The Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) has opened an investigation into an allegation of antisemitism after an incident at a game on March 6. At that game, a parent of a player on the Avenue Road Ducks Under 13 A team allegedly heard a parent of a player on the Don Mills Mustangs team use antisemitic language.
It was the second time such an incident had been reported. The same thing occurred at a game between the two teams in the fall, but the parents who made the original complaint did not wish to participate in a third-party, confidential investigation. The parent who made the most recent complaint was willing to participate in such a process, so the GTHL immediately began an investigation.
The majority of the players on the Avenue Road Ducks are Jewish and the team does not play on Shabbat or Jewish holidays.
The two teams met again for a playoff game on April 5. In the leadup to that game, the GTHL became aware that other teams in the same age group had been contacted to attend in support of the Avenue Road Ducks. The GTHL and the two teams involved were worried about what kind of atmosphere might result.
“Both clubs expressed concerns to the GTHL about the potential of a negative environment that could develop, putting the safety and well-being of players on both teams in jeopardy,” said Stephanie Coratti, manager of communications and marketing at the GTHL in an email. The GTHL contacted the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) for advice, she said.
Ultimately, it was decided to limit audience attendance to only family members of the players involved to ensure their safety and security. A representative from the GTHL and the presidents of both teams were present at the game, which was played in a positive environment without any issues, said Coratti. The investigation into the incident is ongoing. When it is completed, a report will be filed with the GTHL and next steps will be determined, she said.
Noah Shack, vice-president of the GTA for CIJA, was the individual who was contacted by the GTHL. He said the GTHL responded well to this incident, but that doesn’t mean the issue of antisemitism in hockey is solved.
“I’ve had a conversation with (the GTHL) about what can we do to support addressing antisemitism in minor hockey beyond any single incident. Because I think this is something that is a problem system-wide,” he said.
The GTHL has an initiative to examine racism in hockey and Shack said it must include antisemitism as a “core component.”
“If you’re not going to address antisemitism effectively, you’re going to fail at dealing with the phenomenon of racism in the sport.”
Avenue Road and Don Mills sent statements regarding the investigation and the decision to restrict access to the playoff game.
“Avenue Road Hockey Association is aware of the reported instance of antisemitism to the GTHL. We take every instance of antisemitism and discrimination seriously. Any form of hate should be condemned in minor hockey and in society as a whole,” Avenue Road’s statement said.
“ARHA fully supports the GTHL and the process of investigating this incident and is awaiting the results of the investigation.”
A spokesperson for Don Mills said the team is fully cooperating with the investigation, and the team declined to comment further until the investigation is complete.
