Hockey Canada, CHL settle lawsuit over alleged sexual assault involving WJ players

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I think the tide is finally turning. But I guess we'll see.

Im old enough to remember the Graham James business well. There was a bunch of outcry about junior hockey culture then. Then a lot of backsliding.

[Red_Baron]

Predator Ridge golf course has dropped their sponsorship of hockey Canada

[Enoch Root]

I think it's unlikely that many players will speak out against HC.

While only a few have actually experienced the issues being discussed, I would imagine that every single player knows a player who has experienced it. Speaking out against HC now would come across as somewhat hypocritical and could also carry the risk that HC turns around and calls them out, or calls out someone they know as being directly hypocritical.

There is also the fact that many of the players - and ALL of the star players - have been a big part of HC teams, at the international level.

I would imagine that most of the players simply want to see this whole thing quietly go away, without them having to become involved in any way.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Im old enough to remember the Graham James business well. There was a bunch of outcry about junior hockey culture then. Then a lot of backsliding.

As do I, and I was privy to that fiasco at that time. The "hold" Graham James had on his victims was pretty obvious as the years went on as both Fleury and Kennedy were part of the original ownership group.

When James was arrested, there was a general feeling that there had been rumours for years that went largely ignored.

Now at that time, I believe the general feeling was this was more of an isolated incident involving James and not a league wide problem. But I'm not certain of that.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Funkhouser

Who ever said that replacing the leadership at H.C. would result in less sexual assault? If you think that is what people are expecting, you are being obtuse. Given your track record on this site, I would assume you are just trolling.

The point is, H.C. should not be acting as a shield for these assaults; to settle lawsuits quietly on their behalf ensures that (1) there are no consequences for the perpetrators of the assault, and (2) no future events of this kind are discouraged.

No one suggesting that H.C. act as judge and jury either, but they could ensure that the perpetrators are publicly implicated in any legal proceedings, and suspend or ban them from future H.C. activities so at least there is some incentive for players to not engage in this type of activity (although some surely will continue to do so)

People are insinuating the scapegoating of the HC head will eliminate similar issues in the future. I doubt that will happen. The players most likely developed their views prior to HC having any involvement with them. Respect for women develops at an early age and isn’t specifically tied to hockey. It’s a societal problem.

I’ve been asking how the leader stepping down would bring about change and haven’t been getting any concrete answers beyond someone has to pay. So I keep asking. What is a new leader going to do that’s actually going to change things. Things that are engrained prior to their organizations involvement with the players. I think what you’re asking needs to take place ahead of that.

They were going to be sued so they settled out of court. I’m guessing NDAs are common in that instance. Why would they not do something that’s common legal practice. I’m sure their council recommended it.

[OptimalTates]

Originally Posted by Red_Baron

Predator Ridge golf course has dropped their sponsorship of hockey Canada

That’s the only one who should have stayed lol

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by OptimalTates

That’s the only one who should have stayed lol

[sureLoss]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1578123338123280404

[dustygoon]

For someone who prefers to avoid controversial comments, Bettman's word choices here amount to a good flaming....

https://twitter.com/user/status/1578140109110915072

[Beatle17]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1578123338123280404

IT is wonderful to see the provincial groups withholding funding and attempting to go on their own.

The same issue will come up with them also, as the people who will work towards the leadership will be "hockey" people from the grassroots, and if you know anything about local groups (hockey, basketball, football, etc.) it is a bunch of parents looking after their own. The infighting and decision making from the local groups is worse than the ####ty leadership of the national group.

[dammage79]

I'm kind of stunned HC has gone into bunker mode while the floor falls out from underneath their feet.

Makes me wonder how much they're holding back. I.e all the new people come in and open the safe and find out how truly deep this goes.

I don't even know if we've even hit the tip of iceberg on this beast yet.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Beatle17

IT is wonderful to see the provincial groups withholding funding and attempting to go on their own.

The same issue will come up with them also, as the people who will work towards the leadership will be "hockey" people from the grassroots, and if you know anything about local groups (hockey, basketball, football, etc.) it is a bunch of parents looking after their own. The infighting and decision making from the local groups is worse than the ####ty leadership of the national group.

Unpossible.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Goriders

People are insinuating the scapegoating of the HC head will eliminate similar issues in the future. I doubt that will happen. The players most likely developed their views prior to HC having any involvement with them. Respect for women develops at an early age and isn’t specifically tied to hockey. It’s a societal problem.

I’ve been asking how the leader stepping down would bring about change and haven’t been getting any concrete answers beyond someone has to pay. So I keep asking. What is a new leader going to do that’s actually going to change things. Things that are engrained prior to their organizations involvement with the players. I think what you’re asking needs to take place ahead of that.

They were going to be sued so they settled out of court. I’m guessing NDAs are common in that instance. Why would they not do something that’s common legal practice. I’m sure their council recommended it.

I was under the impression ppl want the entire upper house cleared out and replaced. Not just one or two heads of hockey Canada. They want all of them.

[Beatle17]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Unpossible.

As stated earlier, most of these "kids" show up with the ####ty attitude long before HC is involved. Where does it come from?

[PepsiFree]

This is not a difficult thing to understand. The entire HC leadership group needs to go because they enabled sexual assault to happen without consequence within their organization and have shown no ability to prevent even the continued enablement of these assaults, let alone the assaults themselves.

Watching one poster “boys will be boys, what can they do?” themselves all over this thread is so annoyingly stupid.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Beatle17

As stated earlier, most of these "kids" show up with the ####ty attitude long before HC is involved. Where does it come from?

From life. Doesn’t matter. It’s not HC’s job to stop the kids from learning that these things are okay before they HC is involved, it’s their job not to make it seem okay while HC is involved.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1578123338123280404

I didn't see it mentioned, maybe I missed it, but Hockey Quebec announced the same thing yesterday.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...holding-funds/

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I'm kind of stunned HC has gone into bunker mode while the floor falls out from underneath their feet.

Makes me wonder how much they're holding back. I.e all the new people come in and open the safe and find out how truly deep this goes.

I don't even know if we've even hit the tip of iceberg on this beast yet.

Who knows how deep & dark this gets. The biggest thing that is being constantly exposed is just how stupid the people who work there are.

This is the same group of people who had members who though it would be a good idea to “punish” Jonathan Toews by keeping him off the World Junior Team because Toews was the 1st pick in the WHL bantam draft then walked away from the CHL to go through the NCAA.

[Beatle17]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

From life. Doesn’t matter. It’s not HC’s job to stop the kids from learning that these things are okay before they HC is involved, it’s their job not to make it seem okay while HC is involved.

I am not defending HC. But if you feel that someone "watching" these kids will stop what is happening at this level it is too late. As someone else mentioned the NDA and payouts were recommended by someone who is trying to save face and is wrong. What I am saying is the youth coaches and parents have to enforce the "no ###### bag" attitude as soon as they see it popping up.

I will give you one example from my history. A very close friend of my son (20 years ago) was the nicest kid on the planet, very friendly and would do anything for anyone. His dream was always to play Major Midget hockey and he finally realized his dream. Within 3 months of achieving this he totally changed and became an entitled ass who thought he could do or say anything. One day he made an offhand comment to my daughter (who he had known for 10 years) and her friends, acting cool in front of his new friends, but his problem was I was within hearing distance. I walked over, grabbed him and took him directly to his parents and made him tell them what he had said. His dad was old school like me and he had one choice, change back to the kid he was before or his hockey was done.

I saw the same thing in my sons basketball teams etc., and his sister sat him down and read him the riot act and I told him that if he ever acted in that manner or allowed his friends to then he was done playing also.

The thing is most parents are living their fantasy of playing thru the kids so don't put a stop to that ####. The parents of my sons hockey friend and myself weren't interested in living thru them, they didn't understand hockey as immigrant parents and I had no dream of basketball other than to support the kids. A little supervision by the family and some strength from the elite teams would put an end to this long before it becomes a problem. The first team meeting should be about one thing, respect other people and NEVER let something like this happen in our team environment.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Beatle17

I am not defending HC. But if you feel that someone "watching" these kids will stop what is happening at this level it is too late. As someone else mentioned the NDA and payouts were recommended by someone who is trying to save face and is wrong. What I am saying is the youth coaches and parents have to enforce the "no ###### bag" attitude as soon as they see it popping up.

Sure, I agree with the overall idea that it’s the community’s job (culture/society included, and all the more personal influence points kids are exposed to) but that ultimately does not matter here. The issue is not that HC didn’t stop it from happening in the first place. It happening is just a symptom of HC enabling it.

It’s not about “someone watching these kids” it’s about changing the culture at HC from one that tolerates this behaviour, covers it up, pays it off, whatever, to a culture of zero tolerance. You can absolutely bet that the consequences being severe, especially consequences that impact these players’ future professional hockey careers, is absolutely going to make someone who thinks this behaviour is ok think twice.

So yeah, it’s great if changes are made down the line. But this is about HC. They need to change regardless of what any minor league coach or parent is doing.