Content warning: The following piece contains references to sexual assault
Look, I know that the Ottawa Senators have made some moves over the past few days. I know that there are tons of interesting points to fixate on and speculate about. There will be plenty of time to pontificate about them in the coming days, but before we do that, there are a few more pressing things that I have to get off my chest here. I’m tired of still having to talk about hockey culture, but this is where we’re at.
This is Five Thoughts for Friday, July 30th, 2021.
So many Hurricanes fans are now questioning if this is really an environment full of people who love them back.
But a brand can’t love you back, and the Hurricanes’ touting of a fan-friendly, accepting culture of positive tweets saying “Hockey is For Everyone” was just that — a well-curated brand.
...
They aren’t owned by the community or the fan culture or the fantasy of what it means to be a small-market team. They’re owned by a rich man, Tom Dundon. And he just spent $1 million to sign a player he thinks can be a good deal.
Hockey culture is insidious, and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise: The Hurricanes are not exempt.
The fact of the matter is that the Hurricanes are affording a second chance to a guy with a history of overt racism, bigoted comments, abuse of officials, and bullying his own teammates. All of this is known. What’s worse, is Carolina doesn’t even seem to be sure as to why they’re putting their faith in him.
Redemption arcs are for people that have done the work. If DeAngelo has put in the requisite effort, he and the Hurricanes sure haven’t shown us that’s the case.
Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Let me start off by saying that Jake Virtanen deserves his day in court. The former Vancouver Canucks forward is facing allegations of sexual misconduct, and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence that our justice system provides.
That said, his accuser deserves to have her accusations taken seriously, and shouldn’t have to face Virtanen on TV every night, reaping the rewards of his professional hockey dream.
This makes the Hurricanes’ reported interest in Virtanen troubling, to say the least. For an organization that has built a reputation of being inclusive, and accessible to their fans to not only sign DeAngelo, but apparently also kick tires on Virtanen is beyond disappointing.
Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images
Speaking of someone who hasn’t done the work, we enter the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round draft selection from last week. As you well know by now, the Canadiens drafted Logan Mailloux. Mailloux had requested to not be selected this year after being convicted of distributing an intimate photo of a woman from a sexual encounter in Sweden last year, without her consent.
The Canadiens stepping to the virtual podium, on national television, and selecting Mailloux was nothing short of a disgrace. In a strikingly similar scene to Waddell’s meandering, there was Marc Bergevin’s rambling about the unacceptability of Mailloux’s acts — while also talking about how the Canadiens can somehow help him learn and grow, or something. It was more of an answer than assistant GM Trevor Timmins was able to give, anyway.
Again: there haven’t been any signs of remorse or growth from Mailloux. Being drafted in the first round by the Canadiens is nothing resembling a consequence for his actions, so it’s hard to argue he’s paid for what he did. Rachel Doerrie wrote a fantastic piece on the issue for EP Rinkside, and feeling unwelcome in the game she loves. I would highly recommend reading it:
Hockey is a game I’ve loved for 25 years. But, the past few weeks have sent a clear message and I am exhausted.
Hockey culture needs to change. Here is how I feel about being a woman in hockey. https://t.co/gwZ4SPBpLF
Every time I think this story can’t possibly get any worse, it somehow does.
Thanks to more incredible reporting from Rick Westhead, we learned that former Blackhawks defenceman Nick Boynton — a member of the 2010 team — shed some more light on the dynamic surrounding the team during which the alleged offences by Brad Aldrich took place.
“They asked me who knew and I gave them names, basically everybody on the team,” Boynton told TSN in an interview on Wednesday. “I said everybody f---ing knew about it. I said you can talk to the coaches. …I said talk to Torch [former assistant coach John Torchetti]. I called out Brian Campbell, and said talk to Patrick Sharp and talk to Kaner [Patrick Kane]. …The training staff knew. I’m sick of this wall of silence.”
I’m sick of the “wall of silence” too. It’s just another example of the myriad ways in which hockey culture needs to change. The fact that there are potentially prominent figures still in the league that have been withholding this information for a decade is sickening. Hockey should not be a safe space for abusers.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
I’m sorry this wasn’t Sens-focused. I know you were probably expecting that, but I just rattled off four examples of hockey culture’s toxicity. All of them from within the last seven days.
I love this sport. It’s given more than I ever deserved, and it means the world to me, but it’s not a safe place for everyone. For the racialized people who were hurt by DeAngelo’s unceasing rhetoric, to the women who wonder about their place in the sport while the likes of Mailloux and Virtanen are welcomed with open arms, hockey does not feel like a sport deserving of the reverent reputation it likes to claim.
One day it can get there. This isn’t hopeless, but it has a long way to go.
Alice Betto of Team Italy, right, and Joanna Brown of Team Canada compete during the Women's Individual Triathlon on Day 4 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Odaiba Marine Park on July 27, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Brown will be part of Canada's triathlon mixed relay team on Saturday.
Adam Pretty/Getty Images Europe
Andre De Grasse headlines strong Canadian track and field team
Five years removed from becoming one of Canada’s breakout stars at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Andre De Grasse is back on the track looking for a fourth Olympic medal. The Canadian sprint star’s journey in Tokyo begins with the men’s 100-metre preliminary round. De Grasse is coming off silver and bronze medals at the world championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2019. He won silver and two bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Other athletics events beginning Saturday in Japan are the women’s 100-metre and 400-metre hurdles and men’s pole vault qualification.
Fast-paced triathlon mixed relay makes Olympic debut
The triathlon mixed relay makes its debut at Tokyo 2020. Nineteen teams of four – two women and two men – are competing in the event. Each athlete swims, cycles and runs a short distance before their next teammate can do the same. The fast-paced mixed relay is expected to last around 90 minutes. Joanna Brown, Amelie Kretz, Matthew Sharpe and Alexis Lepage are representing Canada. Manitoba’s Tyler Mislawchuk withdrew from the event because of an Achilles tendon injury he sustained in the men’s triathlon.
Quebec’s Tammara Thibeault faces familiar foe in the boxing ring
Canadian boxer Tammara Thibeault’s Olympic journey continues at Japan’s Kokugikan Arena. The boxer from Shawinigan, Que., is back in the ring for a quarter-final middleweight bout against Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands. It’s a rematch of the semi-final of the 2019 AIBA boxing world championship, which Thibeault lost to Fontijn. The 24-year-old Canadian is a Pan Am Games silver medalist (2019) and a Commonwealth Games bronze medalist (2018).
Veteran archer `bull’s-eyes’ the quarter-final round in Tokyo
Veteran Canadian archer Crispin Duenas is one victory away from the quarter-final in the men’s individual competition. The Toronto native is up against Florian Unruh of Germany in the round of 16 at Yumenoshima Final Field. Duenas opened the elimination round with a win over Moldova’s Dan Olaru before beating MD Ruman Shana of Bangladesh. It is the fourth Olympic appearance for the 35-year-old Duenas, whose best finish in individual competition was 17th at the 2016 Rio Games. Duenas and teammate Stephanie Barrett were eliminated from the mixed competition.
Canada gets shot at another weightlifting medal at Tokyo Games
Canadian Boady Santavy is looking to add to another weightlifting medal for Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 24-year-old from Sarnia, Ont., is in the Group A medal round of the men’s 96-kilogram category. Canada has already earned one weightlifting medal at the Tokyo Olympics, with Maude Charron of Rimouski, Que., winning gold in the women’s 64-kilogram category. Santavy was faced with serious legal troubles two years ago. He pleaded guilty in 2019 for failing to remain at the scene of a hit-and-run in Sarnia, Ont., and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Five separate but interlocked boundaries combining for a greater whole might seem like an Olympic symbol this week, but local CAOs looking for more efficient regional policing might say otherwise.
Approval of the creation of a single OPP detachment board to service the municipalities of Midland, Penetanguishene, Tay, Tiny and Georgian Bay Township (District of Muskoka) was granted by all councils in recent weeks, with Tay becoming the final affirmative Wednesday evening.
The adoption of a new single OPP detachment board would replace existing ‘section 10’ police services boards across the municipalities for efficiency purposes in serving the regions. It comes as part of a 2019 Community Safety and Policing Act requirement through the Solicitor General, expected to be implemented by early 2022.
In addition to three provincial appointees, one municipal and one community representative from each of the five municipalities would make up the 13-member board.
CAOs for the five municipalities met with each other and interim OPP Southern Georgian Bay detachment commander Joe Evans, and worked together in crafting the most efficient structure to service everyone.
“We are the last of the five municipalities to review this recommendation and vote on it,” said CAO Lindsay Barron, expressing that once finalized the proposal would be sent off to the ministry of the Solicitor General before its July 31 deadline.
Deputy Mayor Gerard LaChapelle posed a question concerning Tay’s leverage within the budget process.
“I guess my fear is, if the board is independent from council and they have that right to govern and rule, do we have any mechanism where we could control expenditures?” asked LaChapelle.
Mayor Ted Walker responded that there was shared concern in that regard.
“Unfortunately, with the set-up that the province is requiring us to go to, this basically is our only option,“ he said.
Tay council voted unanimously in favour of passing the proposal, and the motion carried.
Interim detachment commander for Southern Georgian Bay OPP Joe Evans expressed happiness with the collective decision to proceed.
“The OPP is committed to building trusting and collaborative relationships with its communities, stakeholders and partners in order to continue to achieve OPP’s ‘Vision of Safe Communities… A Secure Ontario’,” said Evans.
When asked what was next for Evans in the process, he responded that continuing to meet regularly between detachments and communities would be valuable to providing “insight on policing in a community.“
Previously, Midland council carried the motion unanimously, praising the representation each municipality will receive.
A minority of councillors from Tiny and Penetanguishene raised concerns within their separate meetings as per the efficiency of a 13-member board in a ‘too many cooks’ type of scenario. Despite the questions raised, both Tiny and Penetanguishene councils also carried the motion.
Last week, the District of Muskoka carried their motion to approve of the single OPP detachment board “handily”, as Muskoka District chair John Klinck described the vast number of raised hands in favour.
When invited to comment, Township of Georgian Bay councillor Peter Koetsier opted to choose his words carefully.
“I don’t dare add too much for remarks because they reflect on the fact that the township of Georgian Bay are making these arrangements, yet we’re considered part of the district, which is the awkward structure that the province makes us work under,” said Koetsier, to which Klinck agreed.
PERTH COUNTY, ONT. -- Clayton Nicholson may not fully comprehend that he’s about to save his sister’s life -- he just knows she needs help -- and can help her by donating his bone marrow.
“There’s a 25 per cent chance he would be a perfect match for Claire. Luck was on our side and it turns out it worked out real well for us,” says Clayton and Claire’s mom, Mandy Nicholson.
Next week, two-year-old Claire will be heading to a Toronto hospital in order to receive a bone marrow transplant from her five-year-old brother.
It’s a procedure that will hopefully save her life -- a life that’s been spent mostly in hospital -- after the talkative toddler was diagnosed with leukemia days before her first birthday.
“She is going to go through some pretty intense chemo. They’re really going to knock down her bone marrow and make it stop producing cells on its own. Then, Clayton will come in and have a harvest done. They’ll extract his bone marrow and it will get transferred to Claire, kind of like a blood transfusion,” explains Mandy.
Then the family will wait, hope and pray that the bone marrow transplant works.
“Hopefully with any luck, no more leukemia,” says Mandy.
And that will warrant an even bigger parade than the one organized by the family's supporters for Clayton’s fifth birthday, earlier this week.
“He’s been great. Just puts out his arm to take blood, because it’s for his sister. He should just be sore for a couple of days after the procedure and then, well, it probably won’t slow him down for long,” says Mandy.
The Nicholson family heads to Toronto for the start of Claire’s intense chemo next week, with the bone marrow transplant from big brother, Clayton, scheduled for August 11.
Saad, 28, agreed to a five-year contract worth $22.5 million, for a $4.5 million cap hit.
He had 15 goals and nine assists in 24 games last season, his only season with the Avalanche. He has 371 points in 632 games in a 10-year career that included two stints with the Chicago Blackhawks and one with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Saad ostensibly replaces Jaden Schwartz on left wing. Schwartz, 29, signed a five-year, $27.5 million free-agent contract with the expansion Seattle Kraken. Saad joins another new winger -- Pavel Buchnevich -- whom the Blues acquired from the New York Rangers and signed to a four-year, $23.2 million deal.
The move leaves the Blues with just over $8.5 million in salary-cap space with restricted free-agent forwards Ivan Barbashev, Zach Sanford, Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas needing contracts. The Blues have been actively seeking to move winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who requested a trade. He has two years left on his contract with a $7.5 million cap hit.
Saad has been involved in three trades based on contract concerns. In 2015, the Blackhawks dealt him to Columbus where he signed his current six-year, $36 million deal. In 2017, when the Blackhawks thought they couldn't afford Artemi Panarin, Saad went back to Chicago in that trade. Then with only a year left on his deal, the Hawks shipped him to Colorado.
The Avalanche didn't have cap space to sign Saad after giving new contracts to forward Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Cale Makar.
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