Five groups linked to junior hockey in Quebec will meet in parliamentary committee next Wednesday in the wake of allegations of violent initiations perpetrated in recent decades.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Hockey Quebec, Hockey Canada, the Quebec Student Sports Network and McGill University have been called to testify on February 22 in a parliamentary committee at the National Assembly.
On Tuesday, Vincent Marissal of Québec solidaire (QS) asked the parliamentary committee on culture to accept a mandate of initiative so that the officials of the LHJMQ, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and Hockey Québec explain the measures put in place to protect young hockey players from potential abuse.
In an attempted class action lawsuit in the Ontario Superior Court, numerous witnesses claimed to have been subjected to acts of humiliation and torture in various junior hockey leagues across the country. The acts described, ranging from inserting hockey sticks into the anus, genital mutilation, forcible confinement and spraying victims with urine or feces, are said to have taken place over the course of several decades. Their public disclosure shocked the country.
In interview with The Press, the commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ), Gilles Courteau, said on Tuesday that “it’s zero tolerance here. We have had a code of ethics since 2019, and players must sign and read it every year. They know that they are subject to sanctions when there are breaches. We were also the first to set up a player assistance program. »
This assertion, like other interviews in various media, was not enough to convince elected officials, in particular the Minister responsible for Sport, Isabelle Charest.
“I am satisfied that my mandate of initiative has been accepted by all the parties, indicated Vincent Marissal on Thursday. We unanimously agreed to devote the whole day of next Wednesday to hear from the organizations […] As elected officials, we have a responsibility to ensure that in junior hockey, as in other sports, we have turned the page on these intolerable practices. It’s high time we cleaned up. »
With Hugo Pilon-Larose and Fanny Lévesque, The Press