My family is definitely one that has holiday traditions. We watch the same movies, we have a specific routine for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and my dad has a time-honoured tradition of leaving his shopping until the last minute.
Another tradition in our household is the World Junior Championship.
Hockey has long been a unifier in my household, especially for my dad and I. If there was nothing else, we could at least watch hockey together. Maybe we’d disagree on players or the opinions of commentators, but we always had the game.
It was in 2009 that the world juniors appeared on my, and my family’s, radar. All Canadians with access to TSN are aware of the world juniors on some level, TSN paid good money and worked hard to make that so, but it had never been a major draw personally. That is, until, the drive for five. From 2005-2008, team Canada won four straight gold medals at the world juniors and going into the 2009 tournament, you couldn’t escape the excitement or the intrigue. Could Canada pull it off again?
Analysis of the team ramped up, and the pressure on these kids (literally with ages ranging from 17-19) grew to unprecedented levels. I was especially interested because I was beginning to recognize the names on the team. Hall, Tavares, Subban, Pietrangelo. I knew these guys from OHL games I’d attended. These were tangible people to me. Players I was excited about, I had watched through their juniors careers. Jordan Eberle scored to tie the game with 5.4 seconds left in the 3rd period and I was in.
Since 2009, I’ve watched the world juniors fairly religiously. It’s a constant in my parent’s house over the holidays, I’ve been known to request it be turned on at any parties (sorry non-sports inclined friends), and god, I’ve even gotten myself worked up over coaching decisions regarding players I know nothing about! I’ve cried happy and sad tears watching world juniors. I’ve cheered and booed and screamed all from my couch. I’ve almost broken a toe kicking my bed following a horrific collapse against Russia (no, I’m not proud of that).
But now that tradition feels tarnished. I’m not sure if I want it to continue. I’ve talked about this before, but how do you reconcile your love of a sport with the horrific realities of the culture in which that sport exists?
Spousal abuse. Sexual Assault. Cover-ups of sexual assault. Psychological abuse and intimidation all in the name of success and championships.
Championships. That’s what the 2018 Canadian national junior team was celebrating in London, ON, when (allegedly) eight members of the team plied a young woman with alcohol, took her back to the nearby hotel, and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. This is, of course, absolutely heinous within itself, but I can’t shake a specific detail: that the accused, “directed her to say that she was sober while being video recorded, and directed her to have a shower after the sexual assaults had concluded.” This was organized, this was meticulous, this was strategized. These young men knew exactly what they were doing and ensured that they would get away with it.
Which they knew they would. Hockey Canada has fostered an environment that allows abusers to thrive. They have used portions of their registration fees to build a fund solely dedicated to paying off sexual assault settlements. They did not force players to participate in their “internal investigation”. They’ve been raised in a system that treats them like Gods. And maybe that’s fitting; the Greek Gods committed horrific crimes, specifically sex crimes, and faced no consequences. They continued to be worshiped and even had alters built for them.
And so I’m back to where I was before – betrayed by a team, by players, that made me feel something. Anyone who knows me knows how dear I hold the World Junior tournament. I can’t help but be swept up in the magic of it all because isn’t that what the greatest sports moments are? Magic? Comebacks, miraculous performances? Those moments are magical. They’re what make us love sports. What keeps us coming back for more.
But when does the magic run out? What do we do when the magic is blocked out pile the real-world horrors?
Since beginning to write this, new court documents have been filed, revealing why the London Police now believe they have reasonable grounds to accuse five players of sexual assault from the 2018 world junior team. Testimony from the 94-page document highlights how the victim's mother found her, “crying in the shower, "seated clasping her knees and rocking back and forth"”, how someone at Hockey Canada gave Player 1 a heads up that the victim had gone to the police allowing Player 1 to contact the victim, urging her to “make the complaint go away”, and how (I’m just going to fully copy and paste this one) “Player 1 “sent a text message asking if anyone in the group conversation would like [specific sex act(s)].” Another teammate replied: “yes.””.
People will say that it’s not the same team, that there’s been turnover at the executive level, and that we can’t judge the new players for the sins of the former but I’m just not sure how I’m supposed to stomach this organization, knowing what I know. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel the magic again, embrace the wholesome holiday tradition, when I’ve gotten a peek behind the curtain.
What I’m Listening To:
QAnon Anonymous – Episode 210: Balenciaga, Ye, Club Q
Articles:
The 10 Most Viral Moments of 2022
What a year. I wrote about The Slap™, West End Caleb, and Amber Heard so be sure to check those out as well.
“You’re My Present This Year”: An Oral History of the Folgers Incest Ad
‘Tis the damn season
TikTok's Low-Level Analysis of 'The White Lotus' Is Breaking My Brain
I don’t watch The White Lotus, but this article touches on something that has been driving me up a goddamn wall recently – shitty media analysis. I don’t know if it’s, like the author implied, the rise of artists including easter eggs in their promotions, the rise of Marvel’s paint-by-numbers plot progression, or just a pure lack of education but come on y’all.
How to take back ‘freedom’ from Pierre Poilievre
Really great explainer on populism and how leftists in Canada can fight against it.
issue 49: the week in predictions
I agree with, and fully endorse, all of Noa’s predictions.
Internet Shit:
Till next time!
xoxo, Liz