Hockey Canada needs to step up its game

Opinion

The London, Ont. Hockey Canada junior hockey players’ trial mesmerized and disturbed Canadians. In an unprecedented move, the CBC reported on it live with a warning that the graphic content of their reports might be upsetting for anyone affected by sexual abuse.

The players and the complainant “EM” who testified presented conflicting versions of what transpired in the room at the Delta Armouries Hotel, their memories compromised by alcohol intoxication, the passage of time and possibly the code of silence. We will never know for sure exactly what took place that night as we were not there.

What we do know is that the five accused Hockey Canada junior ice hockey players were found not guilty of sexual assault and being party to an offence. And it was not the first time that multiple members of a junior hockey team have faced allegations of sexual assault against a single female victim. It had happened before in Swift Current, 1989, Saskatoon and Windsor, 1995 and Barrie, 2000. None of these players was convicted of sexual assault.

The issue here seemed to revolve around consent. Justice Maria Carroccia concluded that EM consented to and initiated various sexual acts with these players. As such this ruling is a huge setback for the #MeToo movement. It confirms the patriarchal belief that women are second-class citizens who can be treated as sexual objects, used, abused and then discarded.

This decision will have a chilling effect on women who want to proceed with sexual assault charges. It may also function to suppress efforts to change a junior hockey culture that many believe perpetuates male entitlement and misogynistic attitudes towards women.

What will happen to efforts to challenge the toxic masculinity that is bred into these players from an early age? In this culture manliness is defined as bravado, swagger, sexual conquest, risk taking, bullying and invulnerability.

What role can Hockey Canada play in effecting cultural change in our great sport of hockey? Can we even trust Hockey Canada to ensure its junior hockey player representatives conduct themselves in an acceptable manner?

In 2018 the five accused players and their coaches would have signed Hockey Canada’s code of conduct. No. 1 on its list of responsibilities is that players and coaches “adhere to the highest standard of behaviour and at all times refrain from any behaviour that could reflect poorly on Hockey Canada.”

Among other items the code also outlines the requirement to demonstrate “respect toward all people through actions and words.” Refraining from excessive alcohol consumption is also mentioned in the Code as is the importance of “refraining from the use of power to coerce another person to engage in inappropriate activities.”

With this Hockey Canada code of conduct in place, it is important to note that a criminal investigation into the conduct of its players was initiated in June of 2018. It took six years for Hockey Canada to act against any of its players related to this investigation. What is even more appalling is that the team coaches were never sanctioned for their role in what happened. Indeed, the assistant coach, Tim Hunter, was promoted to be the team’s head coach for the following year.

Clearly the players, and coaches who should have been supervising the players, violated their responsibilities regarding this code of conduct as it pertained to the treatment of EM. An apology to EM should be forthcoming regardless of the not guilty finding.

It is unlikely, however, that EM will see an apology from any of these individuals as an apology is antithetical to a culture that pays lip service to its code of conduct.

Undoubtedly as soon as the appeal period has expired, we will see attempts by these five players to return to the NHL. Contrary to what the NHLPA says, NHL teams are not obligated to sign them. Teams, like our Winnipeg Jets, who are community-minded and character driven, would not consider antagonizing their fan base by signing any one of these players.

Cale Makar, who was suspended from representing Hockey Canada even though he was not there when these allegations arose, made a crucial point in a 2024 interview. He said “at the end of the day actions have consequences … regardless of the situation.”

He might have added “and we have a responsibility to learn from these actions.” Hockey Canada has a new CEO who, on July 25, 2025, outlined numerous steps that they have taken to “transform the culture and safety of hockey.”

What have they learned? Time will tell; we will be watching.

Mac Horsburgh writes from Winnipeg where he was a course conductor in Hockey Canada’s “Speak Out” program.