Hockey culture has racism, misogyny, bullying problem, new poll finds

Hockey may be an interwoven part of Canadian culture but a new poll finds those inside the world of youth hockey admit there’s a dark side.

The Angus Reid poll found more than half of those who have played or coached youth hockey say there’s a problem with misogyny, racism, inclusion, and bullying off the ice.

And it’s not just something hidden in the locker room.

More than half of those who didn’t play youth hockey but have spent time around the game cheering on friends and family share the same sentiment.

Although the NHL has made strides recently to create a more inclusive and diverse environment, 58 per cent of those asked, who identify as a visible minority, say there is a racism problem – only 49 per cent of Caucasians responded said the same.

Racism in hockey culture has been in the spotlight for several years.

Former Montreal Canadien PK Subban and former Calgary Flames player Akim Aliu are among the many Black hockey players who have spoken publicly about the racism they have had to endure in the sport they love.

Last year the NHL announced initiatives to try to combat racism in the sport, and in 2019 the CBC fired Don Cherry after comments during a national hockey broadcast.

When it comes to the treatment of women more than half of former youth players or coaches say there is an issue with disrespect of women and misogyny. Not surprisingly, woman of all ages who replied to the survey were more likely than men to see a serious problem with the way young players treat women.

In recent years the the NHL, as well as other levels of the game, have had to deal with a myriad of cases where players have been accused of abusive or misogynistic behaviour.

But this is not a new issue. In 1997 Hockey Canada implemented its “Speak Out” program to bring awareness to sexual misconduct and bullying, as enrollment in girls and women’s hockey programs began to climb. However, it was nearly 20 years later when the NHL would begin a training initiative on the same issues to educate professional players.

And it seems more and more “Canada’s sport” is becoming a luxury for the wealthy. A whopping 88 per cent of those asked said the sport was too expensive for everyone to play.

A decade ago Hockey Canada found the average cost a parent had to pay to have their child in hockey was $3,000, and that price has not dropped in the following years.

The majority of those asked said hockey was just too expensive for lower-income families, putting into question the NHL’s ongoing motto of ‘Hockey is for Everyone.’

The Angus Reid online survey was conducted from February 11-16, 2021 among a representative randomized sample of 1,601 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum, with a margin of error of +/-2.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Angus Reid Hockey Culture Survey by CityNewsToronto on Scribd