Hockey Nova Scotia launches mandatory training for players after hazing charges

Explainer

Hockey Nova Scotia is launching a mandatory educational program for more than 2,000 young players this season after recent hazing and assault charges. The provincial governing body has partnered with the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre to create the pilot project, which will teach players about consent, healthy team culture and how to intervene in harmful situations. The initiative follows charges against two under-15 players in Colchester County last February in connection with a hazing incident at a team sleepover. "There's been several incidents in hockey over the years and it's been an area of need," said Michael Field, executive director of Hockey Nova Scotia.

The program emerged after Avalon received numerous emails from concerned parents and coaches following the charges, according to Kailee Wakeman, the centre's director of operations. Avalon first hosted a webinar for parents and coaches in February, and Hockey Nova Scotia then reached out to develop a version for players. Field said the training is a first for players in the province. "We feel there's a need to educate players on team culture," Field said. "We just want to do all we can to ensure that … team culture is being built in a healthy manner."

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What will the training cover?

Players on under-15 teams of all levels and genders will participate in two educational sessions starting this month. The first session will focus on bodily autonomy, respecting boundaries, consent and recognizing different types of harm, including hazing and sexual assault. The second session will teach players how to respond to situations that may cause harm to teammates, framing it as creating a caring team environment. "So many people call that bystander intervention, but we're going to frame it through the lens of a caring team environment," Wakeman said. "Looking out for one another rather than placing each other in harmful situations."

Dee Dooley, an education adviser with Dalhousie University's sexual violence prevention program, is helping facilitate the program. She said the main message is that everyone has a role in creating a safe culture. "The main message that we want folks to leave with is that we all have a role to play in creating a safe, caring culture that supports us all and that the actions that we can make, while small, make a really big difference," Dooley said. The program also aims to teach players to recognize discrimination, harassment, pressure, hazing and coercion.

Why focus on under-15 players?

Organizers say the under-15 age group is a crucial starting point for changing behaviours that can lead to toxic team cultures. The charges in Colchester County involved two 14-year-old players. One changed his plea to guilty last month, while the other pleaded not guilty in May. Wakeman said reaching athletes at a young age is key to shifting narratives. "We are hoping to reach athletes young enough that … we can start to change the narrative early," she said. Dooley added that culture in sport is often passed down between generations, making peer influence vital. "The importance of peer influence and peer leadership can't be overstated," Dooley said. "Culture is really created by the people within it."

Varsity hockey players in the province are also helping to facilitate the pilot. Research from working with varsity athletes shows that positive team culture leads to success, according to Avalon staff. "What they've told us is that creating a positive team culture actually leads to winning teams," Wakeman said. Jaqueline Moore, a research assistant on the project and a former varsity athlete, said changing hockey's culture requires a broad effort. "We also need coaches involved, we need administration involved, we need parents involved," Moore said. "It's really going to take a community."

What is the broader context for hockey in Canada?

Hazing and sexual violence have been persistent issues in Canadian hockey for decades. In 2023, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League player filed an application for a class-action lawsuit alleging abuse during hazing rituals in the 1990s. The year prior, Hockey Canada faced scrutiny after it was revealed an undisclosed settlement was paid to a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by members of Canada's 2018 World Junior hockey team. Five players were charged with sexual assault in 2024 related to that incident and were acquitted last year. Field said Hockey Nova Scotia is considering expanding the new training to other age groups following the pilot project. The program aims to counter the belief that hazing strengthens team bonds. "We're hoping … that we can help change team cultures because sports cultures can often include hazing in ways that people think it strengthens a team and there's so much research that shows that it doesn't," Wakeman said. The mandatory sessions for more than 2,000 players begin this month.

With files from The Canadian Press, Global News and CBC News