Issues in junior hockey go beyond cocaine allegation

Culture of silence outlined in video by ex-Kitchener Rangers forward Eric Guest needs to be addressed

KITCHENER — The walls of silence are up.

Which is ironic, since speaking out was one of the hurdles onetime Kitchener Rangers forward Eric Guest faced while playing in the Ontario Hockey League.

And I get it.

The OHL and the Rangers are refusing to comment because there is an ongoing investigation into the alleged hazing Guest says he dealt with while playing for the Blueshirts in 2016.

It would be premature for them to discuss the allegations Guest made last week in an Instagram video.

When the investigation wraps up, league and Rangers officials can have their say about his claim that a veteran teammate pressured him and another youngster to use cocaine in a locked bathroom at a nonsanctioned party during his rookie season.

But Guest’s 15-minute video also raised a myriad of issues that all players can relate to. Things that, regardless of the outcome of the investigation, need to be examined.

Look, the Rangers run a tight ship. I’ve seen it first-hand for more than a decade.

I can’t tell you how many players, parents, agents, scouts and coaches rave about the club. The team’s reputation is that solid.

General manager and coach Mike McKenzie is approachable and a real student of the game.

Jay McKee, who was behind the bench for Guest’s tenure, might just be the nicest and most level-headed person I’ve met in junior hockey.

They both clearly care about their players. So, I don’t think there is malice, ignorance or ego driving things on East Avenue.

But despite efforts to create an inclusive environment, there is a palpable disconnect between veterans and rookies — here and around the OHL. Guest captured the dynamic well in his video.

“When you’re young in that league ... you listen to what the older guys tell you,” he said. “You don’t really have a voice.”

Former Rangers defenceman Connor Hall echoed those feelings when reached last week: “As a 16-year-old you’re scared. Until you get comfortable with the guys you’re scared in the room.

“You don’t talk, you don’t do anything.”

Guest also said he found it hard to leave home to play hockey. And he’s not alone.

“Moving away from home is a big culture shock for a 16-yearold,” said Rangers alumnus Jacob Cascagnette. “I experienced that when I was 19 moving to Mississauga (after being traded by Kitchener). I know what Guest was going through (in that respect).”

Guest said he “hated” his billet house during his rookie season, so much it made him cry. And while the Rangers vet and have some amazing billets, not all pairings mesh.

“There have been multiple guys that have had different billets just because it wasn’t a right fit,” said ex-Rangers forward Jonathan Yantsis. “Some families want you to be a complete part of their family and go to family gatherings and stuff, whereas other people are more laid back and let you do your own thing.”

But the biggest takeaway from Guest’s video is that he didn’t feel comfortable speaking to coaches, management or even his parents about some of the hardships he was going through.

“I lied to my parents for years when I lived there (in Kitchener) and said like ‘Oh, I’m fine, I’m doing well, like I’m mentally OK’,” he said, in the video.

“I lied to them because I wanted to play in the NHL. When you’re in that situation you’re going to do anything you can. You’re going to bury your feelings, your thoughts and try and make that dream come true. That’s what I was doing.”

He didn’t want to complain or be seen as a problem. He wanted to “fly under the radar.”

That kind of pressure seems suffocating. And it’s heartbreaking to hear.

While the investigation into Guest’s allegations of a cocaine incident is ongoing, his video goes deeper than illicit drugs. It speaks to larger issues that every player can relate to, some more than others.

They are issues that aren’t unique to the Rangers. They likely run through every OHL club — and they need to be talked about.