Complaint data shows how nasty minor hockey can get in London arenas

Hockey coaches and parents yell at young players and referees on the ice. A player throws a can at one coach. Another player chases after a rival team's coach. These are some reports of bad behaviour the City of London has received from minor hockey leagues in recent years.

Data obtained by CBC News through the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) outlines eight formal complaints made by parents, coaches or members of the public at city arenas between 2019 and 2023. 

Allegations include details of threats of violence and intimidation, harassment and bullying, along with the use of profane language toward athletes, officials and parents.  

One complaint from March 2023 alleged a person from the U15 North London Nationals B8 chased after a West London Hawks coach and verbally abused, threatened and harassed him after a hockey game between the teams at Carling Arena. 

"The kids weren't in a dressing room yet and he verbally attacked and abused the coach by yelling and pointing and being aggressive right in front of the kids," read a complaint filed by a member of the public. "Some of the kids felt threatened and were visibly shaking. The coach asked the person to walk away at least three times."

The identities of those involved have not been disclosed due to privacy laws. In five of the eight cases, investigations were closed due to a lack of witnesses, withdrawn by complainants, or were found to be out of the city's scope. 

The complaints are filed through the Rzone program which requires anyone who uses London's facilities, parks or programs to respect others and take responsibility in maintaining a positive environment. It gives city staff clear authority to deal with issues of bullying, violence and discriminatory behaviours, which according to the city's website, have been growing.

Repeat violations can result in a ban from city facilities. The data did not show that anyone was banned, but one person was given a warning letter. 

Unruly behaviour declining, says coach

In March, CBC reported about a local minor hockey group sending letters to parents and league members, warning them to stop screaming and using foul language in front of kids and referees or risk police involvement and covering the costs of private security.

"Sometimes parents get really involved with their child because they want the best for them but you have to think before you lash out," said Tony Mandarelli, head coach of U10 AAA London Junior Knights and general manager of London Nationals Junior Hockey Club.

"Everybody wants to see their athlete make it into hockey and I think they see frustration when their athlete's not where they think they should be, and they're always trying to find somebody to blame and usually it's the coach."

Although unruly behaviour on the ice has long existed in hockey, Mandarelli, a veteran coach of three decades said incidents have levelled off in recent years due protocols focusing on respect in sport for everyone in the league —including parents — and maltreatment training for officials.  

"These new courses that you have to take to be in the league have improved things like communication and when you have that it's going to be a better effort on people's parts," he said.

Mandarelli said his team has "a good group of parents and kids" but he still regularly meets with them, reminding them to be careful of how they interact with others. 

Another incident from Jan. 13, 2019 stated that a coach at Stronach Arena removed a player from his bench for profanity against him and the assistant coach. The player was asked to leave the facility but didn't.

The player continued swearing and yelling homophobic slurs at the coach and threw a beverage at him while threatening to punch him, until arena staff got involved and told him to leave. A lengthy investigation by the city's manager of corporate security, found four months later the player violated the Rzone policy. It's unclear if he was banned from attending games.

A different complaint from Dec. 11, 2022 said a U15 player was ejected from a game at Argyle Arena for a major penalty and "physically pushed another player and yelled 'You think you're a f***ing tough guy now?' and the other player yelled 'I'm a kid.'" That report was found to be out of the city's scope. 

"No one should ever put their hands on anybody, period. It's a situation where it's a heat of the moment but you should know better — that's totally uncalled for," said Mandarelli. 

"A code of conduct is there for a reason and the last thing you want is a fight to break out in a rink in front of young kids." 

Still, Mandarelli said such incidents aren't happening as frequently compared to previous years due to a culture change in the sport, adding the top priority for everyone should be to ensure players are having fun. 

A breakdown of complaints