“The world upside down”: hockey in Canada is not healthy, explains Danièle Sauvageau

MISE À DAY

The environment and culture, which are largely governed by the omerta of hockey in Canada, are not healthy, recalled the former head coach of the women's national team Danièle Sauvageau.  

In addition, the policies put in place to counter problematic behavior or support victims “are not integrated and are not followed”, she underlined Friday evening on the set of the show Le monde à l'envers.

To obtain reparation, the victims must individually sue their aggressors. “For technical reasons, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is made up of three separate leagues and legally the lawyers have chosen to sue the CHL, which is not necessarily an entity. So we invite [the victims] to sue individually,” she told Stéphan Bureau, returning to the rejection of a class action request that had been filed by victims of degrading initiations during their career. hockey player.

With Camille Thériault and Sheldon Kennedy, the ex-coach and former police officer was mandated, in 2020, by the CHL to investigate unhealthy behavior and the measures put in place with young hockey players.

D First put on a shelf and then back in the news this week following new reports of assault, harassment and intimidation, the disturbing report reveals a significant percentage of people associated with junior hockey who recognize the existence of the problem within the CHL, but who preferred to remain silent.

“As adults, we must ensure that the environment is healthy […] we must to continue to supervise it so that it does not happen again, ”argued Danièle Sauvageau, pointing out that coaches and anyone in authority who closed their eyes contributed to and exacerbated the problem.

L The show Le monde à l'envers is presented every Friday, live , on TVA.