Kennedy honoured by former team
SWIFT CURRENT — As soon as Sheldon Kennedy’s name was announced Saturday night at the Credit Union iplex, the crowd of 2,298 rose to their feet in appreciation.
The clapping and applause began to drown out the list of accomplishments voiced over the arena’s public address system.
But it didn’t matter. Everyone knew why to cheer.
The previous night Kennedy was one of the recipients of a Scotiabank Humanitarian Award for lifetime achievement thanks to his efforts creating awareness for sexually abused victims. Saturday was then declared Sheldon Kennedy Day in Swift Current.
Kennedy, the former captain of the WHL’S Broncos when the team won its only Memorial Cup in 1989, also dropped the puck for the honorary faceoff before Swift Current took on the Saskatoon Blades. He was then presented with a commemorative team sweater by current Broncos captain Taylor Vause.
Kennedy — himself a victim of sexual abuse by the team’s thencoach Graham James — said he was using the touching moment to finally move on from his troubled past in the southwest Saskatchewan city.
“There was an ugly situation that went on here,” he said during the second intermission of the game. “To me it’s about the recognition and moving forward and putting closure to something that wasn’t so pretty.”
James was imprisoned for 3 1/2 years in 1997 after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting Kennedy and another unnamed player about 350 times over a 10-year period.
The former coach served 18 months in prison before applying for, and receiving, a pardon in 2007.
Last Dec. 7, James pleaded guilty to repeatedly molesting Kennedy’s friend and former NHL star Theoren Fleury, as well as another un- named player. He will be sentenced Wednesday in Winnipeg.
Kennedy testified before a United States Senate committee a week later, urging sports groups and governments to require mandatory training for any adult who signs up to work with kids.
His Dec. 13 appearance before the committee also came weeks after former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was indicted for 52 criminal counts of alleged sexual misconduct involving boys over a 15-year period. Sandusky stands trial in May.
“I think that we have recognized the effects of abuse in our country,” the Brandon, Man., native said. “We see kids killing themselves from bullying. We see a lot of our prison systems filled with kids that have been abused. We’ve really raised the awareness and the understanding of the damage that’s done.
“Going down to the U.S., they were looking up here to see what we’ve done since the Graham James case. We are leading the world in abuse prevention and investigation. We need to hold our heads high. We’ve done a lot of good.”
The former winger, who played 107 NHL games for Detroit, Calgary and Boston, has also practised what he’s preached.
Kennedy founded Respect Group Inc. in 2004 to offer training to coaches on proper conduct when around young players. The company was started about five years after he rollerbladed across Canada to raise money for suffers of child abuse.
“There’s not a day that goes by where someone doesn’t come up and say thank you,” he said. “I think the most important piece was that it needed a voice. For some reason, I was found in the position to be that voice.
“There are a ton of people that are pulling on the rope behind the scenes and working in the trenches on a daily basis. I’m just kind of the face and I’m all right with that.”