When Dan Carcillo decided to share his story about being allegedly hazed as a teenage hockey player, it had a ripple effect in the hockey community.
That ripple caused two more Sarnia Sting alumni, Dave Pszenyczny and Charles Amodeo, to follow Carcillo’s footsteps by sharing their stories with The Canadian Press’ John Chidley-Hill yesterday.
And now, the OHL has spoken.
The league released a statement Thursday outlining its intention of “providing a refresher to all staff and players” regarding the issue of hazing.
“The Ontario Hockey League is committed to providing a safe environment and creating a positive experience for all players on and off the ice,” the statement read. “As a league we believe that hazing is reprehensible and we have a zero tolerance for any such action.”
The release continued:
“In addition to the various internal team staff that may assist a player, each team has an independent Ombudsman or Champlain who can hear confidential concerns or complaints. There is also an established channel of complaints or concerns directly to the Commissioner.
The OHL trains all of its players in a program entitled ‘Talk Today’, introduced in 2014, in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association. Talk Today is one of the most comprehensive mental health programs for amateur sports in Canada. Its aim is to promote the mental health of young athletes, spread awareness, and educate players on the importance of talking about issues and recognizing signs of struggle among their peers. Players struggling, as a result of any team or player related concern, are encouraged to access this program for assistance.
In light of the recent attention that has been paid to the issue of hazing, the league has spoken with team management and all of our member teams are providing a refresher to all staff and players about this most important topic.
Our hope is that through conversation, education, and awareness, the attitudes that lead to hazing behavior and these unthinkable actions disappear from sport and society.”
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