Martin St-Louis believes that initiations are there to “make a person feel welcome in a group” but that the rite of passage must be performed with respect.
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“There are ways to do it with a lot of respect. That should have been the case for a long time. In sport or business there are ways [de bien faire les choses]. It’s sad to hear a story like that, but [c’est] run over [s]”Improving,” said the Canadian’s instructor at the end of the morning, at the end of his team’s practice session at the Bell Centre.
Disturbing testimonies from former players have come to light in recent days, with some recounting abuse, intimidation, humiliation, torture and sexual assault during induction into major-junior teams from across the country.
St-Louis did not play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, but instead embarked on the University of Vermont route after his AAA midget internship and a stint in Hawkesbury at junior A level
This did not prevent him from being initiated. However, he did not want to publicly display his personal experiences.
The 47-year-old admits that the past few months have not been easy for the image of young ice hockey players, with Hockey Canada in particular being the focus of sex scandals.
“Sport brings a lot of positive things,” assured St-Louis. But there are sometimes very big negatives. It can turn into a big black spot. We have to be careful not to see any more black spots. [Ce n’est] not one person who can change this should do it together to protect young people. »
– With the collaboration of Mylène Richard