player - Bad Sporters https://www.badsporters.com News Blogging About Athletes Being Caught Up Sat, 22 Aug 2020 00:00:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 Ex-NFL Player Derrius Guice Accused Of Strangling Girlfriend https://www.badsporters.com/2020/08/22/ex-nfl-player-derrius-guice-accused-of-strangling-girlfriend/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/08/22/ex-nfl-player-derrius-guice-accused-of-strangling-girlfriend/#respond Sat, 22 Aug 2020 00:00:39 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=8343 A criminal complaints were filed against former Washington Redskins running back Derrius Guice stating that he attacked his girlfriend on three separate occasions, including an incident in which he “strangled her until she was unconscious.” According to one criminal complaint, the incident allegedly occured on March 13 at Guice’s home in Ashburn, Virginia. The complaint […]

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A criminal complaints were filed against former Washington Redskins running back Derrius Guice stating that he attacked his girlfriend on three separate occasions, including an incident in which he “strangled her until she was unconscious.”

According to one criminal complaint, the incident allegedly occured on March 13 at Guice’s home in Ashburn, Virginia. The complaint alleges that once Guice’s girlfriend regained consciousness, Guice “was crying and tapping her.” Guice allegedly “pushed her and pulled her hair more than once” on March 13, according to the police report.

According to the complaint, after regaining consciousness the woman hurried and left Guice’s home in order to catch a flight. While in Chicago during a layover, the woman took pictures of her neck injuries in a bathroom.

The complaints were filed in Loudoun County General District Court. The 23-year-old former NFL player was charged with one count of felony strangulation, three counts of assault and battery, and one count of destruction of property for his alleged role in the three separate incidents.

Guice is slated to be in court for his initial appearance on Aug. 28. In another criminal complaint, it’s alleged that Guice pushed his girlfriend to the ground of his bedroom’s bathroom on Feb. 14. The woman suffered an injury to her left thumbnail while trying to catch her fall.

According to the report, the woman’s nail eventually fell off after a popped blood vessel, which the woman photographed. On April 17, the final incident took place, according to the final criminal complaint.

While outside of his home, Guice alleged shoved his girlfriend to the ground “causing her to sustain injuries to her body” that she photographed, according to the complaint. He also allegedly tossed his girlfriend’s cell phone into the street, which caused the device to shatter.

The court documents identified the woman by her initials. According to the documents, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department stated that the incidents were reported to the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland, where the woman lives.

According to Loudoun officials, July 22 is when the incident transpired and it happened in their jurisdiction in February, March, and April. Guice was slated to enter his third NFL season after missing his rookie year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Last season, the former NFL player registered 42 carries for 245 yards with two touchdowns in five games. Once news broke of the incidents, Washington released Guice. “I talked with the players yesterday and basically told them I made a decision I thought was in the best interest of our organization,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “If it was the right decision, we will benefit from it. If it’s not, it will be on me. I will take full responsibility as we go forward to try and make sure we do things the right way. From that, I want to move forward.”

Glennisha Morgan is a Detroit-bred multimedia journalist and writer. She writes about intersectionality, hip-hop, pop culture, queer issues, race, feminism, and her truth. Follow her on Twitter @GlennishaMorgan.

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Ex-AFL Star Denial Kerr Charges With Stalking https://www.badsporters.com/2020/08/21/ex-afl-star-denial-kerr-charges-with-stalking/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/08/21/ex-afl-star-denial-kerr-charges-with-stalking/#respond Fri, 21 Aug 2020 18:04:12 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=8393 An AFL popular player, Daniel Kerr, has been charged with aggravated stalking and violated a restraining order. Kerr, 39, will face Fremantle Magistrates Court later on Thursday. The Australian midfielder played 220 games for West Coast and was runner-up in the Brownlow Medal twice. He was part of the Eagle premiership winning team in 2006. […]

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An AFL popular player, Daniel Kerr, has been charged with aggravated stalking and violated a restraining order.

Kerr, 39, will face Fremantle Magistrates Court later on Thursday.

The Australian midfielder played 220 games for West Coast and was runner-up in the Brownlow Medal twice. He was part of the Eagle premiership winning team in 2006.

He retired in 2013.

Kerr attracted police attention in February this year when he was found unresponsive and intoxicated on Kalgoorlie’s main street.

He laughed off that incident as a bit of a joke.

Daniel Kerr won a flag with the Eagles.
Daniel Kerr won a flag with the Eagles.

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Western Bulldogs Player Lachie Hunter Charged With Drunk Driving And More https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/30/bulldog-charged-over-drink-driving-crash-2/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/30/bulldog-charged-over-drink-driving-crash-2/#respond Tue, 30 Jun 2020 14:35:04 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7824 Western Bulldogs star player Lachie Hunter has been charged with several offenses related to an alleged drink-driving car crash in Melbourne. Victoria Police confirmed on Tuesday they have charged the 25-year-old over the April 16 incident. Hunter allegedly crashed into four parked vehicles in a Middle Park street and fled the scene. He will face […]

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Lachie Hunter is charged with drunk driving in Melbourne.
Image: Fox Sports

Western Bulldogs star player Lachie Hunter has been charged with several offenses related to an alleged drink-driving car crash in Melbourne.

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Former major junior players allege abuse in class-action lawsuit https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/30/former-major-junior-players-allege-abuse-in-class-action-lawsuit/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/30/former-major-junior-players-allege-abuse-in-class-action-lawsuit/#respond Tue, 30 Jun 2020 14:13:31 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7818 Major junior hockey may be forced to confront some dark moments in its history in a class-action lawsuit. Former NHL and Sarnia Sting player Daniel Carcillo is spearheading the lawsuit against the Canadian Hockey League and its member teams on behalf of players who allege abuse while playing major junior hockey. Carcillo, who played in […]

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Major junior hockey may be forced to confront some dark moments in its history in a class-action lawsuit.

Former NHL and Sarnia Sting player Daniel Carcillo is spearheading the lawsuit against the Canadian Hockey League and its member teams on behalf of players who allege abuse while playing major junior hockey.

Carcillo, who played in the Ontario Hockey League between 2002-05, and Garrett Taylor, who played in the Western Hockey League from 2008-10, filed a statement of claim June 18 with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The CHL and its three member organizations — the WHL, OHL and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League — are listed as defendants, as are all 60 teams.

A statement from Koskie Minsky LLP, the law firm representing Carcillo and Taylor, said the action “is on behalf of children aged 15-17 who were sexually and physically assaulted, hazed and otherwise abused while away from home and playing for CHL teams.”

The allegations haven’t been proven in court.

The claim was filed the same week former Kitchener Rangers player Eric Guest told The Hockey News as a rookie he was forced by an older teammate to use cocaine at a party. Guest said he never told anyone in the Rangers’ organization.

On Friday, the CHL announced it will form an independent panel to review league policies and practices related to hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying and the allegation players don’t feel comfortable reporting behaviours that contravene these policies.

“We are deeply troubled,” a CHL statement read, “by the allegations in the recently announced class action, many of which are historic in nature and we believe are not indicative of the leading experience our players receive in the CHL today. Regardless of the timing, we are taking the claims very seriously as the protection of our players has been and will always be our primary concern.”

The CHL said each year its teams are charged with the care and safety of 1,400 young men and is committed to ensuring an environment that is players first and free of hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying and provides zero tolerance for any of these behaviours.

“The CHL and its member leagues have made a number of advancements to enhance our player experience programs over the past 20 years,” states the release. “We have been working with organizations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association, Canadian Red Cross and Respect in Sport to develop extensive policies and practices to educate players and team staff on the importance of respect and prevention of hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying.”

CHL teams conduct annual player conduct and safety training involving procedures for filing a complaint without fear of reprisal. It includes advising a coach, general manager, police liaison, player liaison or a governor or league official. If criminal conduct is involved, players are encouraged to contact police.

“We believe these programs protect our players and ensure that everyone associated with our teams understand that the type of misconduct alleged is not tolerated,” stated the CHL.

The CHL hopes the independent review will be completed prior to the 2020-21 season.

“We welcome the findings of the Independent Review Panel to ensure we are providing the safest player experience in hockey and amateur sport,” stated the release.

The lawsuit seeks damages for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and a declaration that the teams and leagues are vicariously liable for abuse perpetrated by their employees and players.

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“This case is on behalf of underage minors who suffered violent hazing, physical and sexual assault and psychological trauma while playing major junior hockey,” Carcillo said in a statement. “I was one of those kids when I played in the OHL. I know there are many more just like me.”

Thursday: What are the Peterborough Petes doing to prevent abuse?

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Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh latest to take a pay cut https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/30/michigan-football-coach-jim-harbaugh-latest-to-take-a-pay-cut/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/30/michigan-football-coach-jim-harbaugh-latest-to-take-a-pay-cut/#respond Tue, 30 Jun 2020 01:38:17 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7804 An offseason of being on the wrong side of the headlines continues for Iowa football. Amidst allegations that he directly contributed to “racial disparities in the Iowa football program,” Chris Doyle and Iowa parted ways earlier this month.  Monday, former Iowa running back Akrum Wadley added to the negativity surrounding the football program with a lengthy statement that […]

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An offseason of being on the wrong side of the headlines continues for Iowa football.

Amidst allegations that he directly contributed to “racial disparities in the Iowa football program,” Chris Doyle and Iowa parted ways earlier this month.  Monday, former Iowa running back Akrum Wadley added to the negativity surrounding the football program with a lengthy statement that made the rounds on Facebook.

In the social-media missive, Wadley, who played for the Hawkeyes from 2014-17, described his time as an Iowa football player as “a living nightmare.” He went on to state that “I wish I never played for the Iowa Hawkeyes.”

Wadley also accused offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the son of head coach Kirk Ferentz, of directing racially-charged remarks at him.

During the winter, the Iowa coaches handed out black wool NIKE hats to all the players. When we finished practice while leaving the field I liked to put my hat on immediately because it was cold and when sweating I didn’t want to get sick. One time when I was jogging to the facility, Coach Brian Ferentz says, ‘Hey Akrum, are you going to rob a gas station?’ I was so upset, but ignored him and kept going. This happened a couple more times in the same situation. The only difference is he said, ‘Akrum are you going to rob a liquor store?’ Those other times I just looked back at him and shook my head because I knew responding to him would result in some type of unfair punishment.

Wadley further claimed that Kirk Ferentz threatened to take away his meal card, alleging that he was forced to call his mother in New Jersey to order Dominos Pizza after the card was declined.  He also alleged that he “would have to go to a fan’s house earlier at night to eat.” Additionally, Wadley claimed he started drinking in college to help cope with the issues.

“My time at Iowa has done things to me that I am not going to discuss because knowing how these people treated me and other black athletes. I am done giving them power over me,” Wadley wrote. “My hope is my story and those of my teammates save others from the experiences, truths and mistake of playing under and for a coaching staff at Iowa that did and said nothing to stop the bullying and racism from happening to us under Chris Doyle, Brian Ferentz and Kirk Ferentz.”

As of yet, no one connected to the Iowa football program has publicly responded to Wadley’s allegations.

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Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to fight shoulder charge citing with NRL judiciary https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/roger-tuivasa-sheck-to-fight-shoulder-charge-citing-with-nrl-judiciary/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/roger-tuivasa-sheck-to-fight-shoulder-charge-citing-with-nrl-judiciary/#respond Mon, 29 Jun 2020 21:28:33 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7798 Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will fight his shoulder charge citing when he meets the NRL judiciary this evening. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Source: Photosport The Warriors week went from bad to worse on Saturday after it was revealed Tuivasa-Sheck had been charged with a grade-one charge for a shoulder charge in his side’s 50-6 loss against the […]

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Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will fight his shoulder charge citing when he meets the NRL judiciary this evening.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Source: Photosport


The Warriors week went from bad to worse on Saturday after it was revealed Tuivasa-Sheck had been charged with a grade-one charge for a shoulder charge in his side’s 50-6 loss against the Storm the night before.

Tuivasa-Sheck would’ve copped a one-game ban had he entered an early guilty plea but will instead fight the charge which normally results in a two-game suspension if the player in question is found guilty.

However, with Tuivasa-Sheck’s seven-year clean record, he will benefit from a penalty reduction and still only face one week on the sidelines if he loses his case.

The incident in question happened in the 61st minute where replays showed Tuivasa-Sheck tucked his right shoulder before making contact with Storm forward Felise Kaufusi.

Working in Tuivasa-Sheck’s favour is the fact the referee didn’t penalise the action at the time.

If Tuivasa-Sheck loses, he will miss Saturday’s game against fellow strugglers Brisbane.

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PicklePlex wants to charge fees https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/pickleplex-wants-to-charge-fees/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/pickleplex-wants-to-charge-fees/#respond Mon, 29 Jun 2020 21:21:25 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7795 PUNTA GORDA — Free pickleball play at the PicklePlex of Punta Gorda could be ending at the 16-court facility in South Charlotte County. The PicklePlex organization has maintained free public play since opening in June 2019 at Florida SouthWestern State College, 26300 Airport Road. The city of Punta Gorda contributed around $65,000 toward construction of the […]

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PUNTA GORDA — Free pickleball play at the PicklePlex of Punta Gorda could be ending at the 16-court facility in South Charlotte County.

The PicklePlex organization has maintained free public play since opening in June 2019 at Florida SouthWestern State College, 26300 Airport Road.

The city of Punta Gorda contributed around $65,000 toward construction of the facility with one court and utility work, according to city documents.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the City Council will discuss whether they should weigh in on a proposal from the organization to charge membership fees for players since public funds went to its construction.

“It is unfortunate that in these times we are faced with no income stream and the realization that it takes almost $100,000 a year to run our complex,” wrote PicklePlex Board President Ted Kegeris in a statement to city staff.

Kegeris wrote that they do intend to leave the courts open for free play from noon to 5 p.m. except during tournaments, “if and when we return to tournaments.”

“We take this matter very seriously and look for other avenues of income,” Kegeris said. “Please be assured we have taken the opinions of many of our players and they are very supportive, while a few are disappointed.”

City Council members will also discuss how the change might affect pickleball at Gilchrist Park.

The public courts at Gilchrist have caused tension between some neighbors and players due to noise and other issues.

Punta Gorda resident and pickleball player Anastasia Settle told the Sun she is concerned about the change at PicklePlex.

“The Gilchrist Park courts are closer to where I live, but I don’t want to be an aggravation to neighbors,” Settle said. “When PicklePlex opened up I started driving there to play instead of walking to Gilchrist. If it’s going to go private, (I feel) that is going to affect my play.”

Settle said she does play indoors at times at the recreation center at Charlotte County-owned South County Regional Park, but it also costs to play there.

“It’s not that I’m not willing to pay,” Settle said, “my issue is that (PicklePlex) was sold to the community as something that is going to be free to the community.”

Currently, the PicklePlex organization is proposing an annual club membership fee of $200 a year, which is about 55 cents per day or $3.85 per week, according to a PicklePlex release.

Seasonal residents would be asked to pay a $150 fee for seven months and an occasional player would be charged a $5 drop-in fee.

The PicklePlex is funded by donations, tournaments and court rentals, not tax dollars, according to organizers.

Two tournaments, so far, were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The PicklePlex has always been a privately managed complex since it is not funded nor constructed with tax money,” said Gloria Reilly of PicklePlex in an email to the Sun.

Mayor Nancy Prafke, who serves as a liaison between the city and the organization’s board, told the Sun that all organizations that have a facility to manage must maintain a cash flow.

“(If you) look around at facilities in surrounding counties, many charge fees for use, including (in) Charlotte County,” Prafke said. 

In other news:

Punta Gorda staff will present contract information for the incoming city manager at Wednesday’s meeting. 

During a June 24 special meeting, the City Council heard interviews of five candidates to replace long-time manager Howard Kunik.

They narrowed it down to Gregory Murray, a county administrator for Washington County, Maryland, for around 10 years.

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Ex-University of Wisconsin football player arrested in double homicide https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/ex-university-of-wisconsin-football-player-arrested-in-double-homicide/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/ex-university-of-wisconsin-football-player-arrested-in-double-homicide/#respond Mon, 29 Jun 2020 19:20:27 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7792 Marcus Randle El, 33, was arrested in connection with the deaths of Seairaha Winchester, 30, of Joliet, Ill., and Brittany McAdory, 28, of Janesville, Wisc., police said. Photo courtesy Janesville Police Department  Feb. 16 (UPI) — Former University of Wisconsin football player Marcus Randle El was arrested in connection with a double homicide, Janesville police […]

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Marcus Randle El, 33, was arrested in connection with the deaths of Seairaha Winchester, 30, of Joliet, Ill., and Brittany McAdory, 28, of Janesville, Wisc., police said. Photo courtesy Janesville Police Department 

Marcus Randle El, 33, was arrested in connection with the deaths of Seairaha Winchester, 30, of Joliet, Ill., and Brittany McAdory, 28, of Janesville, Wisc., police said. Photo courtesy Janesville Police Department 

Feb. 16 (UPI) — Former University of Wisconsin football player Marcus Randle El was arrested in connection with a double homicide, Janesville police said.

Janesville Police Chief David Moore said Randle El, 33, turned himself in to Chicago police on Saturday afternoon in connection with the deaths of Seairaha Winchester, 30, of Joliet, Ill., and Brittany McAdory, 28, of Janesville, Wis.

Randle El played wide receiver for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2004 through ’07. He is the younger brother of Antwaan Randle El, who played nine seasons in the NFL and currently is an offensive assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Moore said he expects Randle El to be charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide.

Winchester and McAdory were found shot near a Janesville intersection and taken to a hospital where they died.

Lt. Charles Aagaard said investigators recovered video confirming the two victims went to a gas station at about 2 a.m. on Monday and had evidence that they planned to meet later that morning with Randle El, who was also at the gas station.

They left the gas station in McAdory’s car and weren’t seen again until a passing motorist spotted them on the side of the road with multiple gunshot injuries.

McAdory’s car was later found along an interstate in Illinois about 30 miles northwest of Randle El’s hometown of Homewood, Ill.

Court records state that at the time of the shooting Randle El was out of jail on parole after being charged with kidnapping for allegedly taking his 3-year-old daughter at gunpoint in Illinois.

Randle El had also previously been arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery in March and December of 2005.

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Officers Charged in George Floyd Murder to Appear in Court Monday https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/officers-charged-in-george-floyd-murder-to-appear-in-court-monday/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/officers-charged-in-george-floyd-murder-to-appear-in-court-monday/#respond Mon, 29 Jun 2020 18:24:24 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7789 All four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s murder are scheduled to appear in court on Monday. According to CNN, Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane will go before a judge sometime midday, though no cameras will be allowed in the courtroom. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder in […]

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All four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s murder are scheduled to appear in court on Monday. According to CNN, Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane will go before a judge sometime midday, though no cameras will be allowed in the courtroom.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder in Floyd’s death, which came after he knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest on May 25. Kueng, Thao, and Lane are all charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. All four men were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department. Chauvin will appear vie video (ITV), but the other three will appear in person. Chauvin’s bail was set at $1.25 million, and bail for Kueng, Thao and Lane was set at $1 million each. Notably, Kueng and Lane have been released released on conditional bond, but Chauvin and Thao remain behind bars.

Floyd’s funeral was held on June 9, and was attended by a number of high-profile mourners, such as Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum, and Houston Texans player J.J. Watt. While he could not attend, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden sent a pre-recorded video that was played for those who were in attendance in person. “As I’ve said to you privately, we know. We know you will never feel the same again,” Biden said. “Unlike most, you must grieve in public, and it’s a burden. A burden that is now your purpose to change the world for the better, in the name of George Floyd.”

Biden went on to say, “Ladies and gentlemen, we can’t turn away. We must not turn away. America can do better. America has no choice but to do better. We can heal this nation’s wounds. Today, now, is the time. The purpose, the season, to listen and heal.”

Floyd’s eulogy was delivered by long time civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton. He praised Floyd’s family for showing strength at such a tragic time, and assured them that they even when the “last TV truck is gone,” they will continue to have support from the community. “We must commit to this family that until these people pay for what they did, that we’re going to be with them because lives like George’s will not matter until someone pays the cost for taking their lives,” he said. Concluding his message, Sharpton said, “Your family is going to miss you, George, but your nation is always going to remember your name. We’re going to fight on.”

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VICE – Shocking Lawsuit Alleges CHL Hockey Players Were Forced to Bob for Apples in Urine https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/vice-shocking-lawsuit-alleges-chl-hockey-players-were-forced-to-bob-for-apples-in-urine/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/29/vice-shocking-lawsuit-alleges-chl-hockey-players-were-forced-to-bob-for-apples-in-urine/#respond Mon, 29 Jun 2020 17:47:57 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7787 Ryan Munce didn’t fully realize what was happening the first time his teammates abused him. The then 17-year-old, a goalie for the 2002-2003 Sarnia Sting, walked into the dressing room for practice when another player beckoned at him with one finger, he said. “Come here, Muncey,” Munce recalled him saying. “Just bend over my knee. […]

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Ryan Munce didn’t fully realize what was happening the first time his teammates abused him.

The then 17-year-old, a goalie for the 2002-2003 Sarnia Sting, walked into the dressing room for practice when another player beckoned at him with one finger, he said.

“Come here, Muncey,” Munce recalled him saying. “Just bend over my knee. I just wanna slap your ass a bit.”

The veterans in the room started yelling at Munce to “do it” and said if he didn’t they’d “beat his ass.” Munce said he then walked over to the player, who caressed his ass before smacking it.

The abuse only grew from there. “That blossomed into it being bare-assed, and then the paddle,” said Munce. “It was ultimately better when the paddle got introduced because at least the physical touch wasn’t there.”

At this time Munce was already a world-class goaltender. He won a gold medal for Canada at the U18 World Juniors in 2003 and was drafted to the NHL in the third round. He should have felt on top of the world, but Munce said he had suicidal thoughts because of the abuse.

Horror stories from junior hockey have been prevalent, and reported on, for decades. Yet there have been few consequences over that time. Now a shocking new class-action lawsuit could be the start of a long-overdue reckoning for Canada’s most popular sport.

The suit was brought forward by Munce’s then-teammate and NHL veteran Daniel Carcillo and Lethbridge Hurricanes player Garrette Taylor. The lawsuit alleges that “Canadian major junior hockey has been plagued by rampant hazing, bullying, and abuse of underage players, by coaches, team staff, and senior players.” It names all three major junior hockey leagues in Canada—the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Ontario Hockey League—collectively known as the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), as defendants.

“Rather than respond to or make meaningful attempts to prevent such abuse, the defendants have instead perpetuated a toxic environment,” reads the statement of claim.

The lawsuit alleges a litany of abuse: players were sexually assaulted, forced to masturbate in front of teammates or coaches, made to consume the “urine, saliva, semen, or feces of teammates,” forced into “sexual engagement with animals,” had their genitals tied to heavy objects or dipped in irritants or toxic liquids, and had things forcibly shoved into their anuses.

James Sayce, the lead counsel of the lawsuit, told VICE while there are many details he can’t divulge, “it appears there is a large number of people who want to tell their stories.”

The CHL responded to VICE’s requests for comments by pointing to a statement it released Friday that said it was “deeply troubled by the allegations in the lawsuit.” The league announced it was starting a “Independent Review Panel to thoroughly review the current policies and practices in our leagues that relate to hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying and the allegation that players do not feel comfortable reporting behaviours that contravene these policies.”

The Sarnia Sting did not respond to a request for comment.

None of the allegations have been proven in court. You can read the lawsuit in its entirety below.

Brock McGillis, a former OHL player who was one of the first professional hockey players to come out as gay and is now an advocate for making hockey more inclusive, said he’s not fully confident of the league’s ability to take on the problems raised in the lawsuit effectively.

“You have the same people who have perpetuated the cycle trying to shift the cycle,” said McGillis. “It’s never gonna work. I’ve been predicting for over a week that they would just start more task forces.”

It’s hard to overstate how important the CHL is to hockey in general, and to the Canadian psyche in particular. Talented teenage hockey players from across Canada and all over the world join the league. They’re expected to leave their families and billet in a new town, usually a small to-mid-sized Canadian city, where they will likely be the biggest sports team the city has to offer.

Despite increasing competition internationally, the CHL is still the most important feeder league in the world for the NHL. More than 30 percent of the players drafted into the NHL in 2019 came from the CHL. Sidney Crosby played for the Rimouski Océanic, Connor McDavid played for the Erie Otters, and Wayne Gretzky played for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. But while the talent in the league is immense, so is the amount of scandal associated with it.

One of the highest profile coaches in the league in the 90s, Graham James, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault in 1997 in regards to more than 300 incidents that took place over 10 years on two specific players. After serving his time and being released in 2000 and pardoned in 2007, James was charged and sentenced again in 2011 after other players including NHL star Theo Fleury came forward. While in prison he plead guilty to another sex assault charge in 2015. He was granted full parole in 2016.

In March, the CHL finally settled a class-action lawsuit over minimum wage payments for $30 million, after the suit dragged on for six years—the CHL denies the players and the league are employers and employees.

Countless other stories have been written about the league’s hazing rituals and its players being charged with sexual assault.

Dr. Kristi Allain, an associate professor in sociology at St. Thomas University who studies how hockey influences national identity, interviewed upwards of 50 professional hockey players from 2002 to 2012 for research on hockey culture. Hazing and sexual violence were brought up consistently by the players.

“It’s an ongoing problem that’s deep-rooted into the culture of hockey and I think it’s been allowed to perpetuate itself because of the insular nature of the institution,” said Allain. “‘What happens in the room, stays in the room’ is kinda their mantra.”

While there are rules against hazing in the league, typically the abuse is kept quiet, said Allain.

The lawsuit mentions players being forced to sit in the shower as other players urinated and spat on them; in another instance, players filled up a cooler with “urine, saliva, and other bodily fluids” and forced other players to bob for apples in it.

Munce, who intends to add his name to the lawsuit, told VICE he wasn’t forced to bob for apples but did see it happen and remembered the mix being dark with chewing tobacco spit.

In another incident that Munce recalled, also mentioned in the lawsuit, a rookie was tied up while naked and players beat him with a belt. When the coach walked in to tell them to tone it down, the players pressured the coach into hitting the teen himself, which gave the actions a “huge endorsement,” Munce said.

The lawsuit also details a disturbing but well-known ritual for junior teams. During road trips, the lawsuit claims, a group of rookies get stripped naked and forced into the team bus washroom for lengthy periods of time. Sometimes players poured chewing tobacco, urine, and spit onto them through the vents.

“This is something in the hockey community that every single person knows about and just assumed was normal,” said Munce. “Everyone knows about the ‘hotbox.’”

Munce said since he wasn’t there for the initial hotbox, he was forced to strip and wait in the bathroom naked by himself.

Taylor, the lawsuit’s other plaintiff, said he was forced to dress up in women’s clothing and made to drink to the point of passing out. These sort of parties, often dubbed “rookie parties,” occur at all levels of junior hockey (and in other sports). Taylor said the rookies were subjected to “racist, sexist, and homophobic slurs” daily and forced to fight their teammates.

Journalist Laura Robinson published Crossing the Line, a book that detailed hazing and sexual violence in junior hockey in 1998. Many of the acts included, as well as those outlined in a CBC documentary from that time, are similar to those mentioned in the lawsuit. Hazing in the league goes back generations. Legendary Montreal Canadiens goalie (and federal politician) Ken Dryden, who played in the NHL from 1970-1979, told the Fifth Estate in 1997 that he was always terrified of hazing.

In her book, Robinson found that hazing and abuse happen at all levels of hockey. In 2011, a 15-year-old player for the Neepawa Natives who played junior ‘A’ in Manitoba told his parents about how he and other rookies were forced to walk around the dressing room with water bottles taped to their scrotums while a coach was in the room. The incident sparked an RCMP investigation, although no charges were laid, and league discipline.

McGillis said he doesn’t believe the league is willing to change.

“This stuff still exists; it just might not be as overt as it used to be,” McGillis told VICE News. “I’m tired of hockey people patting themselves on the back for minimal improvements. It’s microscopic shifts when massive shifts are needed.”

Players who speak out are often ostracized by the players and staff for betraying the room and therefore become “problems in the room.” Many go from being hazed to doing the hazing. The problem becomes cyclical, as the rookies become the vets, and the vets become the coaches.

“There are very few people (running) the CHL who haven’t been part of the league since they were young children,” said Allain. “It’s a system of abuse that reproduces itself through generations. These systems sort of go in unchecked when there’s nobody else in the system to raise questions.”

The mantra of keeping what happens behind dressing room doors quiet is something that starts even before junior hockey. Both McGillis and Munce said they were fully ingrained in that culture by the time they hit the CHL. Allain said she has a family member whose 10-year-old boy is going into the sport and was told by a coach not to tell his parents what happened between the players and coaches.

Every person interviewed for this story said they were confident that many talented players, who could have had great NHL careers, walked away from the sport because of the culture of hazing and abuse.

Former NHL player, Akim Aliu, who is Black, came forward earlier this year with a story about how his AHL coach Bill Peters said the N-word in front of him while denigrating hip-hop in 2009. Peters resigned from his NHL coaching position last year when the story surfaced. In a separate incident, Aliu refused to get in the hotbox in 2005 during a CHL road trip and a few days later, during practice, had seven teeth knocked out by a cross-check delivered from Steve Downie, a right-winger who would go one to have a lengthy (and controversial) NHL career. The two publicly fought on camera following the hit and it was widely reported to be in retribution for Alui’s refusal to be hazed. Downie hasn’t commented on the incident.

“There will be more reckonings for coaches, more incidents highlighting the dark side of hockey culture,” Aliu wrote in a recent piece for the Player’s Tribune. “Hockey is not unique. It has the same problems that plague our whole world. There’s not much we can do about that right now.

“What we can do is be honest.”

Allain said while she stopped interviewing players in 2012, she sees no reason for something so deeply rooted in hockey culture to have disappeared.

Since the time of the Sting allegations, the CHL has implemented several programs to deal with hazing. This includes a zero-tolerance police for hazing across all three leagues. Some newer players, such as Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat, have said the abuse they received was minimal. Other players and coaches have claimed hazing has practically been phased out.

Still, other players say otherwise. Recently Eric Guest, a former Kitchener Rangers player who last played for the team in 2019, said that while at a party with teammates, older players forced him to snort cocaine. McGillis said he hears horror stories from the locker room all the time. Carcillo previously told VICE he received stories almost daily outlining abuse in hockey.

Despite games being some of the biggest attractions in their towns and being aired on Sportsnet, as well as lucrative sponsorship deals for the league, the typically teenage CHL players aren’t paid for their labour. The players, still maturing both mentally and physically, are taken from their parents and thrust into the waiting hands of a league that, after decades, is just finally starting to address the problem.

It’s important to remember who the adults in the room are.

“It always starts from the top down,” said Munce. “It starts from the coaching staff, it starts from Hockey Canada, it starts from the owners and the directors of CHL. It starts up there and trickles down. It always does. You’re not going to ask the kids to change and that’ll change the adult situation. It needs to come from the top.”

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