'Let's go Oilers!': Whatı̀, N.W.T., spreading hockey cheer during playoff finals
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl might be surprised to learn that some of their biggest fans are on the shores of Lac La Martre in the subarctic community of Whatı̀, N.W.T.
It's true: Whatı̀ residents love the Edmonton Oilers. When the team faced the Florida Panthers Wednesday night in a finals rematch, the Tłı̨chǫ community of just over 600 people showed its support with watch parties, parades, potlucks and seas of orange jerseys.
Shaun Moosenose has become the unofficial organizer of those events — a role he says he got thrown into as passion for the team took off. For the first game of the finals Wednesday night, he organized a barbecue and potluck at the community's cultural centre. He said he's enjoyed seeing the community unite for the team.
"I think it's just something great for the community that they get together and we just focus on one thing," he said.
After posting online about the community's parade for the Oilers in the last round of the playoffs, Moosenose said people have been sharing like crazy and he's been receiving donations for more Oilers swag. He said people in Yellowknife 250 kilometres southeast of Whatı̀ and as far away as Whitecourt, Alta., have donated T-shirts and Oilers gear for the community.
All that outpouring of support — and the effect he saw that have on his fellow residents — helped spark his own drive to celebrate.
"This whole entire Oilers fan club thing just took off. And you know, I think it's just something great for the community that they get together and we just focus on one thing and one thing only," he said.
Moosenose said he's never been a big Oilers fan himself — though he's reluctant to admit it — but even he is getting into cheering for the team.
"[Seeing] the smiles and the joy ... the people actually love the Oilers and they're huge fans, and I ended up spending money on some merchandise myself," he said.
Now the proud owner of an Oilers jersey and a hat, he said he's excited to be part of the celebration.
Meanwhile, Francis Beaverho and his son Bernard are spreading that Oilers spirit to other communities.
The father and son, also from Whatı̀, drive their truck — decked out in towering Oilers flags — around Yellowknife and up the road to Dettah.
Beaverho says he inherited his love of hockey from his dad. When people see his truck, he said, they're happy.
Some of his flags come from Edmonton — he buys them when he takes trips south. Some of them, he gives away to people who are as excited for the team as he is.
He and Bernard say they love hearing people honk and cheer when they see his vehicle.
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
For some, it's #MeToo vs. #HimToo at the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial
WARNING: This article contains graphic details, references sexual assault and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone impacted by it. Outside the London, Ont., courthouse where five former world junior hockey players are on trial on sexual assault charges, supporters of the complainant — carrying signs reading, "I believe you E.M." and "We Believe Survivors" — have been confronted by #HimToo movement backers with signs of their own: "5 careers ruined" and "E.M. cheated." The polarization echoes what's happening on social media and in discussions across Canada as this high-profile trial plays out, with closing arguments starting Monday. Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote have all pleaded not guilty; the complainant is referred to as E.M. as her identity is protected under a standard publication ban. On May 16, in a heated conversation with an unidentified female E.M. supporter outside the courthouse, a man could be heard speaking about testimony and evidence that have come up in the trial, but are being seen from different perspectives and interpretations. "Inviting guys for a three-way with a woman might not be the right thing. It might not be something you want your sister to partake in," said the man, giving his take on a text message entered as evidence. "However, it is not illegal when a girl is consenting to this. It is not criminal when a girl consented to this. Michael McLeod has had his career ruined. Hopefully, [McLeod's lawyer] David Humphrey can go and exploit what this girl's lies are." (McLeod has pleaded not guilty to a second charge, of being a party to the offence for allegedly inviting players to his hotel room to engage in sex.) The woman outside the courthouse challenged the man on his notion of consent in a situation where one woman is naked in a room with up to 10 hockey players. "She went to a room with one man," the woman said of E.M. "And she stripped naked and masturbated in front of the men," the man replied. "And then the man made a phone call and invited others to join," the woman countered. That discussion continued for nearly 20 minutes, while E.M. supporters chanted their support and shouted "shame" at the defendants as they walked into the courthouse. The Crown has emphasized the issue of consent is central to this case, arguing it involves whether the complainant "voluntarily" agreed to each and every sexual act while it took place. As part of her marathon testimony in the trial that began in late April, E.M. testified she only had consensual sex with one of the players: McLeod. She said that at other times, she was degraded, humiliated, spit on and slapped while being pressured into performing sexual acts she did not agree to on players in Delta hotel room 209 after a Hockey Canada gala in London in June 2018. Some of the witnesses, including Hart, have testified E.M. was an active participant in what they say were consensual sex acts, wanting "a wild night," asking the players to engage with her and taunting them when they didn't. Refuting rape myths Advocates of #MeToo who have been following the case closely say it's hard to counter rape myths online or outside the courthouse. "We see people online commenting these things, saying these hateful things, talking about consent ... talking about women in this very kind of demeaning and harmful way. Particularly, you know, very kind of slut-shamey [sic] comments, just doing this for a cheque, things like that," said Landon Kenney, a male allyship educator at the Sexual Assault Centre of Waterloo in Ontario who has been at the London courthouse to support E.M. Protesters clash outside court 2 days ago Duration 1:28 A large part of Kenney's work is conducting education sessions in schools, and with sports teams and community organizations on consent, healthy masculinity and relationships, how to be an active bystander and how to challenge rape culture. Kenney believes change will come through educating young people. In the meantime, he worries the #HimToo movement is using this trial to ramp up a "culture war." "The young men in this trial have become figureheads for a movement that they probably want nothing to do with," he said. "They have fallen on the side of a culture war even if they didn't mean to or wish to, where there are groups of people out there who have a vested interest in trying to ensure that conversations like this happen, that the messaging like this gets out online where, they say, coming forward is ruining these people's lives, [the complainant is] just doing it for attention — a lot of the kind of classic victim-blamey [sic] rhetoric." One of the observers in the London court every day is a man who identifies as the co-founder and director of False Allegations Canada, an organization dedicated to "aiding individuals facing the complexities of false allegations, providing a lifeline for those in need." He agreed to an interview request with CBC News, but only on the condition of anonymity. CBC denied that request. Kenney dismissed the argument that complainants like E.M. are making false allegations, saying that in Canada, most sexual assault allegations are not reported to police. According to a Statistics Canada report in November 2024, for instance, only six per cent of sexual assaults are reported to police and only one in 19 led to an accused person being sentenced to custody. They are less likely to result in charges and convictions compared to physical assaults. Kenney said the driver for the #HimToo movement is often the concern about false accusations, which he also says is very rare. "The statistics show [it's] very, very unlikely. People are far more likely to get away scot-free with wrong things that they have done than they are to be wrongfully accused of things they have not." 'Crown didn't have a lot of evidence' Opinions about false accusations and "buyers' remorse" — denying later that consent was given — are rampant on social media. It's also a question mark for some people who have been closely watching the London trial, forming their beliefs based on the witnesses' testimony and evidence presented. Steven Janowicz is a hockey player adviser at Elwood Sports Management near Detroit, Mich. He also coached boys' high school hockey for many years. Janowicz contacted CBC News, asking why the London case is not getting more attention in U.S. media. "If it would have been some NBA players or NFL players, it'd be front page every day," he said in a followup interview. Janowicz said he has raised the case with friends and colleagues, and most of them think, as he does, that "it was just a bad situation that they [the players] walked into. … I think everyone was hoping they were not the instigators." During the proceedings, court heard McLeod sent out a text message to some of his then teammates, inviting them to his room for a "3 way" and oral sex. Janowicz said he has been more convinced by testimony that E.M. was the instigator. "It has been tough for the players to relive that again, that whole experience, because I think in hindsight, again they're probably wishing that they never went to that room," he said. Janowicz wonders why charges were laid and how this ever got to trial because "it just seemed like the Crown didn't have a lot of evidence." Court heard that an original investigation conducted by the London Police Service (LPS) in 2018 was closed early into 2019 after the detective in charge, Stephen Newton, said he couldn't find grounds for charges. Under cross-examination recently, though, the now-retired sergeant admitted he had not thoroughly followed up on some investigative leads — for example, while he knew about McLeod's text invitation, he didn't try to get it, and he did not ask Dubé about the allegations he slapped E.M.'s bare buttocks. After a settlement with E.M. by Hockey Canada became public in 2022, police started a second investigation that ultimately led to the charges. When it comes to the issue of consent, Janowicz said, he was taught that when a woman says no, she means no — and that should be respected. As he read about E.M.'s testimony and lengthy cross-examination, "I've never heard her saying no. So I have a quandary with that. … I didn't hear E.M. say that, the Crown never presented that. "It seems like based on what everybody has presented, the Crown and the attorneys for the players, she was more willing for some type of, like, a raunchy sex movie. I mean, I'll just put it out there — it is what it is," Janowicz said. In her opening statement, assistant Crown attorney Heather Donkers addressed that question specifically, saying, "You will not hear from E.M. that she said "no" to the specific sexual acts that constitute a sexual assault, nor that she was physically resisting at those times. But we anticipate you will hear E.M. testify that when she was in this hotel room, at age 20, intoxicated, and a group of large men that she did not know were speaking to each other as if she were not there, and then they started telling her to do certain things — she did not feel that she had a choice in the matter." Donkers and others have pointed out that consenting to one kind of sexual activity does not automatically mean consenting to another; it's a continuous process and the absence of "no" does not mean "yes." Believing stereotypes Still, a new study conducted in Quebec suggests stereotypes about sexual assault are common, particularly when it comes to who is believed, who is blamed and what counts as consent — despite years of social awareness programs, including the #MeToo movement. "What we found is that a significant portion of the population still holds beliefs that still believe rape myths, which are erroneous beliefs about victims, perpetrators and sexual assaults," said Dominique Trottier, a psychology professor at Université du Québec en Outaouais and one of the study's collaborators. "Most of the population did not fully reject statements such as the victim is lying about what she endured or that she feels bad afterwards after the fact so she is lying about the fact that she consented," Trottier said in an interview. The study indicates 77 per cent of men and 53 per cent of women did not fully reject the idea that some people make false sexual assault accusations out of revenge. A quarter of all respondents — 27 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women — also expressed ambiguity about the issue of consent, particularly in scenarios involving alcohol, non-verbal communication, coercion and social power dynamics, Trottier said. People aged 15 to 25 and those 66 and older were more likely to express beliefs that undermine victims, the research found. Petition backing E.M. When Karen Barnes, Kelly Proudfoot and Tosh Southwick start chatting online, the topic can range from travel plans, to politics, to top stories in the news. Former colleagues at Yukon University, they've had a lot of discussions lately about the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial, particularly around E.M.'s testimony and cross-examination by the five defence lawyers. "The thing that really sort of struck home for all of us was that this woman was having to do this alone," Barnes said from her home in Chemainus, B.C. "I wanted her to know that she wasn't alone," Proudfoot added from Europe, where the Whitehorse resident is currently travelling. The friends wrote an open letter they tried to get published in southern Ontario newspapers. They also attempted to get it directly to E.M. through the courts. When none of that worked, they decided to put it online in the form of a petition. "We don't know your name, but we know your courage," it starts. "As women watching from across the country, we are heartbroken, enraged, and in awe of your strength. You are walking through fire in that courtroom in London, Ont. — reliving the horror, subjected to endless questioning, standing alone against a system and a culture that have failed you again and again. "We believe you." The petition has been up since May 12 and has thousands of signatures. Proudfoot said she has been touched by many of the comments, but also disheartened so few people have signed the petition compared to the approximately 40,000 people who have read it. "For me, it's the silence," she said, adding people seem afraid to support E.M. publicly. Coming from the hockey community of Whitby, Ont., and having worked for the NHL's Calgary Flames early in her career, Proudfoot said some people have told her not to get involved — that E.M., who launched a civil lawsuit, received a settlement from Hockey Canada and it should be enough. Proudfoot rejects that, saying her message to them is simple: "I love hockey, and I believe E.M., and I think there's lots more to that story. But right now, what I want is [for E.M.] to know that she has support and feel like she can go on in her life, that there are people that believe in her." Supporters of E.M. plan to be back at court on Monday as closing arguments begin. They're also planning events for the day Justice Maria Carroccia hands down her decisions — which could still be weeks away. Defence lawyers have already complained to the court that the protesters are intimidating the players, and "forcefully and loudly" advocating for results when they chant: "What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now." Hart's lawyer, Megan Savard, described it as "name-calling, bullying, attacking."
Edmonton Journal
3 hours ago
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Why this Edmonton-Florida Stanley Cup Finals may boil down to a war of attrition: 9 Things
Article content 8. Only two players in the National Hockey League have recorded three sixty-goal seasons (including regular season and playoffs) since 2005-06: Leon Draisaitl, who scored his sixtieth of this campaign in Game One, and Alexander Ovechkin. 7. NHL officiating in the playoffs makes me just as crazy as it probably makes you. I actually do not mind if the usual stick infraction goes un-called for both sides once the whistles go away. Who cares? But the missed Too-Many-Men call against Florida Friday? That should fall into the same category as Puck Over Glass. 6. Corey Perry would become a UFA on July 1 st. The veteran has been terrific this post-season and scored the goal that forced overtime on Friday. Even though the guy is forty, how do you not entertain bringing him back to Edmonton for another season? Even if he ends up half as productive, on the proper contract he would highly likely continue to be a plus.
CBC
3 hours ago
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Rourke throws 3 TDs as B.C. Lions dump Edmonton Elks 31-14 in season opener
Nathan Rourke threw f324 yards and three touchdowns as the B.C. Lions opened their CFL season with a 31-14 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday. The Canadian quarterback went 27-for-36 on his passing attempts, linking up with Stanley Berryhill III twice in the end zone. Justin McInnis caught his first touchdown of the year and James Butler drove in another major. Veteran kicker Sean Whyte, who played his first game under rookie head coach Buck Pierce, contributed a 22-yard field goal for the Lions. Elks quarterback Tre Ford put up 178 passing yards, connecting on 17 of his 27 attempts and throwing one interception. He was sacked twice. Cody Fajardo chalked up two short-yardage rushing majors for Edmonton, who also have a first-year head coach in Mark Kilam. Rapper Snoop Dogg performed for the announced crowd of 52,837 fans before kickoff. The game got off to a promising start for the Lions with Rourke and his teammates steadily working the ball up the field to give B.C. a first down at Edmonton's two-yard line. Chase Brice came in for short yardage duty and appeared to stretch the ball into the end zone on third down. A review by the command centre, though, determined the QB went down before getting the ball across the line. Ford struggled early, going 0-for-3 on his first attempts of the game, before connecting with Zach Mathias for a six-yard gain on his fourth attempt of the night. Edmonton got on the board with just over three minutes left in the first quarter when Cody Grace sent a 66-yard punt into the end zone for a rouge. B.C. again came within inches of a touchdown early in the game when Rourke threaded a crisp pass to Jevon Cottoy directly under the uprights. The Canadian receiver fumbled the ball, then stared at his gloves in apparent disbelief. Whyte posted the home side's first points of the night, booting a 22-yard field goal to give the Lions a 3-1 lead. The Elks took control again midway through the second quarter when Fajardo muscled his way through traffic for a one-yard rushing major. Vincent Blanchard missed the convert and Edmonton went up 7-3. The score stood at the end of the first half after the Elks kicker sent a 49-yard field goal attempt wide in the final seconds of the frame. B.C. came alive early in the second half, stringing together a possession that ended with Rourke escaping the pocket, taking a few steps and sailing a 34-yard pass to Berryhill in the end zone. Whyte made the convert and the Lions jumped out to a 10-7 advantage. Edmonton had an opportunity to level the score minutes later when Blanchard lined up for a 45-yard field goal, but the kick again went wide. Rourke proved on the next possession that he's a dual threat, rushing for 13 yards on one play and 22 on another. He capped the drive with a 37-yard lob to Berryhill under the uprights and another convert from Whyte increased the Lions' lead to 17-7 midway through the third quarter. Ford responded with some fast feet of his own in the dying seconds of the third quarter. The 27-year-old Canadian deftly darted around midfield to avoid multiple sack attempts and got a 37-yard pass off to Justin Rankin, who similarly snuck past several B.C. defenders before being felled at the three-yard line. Edmonton opened the fourth with Fajardo powering through traffic for his second touchdown of the night. Blanchard sent the convert through the uprights to cut the Elks' deficit to three points. B.C. kept pressing and launched a seven-play, 86-yard scoring drive, capped by a 17-yard pass from Rourke to McInnis in the end zone. McInnis, who hails from Pierrefonds, Que., led the CFL in receiving yards last season with 1,469. The Lions defence got to work next with linebacker Ben Hladik picking off Ford's pass and dashing 61 yards to put his team back in prime scoring position. B.C. capitalized with Rourke handing off to running back Butler, who sprinted into the end zone for the home side's fourth touchdown of the night. Another convert from Whyte put the Lions ahead 31-14. A massive 92-yard kickoff return by Javon Leake looked to cut Edmonton's deficit midway through the fourth, but Elks linebacker Josiah Schakel was called for an illegal block on the play. Fans voice frustration over long entry wait times Some attendees expressed frustration on social media about lengthy delays getting into the stadium ahead of the game. Several fans said they waited in line for over an hour, with some describing the situation as "chaotic" and "poorly organized." The B.C. Pavilion Corporation, which owns the venue, said the largest influx of fans arrived just 30 minutes before Snoop Dog's concert start time, leading to congestion at certain gates. "While our teams worked hard to get fans safely into the building, and as efficiently as possible, there were wait times at certain gates that averaged 10-20 minutes," it said in a statement. The organization said 95 per cent of attendees were inside by the time Snoop Dogg went on stage. The B.C. Lions also said all gates were open, and some had no lines at all. The club said it had urged fans throughout the week to arrive early.
