We Breed Lions exposes system of uncomfortable truths

When I sat down to read the latest examination of Canadian hockey culture, I did so with a renewed purpose.

Because this was Rick Westhead — a veteran TSN journalist who has become the leading voice for exposing miscarriages of justice in Canada’s game — I knew I was in for a ride.

Westhead has dedicated a large part of his personal and professional career to hockey, lending his voice as a game analyst while also coaching his son in minor hockey. Like many Canadian fathers, he’s spent countless hours driving to and from arenas.

But what truly intrigues me about Westhead is that he is an investigative journalist in the truest sense, possessing a passion to dig deep and the courage to put forth the tough questions so few covering the game are comfortable asking. Prior to reporting for TSN, Westhead was a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star, covering assignments in Afghanistan, China and Saudi Arabia.

Perhaps no one understands the dark underbelly of a sport so deeply woven into the national fabric like Westhead. That knowledge and drive culminate beautifully in his newest book, We Breed Lions, which promises and delivers an unsparing look at the institutional failures that keep that darkness hidden.

As a country, when it comes to hockey, we naturally gravitate towards the success stories.

When Sidney Crosby fired a shot past the U.S.’s Ryan Miller to claim gold at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, you could feel the collective pride beaming from all corners of the country. Paul Henderson’s iconic goal to clinch the 1972 Summit Series is still celebrated in bars from coast to coast to coast more than 50 years later.

While Westhead acknowledges the good parts of hockey, he dives right into the uncomfortable truths few are willing to address. He exposes a system where teenagers drafted into junior hockey are often ill-equipped to handle the unforeseen pressures of playing at such a high level.

Though some might interpret ‘pressure’ as high expectations on the ice, Westhead acutely shows the immense toll of off-ice behaviours forced upon young players. Whether that be pressure to objectify and disparage women, or to conform to a culture that views masculinity through a narrow, restrictive lens.

Westhead also delves into the pressures to fit in, to go along with hazing rituals — like being forced to perform humiliating and dangerous tasks, often nude — and the ways that thinking for yourself can work against a player. The book also covers stories of sexual abuse and harassment, shining a light on areas such as law enforcement and how they mistreat victims of abuse at the hands of local hockey ‘stars.’

A significant part of the book focuses on high-profile cases, but for every story on the Hockey Canada junior team sexual assault trial in London or disgraced former junior hockey coach Graham James, there are many new revelations that prove the game isn’t improving as fast as it should be. Westhead has cultivated several key contacts within the game, and the willingness of general managers, coaches and players to openly share their experiences is a testament to the respect he commands.

While Westhead acknowledges the good parts of hockey, he dives right into the uncomfortable truths few are willing to address.

While most speak on the record — an incredible feat given the subject matter — there are others who are too afraid to use their name for fear of retribution. On a number of occasions, Westhead documents how a player, seemingly eager to share his first-hand account, suddenly has a change of heart and wants his name protected, once again reinforcing the code of silence that has allowed maltreatment to flourish in the game.

As a journalist who prides myself on asking the tough questions and has investigated abuse in sport, particularly hockey, I can tell you unequivocally this was not an easy book to research or write. For some, it will prove difficult to read, but it offers a necessary education, shared by those who have experienced the worst and best the game has to offer.

This work is essential reading for everyone who cares deeply about the sport and wants to see it changed for the better. It is written for parents whose children are playing the game for the first time. It is especially useful for those families whose son might have caught the eye of a junior scout — whether that be in the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League or Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League — and what the future might entail.

More broadly, this book serves as an eye-opener to anyone who has not played hockey at a competitive level and a strong, humble reminder for those who have.

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