Cheering and Reforming Hockey in Canada
Over the last year Canadians have been gripped by terrible stories of abuse by young hockey stars and by the inappropriate handling of these cases by Hockey Canada. It has led to financial settlements, resignations, sponsorship cancellations and profound disappointment by a nation that considers hockey as one of the important ‘uniters’ in our country. Since we need unity more than ever coming out of the pandemic, it is up to us fans to balance demands for change alongside supporting our talented young men and women who work incredibly hard to earn the privilege of wearing the maple leaf on their jersey.
I am very proud of the incredible development of hockey in the Durham region. We are turning into a powerhouse of talent and that is the result of some strong coaching and families nurturing talent in our growing region. The best example this year was the incredible victory by the Durham West Lightning in Okotoks, Alberta to win the national championship in May. There was a blackout in Ottawa at the time, so we watched the game at my sister’s house courtesy of a generator.
Now, Durham is again well represented at the Junior A four nation challenge starting in Cornwall, Ontario this weekend. For the first time since the pandemic began, Canada, the United States, Sweden and Latvia will play off in a tournament showcasing the best young talent in each country ahead of the World Juniors tournament in Nova Scotia this Christmas. Canada has players from West and East and there are four players from Durham on the Canada East team. We can all be proud of their accomplishments and wish them well despite the challenges facing the game.
https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/what-is-the-world-junior-a-challenge-2022-wjac
Full disclosure. My wife Rebecca worked for Hockey Canada years ago and helped organize the 2003 World Junior Hockey Championship in Halifax and Sydney Nova Scotia. Serious allegations stemming from that tournament came to light in the last year and they deserve proper investigation. Neither she or I heard anything related to these allegations during or after the tournament. For us, it was an amazing experience to be a part of and I still remember the tears that came when Canada lost in the final to Russia with an underage phenom named Alexander Ovechkin.
There is one simple word for how Canada can maintain our passion for the game and force the change that is needed in hockey at this critical time; leadership. Leadership from the players - on and off the ice. Leadership that is fostered from the coaches, parents and hockey executives that are developing the next generation of talent. Strong and ethical leadership must be praised, emulated and promoted and poor leadership must be both called out and rooted out of the game.
One of my favourite quotes related to leadership comes from one of the most respected coaches in history. John Wooden won seven NCAA basketball championships as coach of the UCLA Bruins in the 1960s and he was revered by his players because he nurtured their character as much as he did their talent. He tried to ensure his players showed character on the court and in life and that is apparent in one of his best known quotes on character:
The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching.
As much as a team or organization needs talent to succeed, you also need character to fulfill the true potential of any organization. That provides the roadmap for change and there are plenty of examples out there to build on.
I have had the good fortune as a parliamentarian to drop some opening pucks at tournaments in Durham and at a military appreciation game in Kingston. I also had a very special opportunity to give the pre-game pep talk to a hockey team in my riding, where I saw the best of character in a coach that exemplifies the type of leadership we need in the game at this critical time.
Clair Cornish was the coach of the Port Perry Mohawks (now Lumberjacks) and he invited me to speak to the team ahead of the game. Clair was admired by his players and the whole community because he was the local guy who had won a Memorial Cup in 1990 as part of the Oshawa Generals. The real reason Clair had me there, however, was not to inspire a win on the ice, but a win in life. In true John Wooden form, Clair wanted me to speak after the game with one of his top players who was unsure what to do after high school and was considering joining the military. Clair was as passionate about how his players performed in life as he did about their performance on the ice. Each of those players will take that lesson with them in their own lives and hopefully pass it along to others. This is the type of leadership that will fix hockey, so we need more of it.
So this weekend and in Halifax and Moncton this Christmas, Go Canada Go!