The CAO and Mayor of St. Catharines say the Niagara IceDogs have violated the trust of the community.
Mayor Mat Siscoe and CAO David Oakes releasing a statement that says they fully support the actions taken by the OHL and condemn the actions of those involved that are described as "serious violations of the League's Code of Conduct and Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment Protection and Prevention Policy."
Read more on the action taken against the team.
They go on to say that they have reached out to the Commissioner of the OHL asking for information and a meeting with OHL leadership, to understand the League's position and the results of the investigation.
The Mayor and CAO are also demanding a meeting with the ownership group to discuss this situation and to determine a "path forward that will restore the trust of the community."
Here is the full statement:
May 5, 2023 - We, along with the rest of our community, are shocked by the statement issued by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) regarding the owner of the Niagara Ice Dogs and two of their players.
We fully support the actions taken by the OHL and condemn the actions of those involved that are described as “serious violations of the League’s Code of Conduct and Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment Protection and Prevention Policy.”
For more than 15 years our community has shown unprecedented support for our hometown hockey team. We have celebrated their victories and stood by them through their struggles.
The results of the OHL investigation show that the leadership of the organization and certain players have violated the trust of our community, and immediate action must be taken.
We have reached out to the Commissioner of the OHL asking for information and a meeting with OHL leadership, to understand the League’s position and the results of the investigation.
We are also demanding a meeting with the ownership group of the team immediately to discuss this situation and to determine a path forward that will restore the trust of the community.
This is an unacceptable situation that must be addressed swiftly and decisively.