Hockey PEI begins diversity training following racist incidents

After troubling incidents last year, Hockey PEI is fighting racism with the help of a diversity and inclusion specialist.

Last fall, several players received suspensions for using racial slurs.

In one high-profile incident, five players were accused of hurling racial slurs toward a Black goalie from Nova Scotia.

Sixteen-year-old Mark Connors said a group of teenagers in the stands during a game in Charlottetown uttered the slurs at him -- slurs that continued that night at the hotel where the teams were staying.

It was because of incidents like this, Hockey PEI says it decided something needed to change.

“Hockey PEI had some choppy waters, and some difficulties, and some missteps and mistakes last year,” said Connor Cameron, the executive director of Hockey PEI. “Bradley was a person who reached out to us in the middle of that storm.”

The Bradley he's referring to is Bradley Sheppard, a diversity and inclusion specialist.

Cameron says the relationship grew naturally from there.

“In my travels, paying close attention to the news, and what was going on, I wanted to reach out to different sports organizations, including Hockey PEI, to see if I could support them,” said Bradley Sheppard, owner of Sheppard Diversity Training.

Sheppard, who served in the military for 20 years and has a master’s degree in education, has already given presentations to more than 300 players, coaches, and staff with Hockey PEI.

Cameron says it is the right way forward for the organization.

“You have to bring in an expert like Brad, otherwise, someone like me, who’s never experienced that, I’m just guessing,” said Cameron.

The training is leadership focused and looks to teach the organization’s leaders first, as well as the young leaders on the ice.

“All of the younger athletes are looking up to them, and we really want to give them the tools, the older athletes, the tools to model the behaviour right, to understand how their actions are coming across,” said Sheppard. “Hopefully, that’ll trickle down to the younger athletes.”

The organization hasn’t put a time limit or completion date for Sheppard’s work. They say it’s too important and they’ll keep going until the job is done.