Head coach steps down amid hazing fallout

The head coach of the Neepawa Natives junior hockey team that has spent the last three weeks embroiled in a hazing controversy has left the team.

Bryant Perrier, who also served as the MJHL club's general manager, offered his resignation to the team's board Thursday. It was accepted.

"He's been under a lot of stress the last few days," Natives president Dave McIntosh said of Perrier's decision. "But we have to move on, right?"

McIntosh said the board did not ask for Perrier's resignation.

Also Thursday, the team and its players issued public apologies that were posted on the MJHL website.

The head coach's departure is the latest in a series of sweeping changes on the team since hazing allegations from a 15-year-old player first surfaced in October.

The player, who is trying to relocate to a midget hockey team in Omaha, Neb., was forced to tie a water bottle rack to his scrotum and walk around the dressing room for the amusement of veteran players. Other younger players were made to perform push-ups over a bucket of ice water.

The team's board reported the incident, which occurred in late September, to league commissioner Kim Davis, who after an internal investigation, levied a $5,000 fine against the Natives organization and issued suspensions to 16 players, plus Perrier and former assistant coach Brad Biggers.

Biggers later resigned after it was learned some players Davis interviewed had "recanted" their original stories that the assistant coach wasn't present at the hazing. The league subsequently suspended Biggers and earlier this week announced their investigation would be reopened and led by former Winnipeg Police Service detective Ron Bell.

The apologies are a bid to get the team moving forward and begin removing the taint the incident put on the franchise and the community, McIntosh said.

"It really hasn't been until today that we tried to make a statement for ourselves," McIntosh said. "Our hockey team had a cloud over it. People started looking at Neepawa as a terrible place to live. I think the community has been slighted negatively. Don't make this our claim to fame."

The team statement read, in part: "The Neepawa Natives organization understands that our players' actions have reflected poorly on our organization, our community, our league and hockey in general. For this we join the players in offering our sincerest apologies to the victims, our sponsors, our players' parents, our fans and our community. We share the public's position that such actions should not be part of the game that we love.

"Make no mistake, this issue has rocked us hard and we had to consider every option. After a great deal of discussion we are here today to reconfirm and renew our commitment to junior hockey in Neepawa. We humbly ask that our players, fans, sponsors and the community renew their commitment to the Neepawa Natives."

Asked if the organization's apology, along with Perrier's resignation, might represent a fresh start for the beleaguered club, McIntosh said: "Absolutely."

Another release signed by "Natives leadership and players" apologized to "the players involved in the incident, our community, the organization, coaching staff, sponsors, loyal fans and all who have supported the program."

The statement added: "We would like to make it clear that the events that had taken place had no malicious intent and, in no way, were aimed to harm or ridicule any player on our team."

McIntosh said the team's board met Thursday and set up a search committee to hire a new head coach. Asked how quickly the Natives would like to have a new coach in place, McIntosh said, "Time is of the essence, for sure."

In the last week 18 players have either been traded from the Natives -- dead last in the league standings with a 1-16-2 record -- or have left the team at their own request.

MJHL commissioner Kim Davis said the team is doing what it can to turn things around.

"They know that their objective is to win games and have a full roster, and I know that they're working toward that," Davis said.

-- with files from The Canadian Press

randy.turner@freepress.mb.ca

Apology from Natives leadership and players

To whom it may concern:

In regard to the recent hazing allegations toward the Neepawa Natives, the players of the Natives would like to apologize to the players involved in the incident, our community, the organization, coaching staff, sponsors, loyal fans and all who have supported the program that has given so many players the opportunity to play Junior A hockey in a well-established league. An apology addressed toward the acts that took place within our dressing room. We would like to make it clear that the events that had taken place had no malicious intent and, in no way, were aimed to harm or ridicule any player on our team.

First and foremost, no player was forced or threatened to take part in anything they were not comfortable doing, this was and remains a team policy from the start of the season. The victims of the incident participated in the events that took place in the month of September of their own will and were not pressured in any way by any member of the team. We are truly sorry for allowing this kind of immature behaviour to happen in our dressing room.

The acts that took place in our dressing room were simply a part of rookie initiations, and at the time, the team deemed them harmless fun. However, now that we have put a great amount of thought into this, we realize that our actions were extremely inappropriate and unnecessary. We deeply regret partaking in such behaviour, but most importantly, letting our actions affect so many people around us in a negative way.

We, the Neepawa Natives, ask for forgiveness for our mistakes and a chance to move on and play the game we are all so truly passionate about.

Sincerely,

Neepawa Natives leadership and players

Organization's apology (excerpts)

The Neepawa Natives organization

understands that our players' actions have reflected poorly on our organization, our community, our league and hockey in general. For this we join the players in offering our sincerest apologies to the victims, our sponsors, our players' parents, our fans and our community.

We share the public's position that such actions should not be part of the game that we love. As a board, our goal was and remains the same -- to build and oversee a junior hockey program to allow young players an opportunity to develop their personal and their hockey skills -- on and off the ice. We know the events that occurred in the dressing room in late September and the weeks following have put this goal in jeopardy. We understand that an example needs to be made and we are prepared to accept our role to ensure it never happens again.

Our organization has been put on the national stage in a most negative light. We accept this. What we cannot accept is that this somehow is a reflection of our community. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We need everyone to know our best efforts have been made every step of the way. The issue was reported to the authorities as soon as it was known. Ongoing communication with both the players and the league uncovered more irregularities, which were reported immediately as well. We will continue to co-operate with both the MJHL and the RCMP in their investigations and we are as anxious as anyone to understand what happened. We have faith in the process and will accept their findings, deal with the consequences and act on all recommendations.

Make no mistake, this issue has rocked us hard and we had to consider every option. After a great deal of discussion we are here today to reconfirm and renew our commitment to junior hockey in Neepawa.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 4, 2011 A6