Opinion: Hockey Canada sexual assault trial latest story spotlighting dark side of sport

Winnipeg Free Press

3 days ago

Opinion
Countless times throughout the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial, the question has come up: is this a story for the sports section at the Free Press?
The resounding answer is: yes. Yes, this is a sports story.
I am not writing to offer my opinion on the decisions made today. I am here to remind readers that the world of sports is not always a fun, fantasy world.
Sports are a fantastic way for fans, including me, to escape hard times — but a shadow hides behind the blinding, refracted light of historic goals and legendary names.
This trial shone a spotlight on the ugliness of that shadow.
The fact that people are high-fiving over the five men involved in this case being acquitted is absolutely disgusting. Whether or not you believe the five men are guilty, a woman was traumatized.
So much so that, as the Toronto Star reported, E.M. thought she would be able to testify in person in the courtroom, but when she was taking a tour of the courthouse and sat in the witness stand, she started crying. She was so traumatized by what happened to her that night in a London, Ont., hotel room that she had to testify via video from another room in the courthouse, and the defendants were blurred on her end.
What those cheering the acquittals seem to quickly forget is that trauma and abuse in sports isn't just a woman's story — it's a part of sports culture that has thrived in the shadows for far too long.
This case just so happened to involve a woman. This is also a man's story.
Whether Winnipeg Jets fans want to admit it or not, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was previously involved with a franchise that saw Kyle Beach identify himself as a player at the centre of sexual abuse allegations. A second former player also sued the Chicago Blackhawks. Hometown favourite Jonathan Toews was also part of that franchise at the time these abuses took place.
I am by no means saying either Cheveldayoff or Toews were involved or knew of the abuse. The point of including this is as a reminder that abuse is happening to athletes themselves in top leagues.
This is not just a minor league issue. This is not just a women's issue. This is a high-profile issue that continues to get swept under the rug whenever the defendants are deemed not guilty, whether in the court of law or the court of public opinion.
If one of these players is signed by an NHL team, we will have to cover them in the Free Press sports section in a way where it appears as though this story never existed. Just as we have had to cover Alex Ovechkin, regardless of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. You can add as many disclaimers and explainers as you want; these are still stories emphasizing the 'greatness' of these athletes.
Abuse is rampant in professional sports, and I'm tired of it being so often left out of the larger story of sports. We can celebrate the accomplishments of athleticism while at the same time acknowledging it's a system built on abuse that tries to shelter perpetrators instead of helping victims of abuse.
The story of 'ruining his career' is so often presented in cases like the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial. But what about the responsibility of the five hockey players to not ruin their respective careers by participating that night? It's just a question.
Moreover, the case was so toxic to Hockey Canada before it went to court, the organization had already settled out of court, wanting the story to go away — to be swept under the rug and into the ugly shadows.
If I may offer one opinion, it is that I fear these acquittals will dissuade future victims of sexual assault from reporting abuse. We're at a point in society where women have to be believed more than ever while navigating a justice system built to cast doubt on testimony.
Whether you believe E.M. or not, I ask that you consider how you would feel if you weren't believed.
I hope there's a day when the story of sports doesn't include abuse of any kind. Thursday, however, punctuated and perpetuated the 'boys will be boys' culture ingrained in sports at the expense of another person's trauma.
Maybe this trial will help forward ongoing conversations about consent and, if anything, remind sports fans of the dark, toxic side of these stories of heroes and history books.
Grace Anne Paizen is the Free Press Sports editor
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Grace Anne PaizenSports Editor
Grace oversees the team that produces sports journalism for the Free Press.
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