarding what they are experiencing and what they want and need.”
The misconduct suffered by players, many of whom are minors, will live with them for the rest of their lives, the report added.
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