Daniel Carcillo has had enough. Enough of keeping his mouth shut, enough of protecting the people who hurt him.
In two lengthy Twitter threads over the weekend, the two-time Stanley Cup winner outlined some of the alleged bullying and hazing he suffered through as a 17-year-old rookie on the Sarnia Sting over the course of the 2002-03 Ontario Hockey League season.
B次元官网网址淭hat was the worst year of my life. And I got drafted to the NHL and achieved my dreams,B次元官网网址� Carcillo, a third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 draft, said in a phone interview with The Canadian Press on Monday. B次元官网网址淪o think about that statement.
B次元官网网址淭hat was, by far, the hardest year of my life. No doubt about it.B次元官网网址�
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Carcillo, 33, was inspired to open up about his experience after news broke about an alleged sexual assault involving athletes at St. MichaelB次元官网网址檚 College School, an all-boys private school in Toronto, that was captured on camera. The native of King City, Ont., also thought it would be helpful to share his story as part of TwitterB次元官网网址檚 Bullying Awareness Week.
From his verified Twitter account, Carcillo spoke of being beaten with the sawed off paddle of a goaltenderB次元官网网址檚 hockey stick on a daily basis. He also described a B次元官网网址渟hower trainB次元官网网址� where rookies were forced to sit on the floor in the shower as veterans urinated or spit chewing tobacco on or near them, sometimes throwing shaving cream at them as well.
Fair warning to anyone who worked or played with me in Sarnia
B次元官网网址� Daniel Carcillo (@CarBombBoom13)
This goes for players, coaches, trainers & front office staff
If you lie when contacted about the story I wrote, I will reluctantly have to tell other stories that prove your guilt
Tell the truth
Carcillo described further shocking scenes to The Canadian Press, including being forced to bob for apples in a cooler filled with waste including pizza, urine, and spit.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no stopping me (sharing these stories). This sport and that culture has taken a lot from me,B次元官网网址� said Carcillo, who was a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against the NHL over the leagueB次元官网网址檚 handling of head injuries. A tentative US$18.9-million settlement in that lawsuit was announced on Nov. 12.
B次元官网网址淚 just want to make sure that people understand these uncomfortable truths. That parents understand what really goes on and that it happens way more often than just me talking about it.B次元官网网址�
Carcillo said that he reached a breaking point in 2003 when he and six or seven other rookies were stuffed into the washroom on a charter bus during a 45-minute trip between Sarnia, Ont., and London, Ont. As the shirtless players were stuffed into the confined space, Carcillo said veteran players spat their chewing tobacco through an air vent. When they were released from the washroom, Carcillo said he and a fellow rookie came out swinging, fighting their teammates.
During that season, Carcillo contacted David Branch, commissioner of the OHL, telling him of the ongoing issues in the StingB次元官网网址檚 locker-room. Branch was not available for comment on Monday, but a spokesperson from the league said that Branch brought the issue to the attention of SarniaB次元官网网址檚 ownership and management groups and began initiating harsh fines and penalties for teams that were caught hazing players.
B次元官网网址淎s acknowledged by Daniel Carcillo in several of his online posts, the OHL did react to the concerns he raised during his rookie season,B次元官网网址� reads an official statement issued by the OHL to The Canadian Press.
B次元官网网址淭he league, which has a zero tolerance on hazing, has been implementing policies to prevent hazing or bullying for several years. Today in the OHL all players receive training on the prevention of bullying and hazing through their member team. All players acknowledge to the league in writing that they have participated in this training process. Players are encouraged to bring any concerns forward without fear of reprisal.B次元官网网址�
In October 2005, Windsor SpitfiresB次元官网网址� Moe Mantha was given a one-year suspension as general manager and 25 games as coach for a hazing incident involving several of his players. Then in 2009 the OHLB次元官网网址檚 board of governors developed the OHL Enforcement Program, designed to address and attempt to eliminate violations of the hazing rules and impose appropriate penalties if violations occur.
Jeff Perry, SarniaB次元官网网址檚 head coach in 2002-03, says he was concerned for Carcillo and disappointed in his veteran players when he read CarcilloB次元官网网址檚 allegations this past weekend.
B次元官网网址淐ertainly itB次元官网网址檚 something that, at the time, we were unaware of. ItB次元官网网址檚 nothing that the Sarnia Sting or the management group or the coaching staff would support or condone if those allegations were true,B次元官网网址� said Perry. B次元官网网址滺ard to make a formal comment, other than, obviously itB次元官网网址檚 affected Dan, who I think is a great young man, gone on to have a terrific career.
B次元官网网址淐ertainly itB次元官网网址檚 concerning to hear that these events possibly took place.B次元官网网址�
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In a story published in the PlayersB次元官网网址� Tribune online magazine on July 1, 2015, former Sting forward Rich Clune B次元官网网址� a year younger than Carcillo B次元官网网址� alluded to hazing issues in Sarnia when he joined the team for the 2003-2004 season.
B次元官网网址淭his was back in the days when physical hazing was pretty prominent, but luckily one of the older guys on the team, Daniel Carcillo, stuck up for me for some reason and made sure the older guys didnB次元官网网址檛 mess with me too bad,B次元官网网址� said Clune. B次元官网网址滻B次元官网网址檒l always love him for that.B次元官网网址�
Unrestricted free agent Shawn Matthias tweeted CarcilloB次元官网网址檚 series of posts, saying his experience as a rookie on the OHLB次元官网网址檚 Belleville Bulls left him B次元官网网址渁n angry confused young man,B次元官网网址� until he joined the NHLB次元官网网址檚 Winnipeg Jets where he said head coach Paul Maurice and other members of the organization helped him overcome his trauma. Matthias did not immediately respond to an interview request from The Canadian Press and Maurice declined comment.
Perry made the point that coaches canB次元官网网址檛 be everywhere and that alleged incidents like the B次元官网网址渟hower trainB次元官网网址� that Carcillo described on Twitter can easily happen without the knowledge of coaches.
B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 stand in the shower areas for obvious reasons,B次元官网网址� said Perry. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 certain areas in a room where we canB次元官网网址檛 monitor as a staff or watch 24/7. You would certainly hope that your leadership group, your veteran players, wouldnB次元官网网址檛 do the things that are being alleged by Daniel.
B次元官网网址淵ou would hope that you would have better character in your room. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the disappointing fact that if it did take place you would certainly would be disappointed in your veterans.B次元官网网址�
Carcillo, however, insists that Perry was aware of the treatment that he and other rookies were subjected to.
B次元官网网址淭o be honest, I like Jeff, I really do. I donB次元官网网址檛 blame him. I donB次元官网网址檛 blame him, I donB次元官网网址檛 blame (assistant coach Greg Walters),B次元官网网址� said Carcillo. B次元官网网址淚 blame the guys who did it to me. Straight up. And I always will.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e moved past this. IB次元官网网址檝e shook their hands at bowling tournaments in Toronto. Part of me wanted to knock them out on the spot and part of me B次元官网网址� fake it until you make it.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want to blow these guysB次元官网网址� lives up because some of them are still hanging on in the minors.B次元官网网址�
At the time of the alleged incidents the Sting were owned by the Ciccarelli brothers, with Rob Ciccarelli acting as team president and governor until January 2015 when the team was sold to former NHLers Derian Hatcher and David Legwand. Rob Ciccarelli also did not immediately respond to an interview request with The Canadian Press.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
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