Not all OHL teams are making players take mandatory sexual violence prevention program

WARNING: This article references sexual assault and contains graphic details, and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone impacted by it.

Nearly a decade after the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) made gender-based violence and consent training mandatory for all major junior teams, the sexual assault centres tasked with teaching the players are having trouble getting some franchises to participate, CBC News has learned. 

The OHL Onside Program was developed for junior hockey teams by two sexual assault support centres in the province. The curriculum is delivered to each OHL team by local centres that are members of the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC).

The two-hour program was made mandatory in 2016 and is to be completed at the beginning of each season. 

"When a program is labelled as mandatory but there is little to no accountability for participation or follow-through, it raises questions about the league's commitment to meaningful prevention and education," said Dina Haddish, the members' co-ordinator for the OCRCC. 

"Without consistent enforcement and evaluation, these initiatives risk becoming performative — serving more as public relations tools than as genuine efforts to shift culture, address harm or support player development."

Haddish's comments come as the sexual assault trial of five former Canadian world junior hockey players is well underway in London. The five are accused of engaging in sex acts with a woman without her consent while in London in 2018 to celebrate the gold medal they won earlier in the year. 

E.M., the complainant whose identity is protected under a standard publication ban, has testified she consented to sex with one man at the London hotel but not the rest. One of the players recorded two videos of the woman at the end of the night, saying she consented to everything. The woman testified she does not remember making the videos.  

"Throughout this trial, it has become increasingly clear that there is a fundamental misunderstanding about consent," Haddish said. "The notion that consent is something to be captured once — like a checkbox to be ticked before engaging in sexual activity — is patently false."

Haddish said several sexual assault centres have told her they face "ongoing challenges in engaging their local teams."

"While the intention has been to deliver sessions annually, in some areas, only a limited number have actually taken place in recent years," Haddish told CBC News. "Common issues include difficulties with scheduling, inconsistent communication, and securing clear commitments around time and compensation. These barriers have made it challenging to deliver the program consistently across regions."

Still, the OHL's director of communication says the Onside Program is mandatory for all teams.

"In addition to Onside training, which all players receive at least once a year, OHL players participate in Players First training. This is a five-module league training program that is comprised of both video and team-led discussion that addresses all of the OHL's policies, programs and procedures," Josh Sweetland said in an email. "Included in this are areas such as the Code of Conduct, the Maltreatment, Bullying & Harassment Protection and Prevention Policy, and the league's reporting systems."

The league is discussing next year's program with OCRCC, including "how we might be able to re-evaluate how we best deliver the education to our players" or if there are "opportunities for enhancement," Sweetland said.