I don't think it's okay for a group to bind/immobilize someone - it takes away their agency, feeling trapped and powerless. There is a symbol here that even the participants may not consciously understand, but the message is still real. This particular incident isn't as physically or sexually harmful as some hazings are, but psychological abuse is still not okay. Some of my friends went through worse - they told me they wished they had quit playing when I did. It's a cancer in the sport, and I hope it's improving over time due to the bravery & openness of those that stand up against it.
As far as Sawyer goes, by actually thinking this stuff is funny & a cool story to tell shows that he doesn't understand the situation and is part of the culture that needs to grow up. He's clearly trying to be entertaining and expects all of us to laugh along, but some of us have empathy for those who are picked on. He's not a 'bad' guy, he just obviously hasn't considered these types of things from the victim's point of view and is normalizing the story as if this is okay through his tone and attitude.
Kids and young hockey players are also impressionable and TV viewers. I don't expect to be watching a Jets game with my kids and hear a story of saran wrapping a 15 year old kid and laughing that when he was all wrapped up he looked 12. It's 2020. This isn't funny. This is what the game is trying to get rid of not promote to a couple hundred thousand viewers.
It likely happened during the 2005/6 season the same season the Akim Aliu incident took place and Windsor Spitfires head coach and former Jet Moe Mantha was suspended 40 games.
Sure its 15 years ago but even dating back to the year 2000 seems to contravene the CHA policy on hazing. Although the policy did seem lax.
From a 2000 article in Macleans.
The Canadian Hockey Association, which governs amateur hockey, has a regulation against condoning or participating in hazing with a penalty of a one-year suspension. But even that is negotiable: the rule states that if the suspension causes “undue hardship” to the team, a lesser penalty can be imposed with the approval of CHA officers.
THE HELL OF HAZING | Maclean's | March 6, 2000
As a person of responsibility in 2005 Sawyer should have stopped the incident. The fact that its 15 years later and he still thinks its funny and talks about in on platform he has been given on TSN TV is terrible.
He appears to clearly have violated the policy in place by the CHA in 2000.
Information on the CHA from 2002
The Canadian Hockey Association is the sole governing body for amateur hockey in Canada. Canadian Hockey Association oversees the management of hockey programming in Canada from the entry level of the game to participation at international competitions, including World Championships for both men and women, World Junior Championship, World Under 18's, the World Cup of Hockey and Olympic Winter Games for both the men's and women's teams. 4.5 million Canadians are involved in hockey in Canada as coaches, players, officials, administrators or direct volunteers, with more than 1.5 million games and 2 million practices held every year in Canada, in over 3,000 arenas across the country. Canadian Hockey Association operates national programming in cooperation with 13 Branch Associations and a membership base of 560,000 registered male and female players, 80,000 coaches and 30,000 officials
TSN/RDS Reach Five-Year Broadcast Deal With CHA
I'm sorry, there is no place in the game for this and Sawyer should have known it when it happened as it was CHA policy.
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council does have a complaints form in place for such incidents IF they warrant it.
Make a Complaint ·