"I’d like to know what precipitated this" - Experts left flummoxed by Hockey Canada's controversial new dressing room policy

Hockey Canada introduced a new dressing-room policy for the upcoming 2023-24 minor hockey season, which has sparked concerns and queries. Among those include St. Thomas University sociology professor Kristi Allain and Canadian Olympian, as well as Professor Emeritus of Sport and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, Bruce Kidd.

The policy includes a "minimum attire rule" with the aim of respecting privacy and making dressing environments more inclusive. However, experts like Allain and Kidd are puzzled by the timing and necessity of this policy when more pressing issues in the world of hockey need addressing.

“I was surprised that this is the issue they’re going to tackle first and I’d like to know what precipitated this.” Allain remarks, echoing the sentiments of many who are struggling to understand the rationale behind this particular policy shift.

While the policy claims to enhance the safety of all participants by setting minimum attire requirements and encouraging gender identity, religious beliefs, and body image concerns, some experts question whether it addresses the most significant issues plaguing the sport.

Allain, who has devoted years to researching masculinity in hockey, highlights that there are far more critical challenges that Hockey Canada should be addressing. She asserts,

"If a community, the LGBTQ community, the Muslim community, is asking for this, then we should have it," she added. "But if these communities have not asked for this, then I think we have to wonder if this is just a distraction from some of the really actual hard, hard changes that are going to need to happen to make hockey a safe place for women, for LGBTQ people, for racialized folks."

Bruce Kidd shares his concerns. Kidd asks:

“Did you have a study? Did you consult? Did you look at whether other jurisdictions are doing [this]? I don’t want to say that it’s a solution searching for a problem, but this came as a big surprise to me.”[via Surrey Now Leader]

Examining Hockey Canada's Dressing Room Policy

Hockey Canada, when questioned about the origins of the policy, did not provide specific details. Instead, the organization issued a statement explaining that the dressing room Policy was designed to offer proper supervision and address individual needs based on gender identity, religious beliefs, and body image concerns.

It also includes a "rule of two" mandating two trained and screened adults to be present in or near the dressing room to prevent discrimination, harassment, bullying, or maltreatment.

The "minimum attire rule" stipulates that players must wear a base layer in a dressing room when in the presence of at least one other person. Players are encouraged to arrive at the arena already wearing this base layer. If they fail to do so, they are expected to change in a private area before joining their team in the dressing room.

While the Hockey Canada policy's intentions may seem well, experts like Allain and Kidd argue that it does not address the more pressing issues within the sport. Allain emphasizes the need to tackle racism, homophobia, sexual violence, and physical trauma experienced by hockey players, as well as issues of accessibility for working-class families in Canada.