“Perceptions” by Gerry Warner

Op-Ed Commentary

Let’s all hear three cheers for “Oh Canada” and go back to sleep again knowing that five Canadian junior hockey stars were acquitted of multiple sexual assault charges last week in a sordid trial that both satisfied and appalled Canadians.

Supreme Court Justice Maria Carraccia rightfully ruled there was not enough evidence for a conviction in a trial that held Canadians spellbound for weeks. But is this reason to cheer?

If the evidence had been there, one might have expected a different outcome. But even that isn’t a certainty in hockey mad Canada where our so-called National Game is not to be challenged for any reason including what used to be called rape.

Don’t get me wrong. I agree with the acquittal. If the evidence isn’t there you must acquit even if it looks like what in less civilized times was called a “gang bang.” Indeed, from the evidence it appears all the victim said in her ordeal was “next.” But that doesn’t mean the complainant wasn’t victimized. She was horribly victimized to think of herself like this. But that’s what society did to her and I agree with the thousands of feminists outraged by a gruesome incident which should have been handled much better.

But that’s not why I’m writing this. Far from it.  The reason I’m writing is to express my own outrage at the perversity of the Canadian hockey culture which seems to sink further into the gutter with each passing year.

Incidents like this aren’t anomalies. They’re relatively commonplace as revealed by a July 28, 2022 CBC report on a Commons Heritage Committee meeting. In that meeting, a Hockey Canada official admitted it paid out $8.9 million in sexual abuse settlements since 1989. The money came out of Hockey Canada’s special National Equity Fund, which is no longer being used for that purpose, said Hockey Canada CEO Scott Smith.

But this didn’t impress several Heritage Committee members who said Smith should resign for the good of the game. “I strongly believe there needs to be new leadership within Hockey Canada,” said Conservative MP John Nater. But Smith said he won’t quit and was ready to “face the consequences” of his actions.

So what will prevail? The “good of hockey?” Or more of the same? Despite being acquitted, the NHL won’t say whether the five will be allowed to play in the league again. But how can the league refuse to let the miscreants back when all they did was what so many other players have done in a league that glorifies violence both on the ice and off. What’s the message here?

Will the hockey culture ever clean up its act? Or will it be the “rock ‘em, sock ‘em” hockey culture forever and a little fun on the side, especially in small towns where junior hockey players are often worshipped as heroes?

And now it’s showing on the ice where our junior team players haven’t made the finals the last two years while American and European teams thrive. Perhaps our junior players have their minds on other things.

As for the NHL, what can you say other than no Canadian team has won a Stanley Cup in more than 30 years. Oh, the shame of it! Perhaps we should establish a national pickle ball league.

Believe it or not, I love hockey and have loved it since the six team NHL league existed and when ordinary Canadian families could afford to have their children play the fastest game on ice. But hockey isn’t a cult. It’s supposed to be a game and it’s about time Canada’s ugly hockey culture was cleaned up or Canada will lose what Canadians used to do best.

– Gerry Warner is a retired journalist whose favorite hockey team is still the Trail Smoke Eaters.

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