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A blurred shot of a hockey player on the ice regarding the CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit filed

Update:

  • Former NHL player Daniel Carcillo responded to denials by Hockey Canada’s top officials of allegations that systemic abuse has and does occur in its junior hockey organization, Sportsnet  reports.   
  • Carcillo is currently the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit targeting the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) over claims it failed to protect children and young people who were allegedly abused while playing in its junior hockey league. 
  • Hockey Canada’s top officials recently denied both that there was an issue with systemic abuse in its junior hockey organization and that the problem was ongoing. 
  • Carcillo, who says he suffered abuse while playing in the junior hockey league as a child,  argued that a culture of abuse and hazing still exists in the CHL, that there is “system-wide knowledge” of it and that “systemic failures continue to occur.” 

 


(June 23, 2022)

A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed against the Canadian Hockey League by a former NHL player alleging the organization turned a blind eye to abuses suffered by teens playing on the teams comprising the CHL.

Lead plaintiff, Daniel Carcillo, says that he and other young players were subject to physical and sexual assaults, as well as hazing and abuse while playing for teams that comprise the CHL, which includes the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Daniel alleges that he suffered abuse during his time with the Sarnia Sting from 2002 and 2003. He went on to play for a number of National Hockey League teams for nine seasons, including the Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, and the New York Rangers as a left-wing.

“This case is on behalf of underage minors who suffered violent hazing, physical and sexual assault and psychological trauma while playing major junior hockey,” Daniel said in a statement. “I was one of those kids when I played in the OHL. I know there are many more just like me.”

In addition, another lead plaintiff Garrett Taylor claims that he was abused while he played for the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2008 and 2009.

According to a press release issued by the law firm representing the plaintiffs and proposed Class Members, many CHL players have come forward with stories of abuse and hazing. Some of these stories include “severe sexual and physical abuse, bigotry and other degrading treatment.”

“I believe this case will give those who were abused a chance to be heard. In my experience, sharing stories of abuse is part of the healing process. It allows a person to take the power back,” continued lead plaintiff Daniel in his statement about the CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit. “I also believe that this lawsuit will create real positive change in Canadian junior hockey. This type of abuse has nothing to do with the sport and it needs to stop.”

According to a report by ESPN, the proposed CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit includes disturbing allegations of bullying, physical and verbal harassment, physical assault, sexual harassment, and hazing. Daniel alleges that he and other rookies were forced to strip and were sent naked to the small bathroom in the team bus, sometimes as many as eight at a time. In addition, he says he and others were beaten with hockey sticks on their bare buttocks until they developed welts and open wounds.

The Hockey Writers reports that others have backed-up Daniel’s allegations and that Daniel started to speak publicly about the problems of abuse in hockey after winning the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks and retiring in 2015.

ESPN notes that the lawsuit alleges that Daniel’s coaches and CHL officials knew of the abuse, but failed to take any meaningful action. According to the CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit, an informal investigation was conducted, but nothing came of it.Aerial shot of a junior hockey team huddled regarding the CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit filed

Defendants in the proposed CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit include every team that plays in the CHL, over 60 teams, as well as the WHL, Ontario Hockey League, and Québec Major Junior Hockey League, reports CBC News. The complaint accuses them of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.

“Hockey is a part of Canada’s national identity,” noted one of the lawyers representing the proposed Class Members in the CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit. “However, this type of physical and sexual abuse of minors has no place in the game. It is toxic, destructive and degrading.”

The proposed CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit seeks to represent players aged 15 to 17 who were abused, hazed, or otherwise assaulted while playing on a team in the league. The complaint is seeking damages on behalf of the proposed Class Members.

For its part, the Canadian Hockey League has issued no comment on the proposed CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit, according to CBC News.

The Hockey Writers also reports that this proposed CHL abuse and hazing class action lawsuit comes on the heels of a $30 million settlement with Canadian Hockey League players who alleged that the CHL had failed to pay them even minimum wage. In addition, the CHL has faced allegations that it failed to properly protect players from head trauma.

Have you or a loved one been a victim of abuse in the Canadian Hockey League? Tell us what you think of this proposed class action lawsuit in the comment section below!

The lead plaintiff and proposed Class Members are represented by Koskie Minisky LLP.

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