Sports Minister Isabelle Charest believes the hockey community is toxic and that it would be fantastic if the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League appointed a woman to lead its organization. The leaders of the QMJHL must now explain themselves to parliamentarians.
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Is the hockey environment toxic? “I think so,” the minister replied to a press crowd outside the National Assembly this morning. “It’s a collective situation when it’s been happening for years and there are a lot of people who have experienced those situations and who have never denounced and who have never spoken out.”
A crisis has raged in junior hockey since Monday after revelations surrounding a culture of demeaning initiations against rookies were denounced by scores of alleged victims in Ontario courts.
Three Canadian junior leagues, including the QMJHL, are targets of these allegations. Affidavits denouncing sexual abuse, assault and other horrific assaults were released, shocking the political class and civil society at large.
In addition, Quebec solidaire’s request to hear the LHJMQ in a parliamentary commission was granted. The prime minister pointed out that parliamentarians “need more explanations”.
Courteau aware?
On Wednesday morning, on the airwaves of 98.5 in Montreal, Quebec Major Junior League Commissioner Gilles Courteau confirmed that he had never heard of “barbaric and disgusting situations” as they were being reported.
“Nobody has ever spoken to me about a situation similar to that in the Quebec Major Junior League,” he said.
However, he then admitted to having been alarmed by “traditions” of players being confiscated on buses.
He also recounted how recruits were forced to run around arenas naked with biscuits up their butts and the loser then had to eat the soiled biscuits. The Commissioner, in office since 1986, had also been briefed on the history of alcohol abuse.
The sports minister states that she was “not reassured by her statements”.
“This morning he says he’s not aware, he says he’s aware of certain things that I think are demeaning situations, to say young people have to walk around naked with biscuits, to me that’s quite a sign necessary to act,” she said.
A woman?
She believes things are slow to change in the QMJHL and that it would be “fantastic” if a woman were appointed to lead the organization.
“It would bring a different look. On the one hand, we would probably have more girls playing hockey. You see, those stories, especially in terms of combat, don’t exist in the girls’ leagues. It brings a revival, a different mindset, and I’m very much in favor of there being more girls and I’m working in that direction,” she said.
Gilles Courteau recently announced that he will be stepping down in 2024.