The NHL doesn’t care about women
By: Syeda Imam
The NHL doesn’t care about women. Is this a bold claim? Maybe. Is it a ridiculous one? I don’t think so.
It’s not as if I ever had any delusions that I, as a woman, mattered to the NHL. In fact, between the skimpily dressed ice girls employed by most NHL teams or the misogynistic chants during games, it was clear where women interested in professional hockey belonged on the totem pole. Still, I was shocked when I heard the news about Blackhawks superstar, three-time Stanley Cup champion, Patrick Kane, being investigated for rape.
Previous experience told me not to expect much from the league. At the very start, both the league and the team refused to comment. When it became clear this wasn’t just going away, they went on the defensive. The Blackhawks made the decision to allow Kane to attend training camp, following it with a press conference held by the team and backed by the league.
In the midst of a criminal investigation, Kane shouldn’t even be at training camp, and the league shouldn’t be allowing him to keep playing throughout preseason. Training camp and preseason are like a preview of the year, of different player combinations, new acquisitions over the offseason, the various strengths and weaknesses of your team. Kane being with the Blackhawks during this time gives those who are watching a clear message: it does not matter if Kane is being accused of sexual assault, all that matters is that he can play hockey.
I do believe Patrick Kane is guilty. It’s a personal policy of mine to believe victims because I know that only four to six percent of sexual assault allegations are false. Whether or not you make it your personal policy to believe the survivors of sexual assaults, Kane still shouldn’t be allowed to play. The league’s response to the whole situation regardless of the final verdict speaks volumes. At the very least, out of respect for the investigation and the alleged victim, Kane ought to have been suspended.
Allowing Kane to participate in training camp as if nothing has happened isn’t remaining neutral; it’s a show of support. There is a clause in every player’s contract that allows the league to exclude them from team activities if it is believed “their presence could be detrimental or harmful to the team or fans.” It would have been well within Kane’s contract to be suspended with pay.
Instead of removing him from camp and team events until the investigation was finished and sending the message that the NHL takes allegations of sexual assault seriously, the league allowed Kane to hold a press conference. He was allowed the opportunity to defend his innocence and apologize for the “distraction” to his team, his fans and everyone but the alleged victim.
This could have been used as an opportunity to show that the league takes these accusations seriously. They could have shown the women watching or the young men hoping to make it into the league that it doesn’t matter if you can score a beautiful goal—if you may have allegedly committed assault, you don’t deserve to play. Instead, when all eyes were on them, they supported their star and helped him defend himself.
Approximately every two minutes you spent reading this, another woman was sexually assaulted in the United States and 68 percent of the assaults will go unreported. The day after his press conference, Patrick Kane was greeted with a loud cheer from fans as he stepped onto the ice at training camp. It’s business as usual in the NHL.
